Drupal 8: Linkit, Paragraphs and Search API modules

New extensions in the world of Drupal development attract a lot of users, but these modules also attract developers who are eager to master new technologies. We have talked about some Drupal 8 modules earlier, and now we want to add to the list. Today we would like to share with you some insights on the latest Drupal 8 modules. Meet Linkit, Paragraphs and the Search API. Each of these contributed modules is designed to make working with Drupal 8 easier and faster. Read on and we’ll guide you through some info about Drupal 8 modules.

Linkit: Improve the Usability in WYSIWYG Editor

Linkit was created to improve usability of WYSIWYG editor. What does the Linkit module give us? Firstly, it adds a link plugin to the WYSIWYG editor. With Linkit installed a content author can search for link targets and get various link suggestions based on the input. Using this module you can be confident that you’ll include the properly formed link and the link target will be correct. Linkit provides an easy interface for internal and external linking by using an autocomplete field. Now, you don’t have to copy or remember URL, because Linkit will do that part of your job for you.

Paragraphs: Create Content in Unusual Way

The Paragraphs module allows content creators to choose which kinds of paragraphs they want to place on the page and the order in which they want to place them.

Paragraphs gives you cleaner data structures so you can give more editing power to your end-users. Another benefit of the Paragraphs module? You can use any number of text, image, or video fields and keep them all responsive. Paragraphs gives site owners content that looks great when displayed on all platforms. With this module content authors will get a structured content creation interface that helps to avoid mistakes. It gives more editing possibilities to end-users, since they can have more stable control over the look of each item.

Now there is no need to put all content in one body field, you can choose independently from each Paragraph Types to use anything from a text block to a complex slideshow.

The Search API module: Generate Searches on Drupal Sites

The Search API module is a toolset for creating searches on Drupal sites. This module allows site builders to create search interfaces for end-users. If a developer doesn’t have to spend a lot of time on creating a new search every time, he will have more time to concentrate on the specific, search-related functionality. The Search API is quite flexible and provides various extensions.

This module has a search backend that indexes and searches content using Drupal's own database (this function is available only in Drupal 8). It also supports the Views module for displaying search results, filters, etc.

Let’s Sum Up

When all is said and done, Drupal 8 is easy and cool to work with when you use various extensions:

1. It is easier to create a search system on a website using the Search API module.
2. Paragraphs makes responsive sites without placing excessive limits on editors.
3. Linkit improves the usability in WYSIWYG editor generating links and link targets.

You can look through contributed modules, which were released in February. We also can’t wait to share our next blog with a list of ready-made modules for Drupal 8.