Many Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) currently face an important decision when planning a new Drupal project: whether to proceed with Drupal 8 or wait for Drupal 9. Let me help you understand how to make this decision effectively.

Understanding the Drupal 8 to 9 Transition

The transition from Drupal 8 to Drupal 9 represents a significant departure from previous Drupal upgrades. Unlike earlier versions, this upgrade will not require a complete re-platforming of your website. Instead, organizations can expect a relatively seamless update process. While some APIs will become deprecated, potentially affecting certain module functionalities, the Drupal community is proactively working to address these challenges before they impact users.

Timeline and Technical Considerations

Drupal 9 is scheduled for release on June 20, 2020, and Drupal 8 will reach end-of-life in November 2021. The most significant technical challenge for the Drupal 9 release involves adopting Symfony 4, which represents a substantial upgrade from the current Symfony 3 framework. Our assessment indicates this migration carries the most significant risk for meeting the planned release timeline.

Decision Guidelines Based on Your Current Situation

Let me walk you through different scenarios to help you make an informed decision:

Scenario 1: No Existing Drupal Site
If you don't currently have a Drupal website, I recommend proceeding with Drupal 8 immediately. Waiting a year for Drupal 9 would unnecessarily delay your project without providing significant benefits.

Scenario 2: Existing Drupal 6 Website
For organizations still running Drupal 6, I strongly recommend migrating to Drupal 8 as soon as possible. This urgency stems from the deprecated status of both Drupal 6 core and its associated PHP versions, which may pose security risks.

Scenario 3: Existing Drupal 7 Website
For Drupal 7 users, the path forward depends on your current website's alignment with business needs:

If your current site meets business requirements:
- Consider planning a migration to Drupal 8.8 in December 2019
- This timing positions you just one or two minor versions before Drupal 9
- The proximity to Drupal 9 minimizes the impact of future updates
- New functionality can be added to your D7 site in the interim, though this will incur additional costs

If your current site needs significant updates:
- I recommend migrating to Drupal 8.7 now
- Budget for some redevelopment work in early 2020
- Include preparation time for the eventual Drupal 9 migration

Future-Proofing Your Implementation

Looking ahead, Drupal 9 is being developed with a strong focus on APIs and modern development practices. At the recent DrupalCon Seattle, we observed increasing adoption of decoupled architectures using frontend frameworks like Angular and React. With React's planned integration into Drupal core, I strongly encourage product owners to consider implementing these modern frontend technologies in their projects.

This approach not only prepares your organization for future Drupal developments but also provides greater flexibility and improved user experiences.

For more detailed guidance specific to your situation, please reach out to us at office@softescu.com.