Core Development

This wiki page describes the architecture of OpenKH. For detailed information about modules and themes, please read module development and theme development.

Module architecture

OpenKH architecture learns many things from Drupal. Although OpenKH and Drupal are not the same, if you know Drupal, you may feel comfortable with OpenKH.

OpenKH uses “Engines” functionality of Rails 2.3+ to structure its parts as modules. There are 3 kinds of modules:

• Core modules: provide basic functionality and utilities for other modules to use
• Standard modules: provide additonal functionality
• Extended modules: provide additonal functionality

Core and standard modules are created before hand by “official” developers of OpenKH. Extended modules can be created by any body. OpenKH still runs even if standard or extended modules are deleted.

Blocks

“Blocks” are “blocks” in Drupal or “widgets” in WordPress. They are blocks of HTML displayed on the web page.

Blocks are provided by modules.

Themes

Themes define how blocks are displayed. OpenKH is designed so that WordPress themes (generally simpler than those of Drupal) can be easily converted to be used in OpenKH.