Hi everyone,
We are starting a small, open working group around one idea: making Silex a solid no-code front-end for headless Drupal. This post is the home base. If the topic speaks to you, jump in.
Why this, why now
The headless Drupal world is mostly Next.js today. That is great for some teams, but it leaves a gap: there is no simple, no-code, static path for people who do not want to run a JavaScript app. Silex fits right there. You build pages visually on top of plain HTML/CSS (basic HTML/CSS knowledge is required), and it generates a static site you host yourself. Drupal stays as the content source, exposed through its API. No public CMS to attack, low hosting cost, and you stay in control of your stack.
To be clear, this is meant to be complementary to Next.js and friends, not a replacement. It is one more option in the Drupal headless toolbox, a libre and sovereign one.
What we want to produce
- A reference integration: a Silex front-end pulling content from a headless Drupal (we will start with the GraphQL module).
- A step-by-step tutorial so anyone can reproduce it.
- A public demo site.
We plan to share the result in a Silex live episode and a blog post, and to bring it to conferences.
Open questions we will work through together
- GraphQL module vs JSON:API: what works best with Silex.
- Structured content in Drupal (the equivalent of WordPress Pods/ACF): what to use and how it maps.
- A demo Drupal instance: self-hosted by us, or provided by someone in the group.
Who this is for
Drupal developers and agencies, freelances, no-code makers, and FOSS folks. You do not need to be a Drupal expert. If you have tried headless Drupal, or want to, your input is useful.
How we work
Build in the open. This thread is for coordination and discussion. Code will live in a public repo once we have a first connector. We are early and figuring it out as we go, so expect rough edges and honest experiments.
How to join
Reply here and tell us briefly who you are and your interest (Drupal, no-code, agency, just curious). We are also looking for one person willing to lead the technical proof of concept (the GraphQL connector); if that could be you, say so and we will scope it together.
Thanks, and looking forward to building this with you.
Chris, for the Silex community
