Glossary - H

A hack is a bad practice. This is the action of modifying base files or contributed modules instead of using the Drupal hook system. Drupal Hacking makes it difficult to apply updates. A good way to check if your site has been hacked is to check using the https://drupal.org/project/hacked module.

An approach designed to offer revolutionary user experiences: the Headless CMS.

This model proposes separating the Front-end from the Back-end and using a different Framework from the CMS.  The headless CMS is based on:

• A backend based on a database and managed through a graphical interface;
• Content accessible via a web service and a REST API delivering data in JSON format;
• A frontend separated from the backend, which can be a lightweight site built using a Framework or JavaScript libraries.

The advantages:

• If the standard CMS shows certain limitations on the frontend, it allows you to benefit from the rich features offered by other Frameworks.
• The headless CMS usually provides content via an API, which means it can deliver content anywhere. 
• The work of the frontend and backend teams is separated—each is free to optimize the application according to their tools, without being limited by the conventions and structure of the backend.
• The headless CMS model can be adopted with a wide range of Frameworks or libraries, including JavaScript, to create ever more innovative user experiences. 

Drupal has an architecture capable of powering Headless projects. It is one of the leading open references in this field.

The HMW method (How might we...?) makes it possible to generate new avenues for reflection. Each participant expresses their vision of the project and the issues out loud, while the others turn these ideas into HMW questions.

A hook is a function used during Drupal module design that allows a programmer to modify an existing Drupal feature.