Website Rebuild Team

Current Web Rebuild Team Left to Right: Joe Xuanqiao Zhang, Yong Kheng Beh, Robert Quoc Huy Tran, Stathis Avramis(On Screen: Michael Adams)

Watch this space! As the volunteer web rebuild team continues to work on the web rebuild, more content will be added.

This blog is written and maintained by volunteer Yong Kheng Beh.

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Project Overview

The SAcommunity.org website has served South Australia's community sector for over a decade. In August 2024, recognizing the need for modernization, a dedicated team of Infoxchange volunteers proposed a complete website rebuild. What started as an ambitious idea has evolved into a collaborative learning journey, combining technical expertise with community commitment.

The Website Rebuild Team brings together volunteers with diverse skills, all united by a common goal: creating a more efficient, user-friendly platform for South Australia's community organizations and services.

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• Developed a PHP script to import data from CSV into MySQL, based on Stathis's database schema
• Leading the complex task of exporting data from the legacy SAcommunity.org database
• Troubleshooting technical challenges with over 14,000 community listings

Stathis Avramis (Joined October 9, 2024)

• Architect of the new MySQL database schema for SAcommunity
• Structured and organized taxonomy for Primary Categories, Subject Headings, Councils, and Electoral Districts
• Serves as the team's institutional knowledge keeper for historical data structures

Yong Kheng Beh (Joined February 25, 2025)

• Successfully upgraded the development site from Drupal 10 to Drupal 11
• Created comprehensive onboarding documentation after completing Drupal 9 training
• Manages the GitHub Project board and development workflow
• Built the A-Z Organisation Directory using Drupal's Migrate module
• Currently leading the transformation of open text fields into structured data

Joe Xuanqiao Zhang (Joined April 1, 2025)

• Recreated the homepage design to match the original SAcommunity.org aesthetic
• Developed an advanced calendar view with sophisticated filtering capabilities
• Spearheading the data cleaning initiative for complex fields like "Parent Body"

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The Learning Curve: Early Challenges

Starting with minimal Drupal 11 experience, the team faced several technical hurdles that became valuable learning opportunities:

Configuration Management: Initial attempts to synchronize work through GitHub alone proved insufficient. The team discovered that Drupal configuration requires careful export and import of YAML files, sometimes leading to lost work before the proper workflow was established.

Data Import Struggles: Early PHP-based import scripts failed due to structural mismatches between the old database and Drupal's architecture. The team successfully pivoted to using Drupal's native Migrate and Migrate Plus modules, though mastering these tools required significant time investment.

Despite these challenges, each obstacle became a stepping stone toward expertise. The team's iterative approach and willingness to adapt has been key to their steady progress.

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Breakthrough Moments: Expert Guidance

Strategic Pivot with Pankaj Chhalotre

Date: April 29, 2025
Location: Board Room, Connecting Up
Attendees: Pankaj Chhalotre, Yong Kheng Beh, Stathis Avramis, Robert Quoc Huy Tran, Joe Xuanqiao Zhang

This meeting marked a crucial turning point in the project's approach. Pankaj, drawing from extensive Drupal experience, challenged the team to stop trying to replicate the old database schema perfectly. Instead, he encouraged embracing Drupal's native architecture with its nodes, entities, content types, and relationships.

His advice to "experiment and learn through doing" helped shift the team's mindset from database perfectionism to practical iteration—a change that accelerated progress significantly.

Technical Deep-Dive with Michael Adams

Date: June 3, 2025
Location: Agile Room, Connecting Up + Microsoft Teams

Michael provided invaluable technical guidance on data migration strategy. His key recommendations included:

• Implementing a test-driven approach: export small data batches, validate formatting, then scale gradually
• Utilizing Python scripts and REST APIs for data cleaning and refinement
• Ensuring file path integrity during migration
• Maintaining user account relationships with unique identifiers to preserve content ownership

Data Strategy with Kristen Moeller-Saxone

Date: June 25, 2025
Location: Agile Room, Connecting Up + Microsoft Teams

Addressing the challenge of converting over 14,000 open text field entries into structured data, Kristen suggested leveraging AI tools to identify patterns and flag unique entries for manual review. Her practical insights and offer to feature the team's innovative approach in an upcoming Data Catalyst Network webinar validated the project's broader significance.

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Technical Breakthroughs
Mastering Drupal Collaboration

One of the team's most significant early achievements was solving the GitHub synchronization puzzle. With limited documentation available for Drupal 11 collaboration workflows, the team developed their own multi-step process:

1. Export configuration files from Drupal
2. Export database changes
3. Push changes to GitHub with proper documentation

This breakthrough eliminated the fear of overwriting teammates' work and enabled confident collaboration. The resulting onboarding guide now helps future volunteers join the project smoothly.

Theme Implementation Success

Implementing the Gazias Lozin theme presented unexpected compatibility challenges. Originally built for Drupal 10, the theme required updates for Drupal 11 compatibility. With assistance from James Newport at Connecting Up, the team obtained the updated package.

While the integration required a fresh Drupal installation that cost some early work, the team's growing familiarity with the platform enabled quick recovery and established a solid foundation for future development.

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Current Initiatives
Data Liberation Project

The team is systematically extracting data from the existing website, having overcome initial CSV formatting challenges by switching to JSON format for better structure and reduced error rates. Due to server limitations, data extraction proceeds in manageable batches—a methodical approach that ensures data integrity.

Database Modernization

Working closely with directory manager Catherine McIntyre, Yong Kheng is identifying and addressing existing database inefficiencies. This collaboration ensures the new structure better serves real user needs while eliminating confusing or redundant fields.

AI-Powered Data Transformation

The team has successfully implemented AI tools to convert open-text fields into structured formats—a task that would be overwhelming if attempted manually across 14,000+ entries. This innovation improves data consistency and creates a more maintainable database structure.

Example: Using AI to transform unstructured text into organized, searchable categories

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Community and Connection

Beyond technical development, the Web Rebuild Team actively participates in the broader Connecting Up and Infoxchange community:

Monthly Connecting Up team meetings foster collaboration and knowledge sharing

Building community: Team members participate in Infoxchange Adelaide's Biggest Morning Tea fundraiser

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Looking Ahead

As the Web Rebuild Team continues their work, several exciting developments are on the horizon:

• Completion of the comprehensive data migration from the legacy system
• Launch of enhanced search and filtering capabilities
• Implementation of improved user experience features

What started as a technical project has evolved into a model of volunteer collaboration, innovative problem-solving, and community commitment. The team's journey demonstrates that with dedication, expert guidance, and a willingness to learn, complex technical challenges can become opportunities for growth and innovation.

Stay tuned for more updates as this exciting project continues to evolve!