Have you recently switched over from Drupal to WordPress? If so, you may have been disappointed to find out that WordPress does not have the same data display capabilities out-of-the box that Drupal has.
But fear not! In this post, I’ll show you why GravityView, a plugin for WordPress, is the Drupal Views alternative that you’ve been looking for.
Keep reading to find out more.
Understanding Drupal Views
Drupal Views is a core module in the Drupal CMS that allows you to pull data from your site’s database and display it in various formats like lists, tables, galleries, maps, or reports. It supports a range of content types, such as nodes and users, and offers performance benefits like caching and an extensive library of extension modules.
With the Views UI, users can create complex database queries through a visual interface. These queries can be displayed as pages, blocks, feeds, or panel panes.
Additionally, Views enables advanced features like relationships and contextual filters. For instance, you can link related content (such as users and their posts) or show personalized content to users based on their ID. These settings are easily configured through the module’s advanced options.
The flexibility that Drupal Views provides when it comes to fetching and managing data enables you to build directories, job boards, and other front-end applications.
What is GravityView?
GravityView is not part of WordPress Core. It’s a plugin that extends Gravity Forms (the most popular WordPress form plugin!). GravityView enables you to display data collected through forms on the front end of your site.
Similar to Drupal Views, GravityView includes a visual, drag-and-drop interface for creating innovative displays. You can display data in a list, a table, or on a map! GravityView also supports a “DIY” layout builder for creating custom layouts using HTML and CSS.
GravityView’s extensive features, powerful data management capabilities and flexible builder enable you to create fully functioning, dynamic web applications without writing any code!
GravityView vs Drupal Views: Comparing key features
Let’s start by looking at the user interface and how each tool handles displaying data.
Drupal’s Views module ships directly with core and enables you to configure a View using a visual interface.
After creating a new View, you can give it a name, select what content you want to show, which layout to use, and more. After configuring the initial View setup, you’ll need to choose the specific fields you want to display and where you want to display them.
Again, you can do this using a visual interface, although it’s not the most intuitive! There are many options and for someone less familiar with Drupal, they may struggle to configure things the way they want.
With Drupal Views, you can create simple lists and tables, or complex data displays. Thanks to a robust query builder, you can access any data in your site’s database and output it with relative ease.
GravityView handles things a little bit differently. First, you need to have a form set up in Gravity Forms to collect data. This could be any kind of data you wish, including text, numerical, documents, images, whatever! It’s this data that you can access using GravityView.
When creating a View, you first select a form with the data you want to display. Next, you can configure the View by choosing which fields to display and where to display them. GravityView supports several layout templates for changing the look and feel of a View.
GravityView’s editor is intuitive and easy to use. It supports “fields” (the data you want to display) and “widgets” (tools for navigating a View, like a search bar). It also supports a “Single Entry” view and an “Edit Entry” view for editing form entries directly on the front end.
Searching, filtering, and exporting data
GravityView offers a range of advanced features, including powerful data export options, searching, and complex filtering. With built-in export functionality, you can easily export View data in CSV or TSV format.
GravityView also includes a customizable search bar widget that you can add to your Views on the front-end. This makes it easy for users to search through directory listings, job postings, or any other data.
Additionally, the Advanced Filtering extension (available in GravityView Pro) enables you to filter data in a View using conditional logic, making it simple to create complex filters with multiple conditions.
Custom fields
Finally, GravityView enables you to add your own, custom content to your View using the powerful Custom Content field. This field supports text, HTML/JS and shortcodes. This provides additional flexibility when creating web apps and dynamic content displays!
Supported layout types
GravityView offers a range of View types, enabling you to display data in different ways, depending on the needs of your project.
The Table View type is ideal for presenting data in a structured, grid-like format, making it easy to scan through rows of entries, while the List View type provides a more flexible option for displaying entries in a single-column format that’s perfect for detailed records or profiles.
The DataTables View type adds advanced sorting, filtering, and search capabilities, ideal for users who need more control over large datasets. With the Map View type, you can display form entries with address fields directly on a map, creating powerful geolocation-based applications.
Finally, DIY (Do-It-Yourself) View type in GravityView is designed for ultimate customization, enabling you to create a custom layout using HTML and CSS.
Why GravityView is the best alternative to Drupal Views
If you’re looking for a simple, intuitive alternative to Drupal Views for WordPress, GravityView is the perfect solution. Its drag-and-drop interface makes building complex data displays easy, even for non-developers.
With features like configurable search, filtering, and data exports, GravityView offers flexibility without the need for custom coding, making it an ideal tool for WordPress users of all skill levels.
So what are you waiting for? Try GravityView today and see how it can streamline your next project!
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