Views Data Export Module Returns to Active Maintainership

In a significant development for the Drupal community, the 'Views Data Export' module has officially re-entered active maintainership. This essential tool, used by over 75,000 Drupal sites at its peak, allows users to export Drupal View data into CSV and Excel files — a vital feature for content-heavy sites. Steven Jones, a Senior Developer at ComputerMinds recently published a blog post that explains the renewed efforts being put into the re-development of the module.

Originally developed during the Drupal 6 era, Views Data Export provided a much-needed solution to export large datasets efficiently. Unlike its predecessor, Views Bonus Pack, it overcame limitations by leveraging Drupal’s Batch API to export data in chunks, ensuring smooth handling of large exports.  

However, as Drupal 8 arrived, the module's maintenance waned. A new maintainer ported it to Drupal 8, 9, and 10, but the absence of consistent support left unresolved bugs and feature requests.  

According to the blog post, The first step was to prepare the module for Drupal 11 compatibility. Looking forward, the developers aim to clear the 480+ open issues and update the outdated documentation. Regular updates every two weeks are promised to track progress and keep the community informed.  

This renewed effort promises to restore Views Data Export as an essential part of the Drupal toolkit. For more details, read the full blog post on ComputerMinds.