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(notes on a session at DrupalCon 2010)

• from columns to fields
  
  • in D6, adding data to a node (with a module) required adding a table and implementing hook_nodeapi() to fetch and store data
  • in D7, just add a field and let Drupal handle all the I/O.
  • fields are reusable, can be added to any entity, shared between entities.
  • a field has a schema (how to store, hook_field_schema), a widget (how to edit, hook_widget_info), a formatter (how to display, hook_field_formatter), and settings (global or per instance, hook_field_info)
• from nodes, users, comments, & taxonomy terms to entities
  
  • entities are the new nodes: high-level objects that can receive fields, revisions, bundles (sub-types), a URI, and various build modes.
  • entity API: hook_entity_info, hook_entity_load/insert/update, entity_load -- saving and deleting are still entity-specific
  • Entity module provides missing save & delete functions and may become indispensible.
• hands-on: a case tracker in 100 lines
  
  • don't need comment_upload anymore, because files can be attached to comments
  • assign the same field to both node type and its comments
  • write a few hooks to assign the parent node's field value to the comments by default, and to change the node's value to match the comment's when it's submitted.
• rethinking modules in D7
  
  • why? D7 is a new milestone
  • after a straight port, we will need to rethink the modules to take advantage of new concepts
  • extend existing entities with fields before creating new entities
  • don't use nodes for anything that isn't content - that's when to create your own entities
  • always use Views for displaying entities - don't create your own query & display platform