Skip to Content
Last modified by Agnease on 2026/05/26 11:00
From version 10.1
edited by Agnease
on 2026/05/22 06:34
Change comment: There is no comment for this version
To version 12.2
edited by Agnease
on 2026/05/26 10:49
Change comment: There is no comment for this version

Summary

Details

Page properties
Title
... ... @@ -1,1 +1,1 @@
1 -xwiki-custom-development
1 +How to Customize XWiki Without Creating Upgrade Problems
Content
... ... @@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
32 32   <li><a href="#upgrade-validation">Upgrade validation</a></li>
33 33   <li><a href="#practical-checklist">Checklist</a></li>
34 34   <li><a href="#strategic-advantage">Strategic advantage</a></li>
35 + <li><a href="#custom-development-faq">FAQ</a></li>
35 35   </ul>
36 36   </aside>
37 37  
... ... @@ -52,6 +52,20 @@
52 52  
53 53   <div class="resource-note">
54 54   <p>
56 + <strong>In practice:</strong> XWiki custom development should be separated from standard platform pages,
57 + documented, kept under source control, tested on staging and reviewed during upgrades. This makes custom
58 + features easier to maintain instead of turning them into hidden dependencies.
59 + </p>
60 + </div>
61 +
62 + <p>
63 + XWiki custom development is the process of adapting the platform with custom pages, classes, objects, sheets,
64 + templates, scripts, macros, UI extensions, Java components or integrations. The goal is to support real
65 + business processes while keeping the instance understandable, maintainable and upgrade-aware.
66 + </p>
67 +
68 + <div class="resource-note">
69 + <p>
55 55   <strong>The main point:</strong> custom code is not the problem. Uncontrolled custom code is. XWiki can be
56 56   customized safely when changes are separated from standard pages, tracked, documented and tested.
57 57   </p>
... ... @@ -89,6 +89,12 @@
89 89   path.
90 90   </p>
91 91  
107 + <p>
108 + Customizations should also be reviewed as part of the wider platform risk model. See
109 + <a href="$xwiki.getURL('resources.xwiki-security-review')">what an XWiki security review should actually include</a>
110 + for related checks around permissions, authentication, extensions, infrastructure and operational practices.
111 + </p>
112 +
92 92   <h2 id="safe-model">A safer model for XWiki custom work</h2>
93 93  
94 94   <h3>1. Keep custom code separate from standard XWiki pages</h3>
... ... @@ -106,11 +106,11 @@
106 106   into a maintainable part of the platform.
107 107   </p>
108 108  
109 - <h3>3. Track important changes in a version control system</h3>
130 + <h3>3. Keep custom code under source control</h3>
110 110   <p>
111 - Serious custom development should not exist only inside the production wiki. Java code, scripts, XAR packages,
112 - deployment files and important templates should be stored in a version control system, such as Git. This gives
113 - the team a history of what changed, when it changed and why.
132 + Custom development should not exist only inside the production wiki. Java code, scripts, XAR packages,
133 + deployment files and templates should be stored in a source control system, such as Git. This gives the team a
134 + history of what changed, when it changed and why.
114 114   </p>
115 115  
116 116   <h3>4. Choose the right implementation level</h3>
... ... @@ -142,6 +142,11 @@
142 142   touched.
143 143   </p>
144 144  
166 + <p>
167 + For a broader upgrade preparation model, see
168 + <a href="$xwiki.getURL('resources.why-upgrade-xwiki')">why regular XWiki upgrades matter</a>.
169 + </p>
170 +
145 145   <div class="resource-note">
146 146   <p>
147 147   <strong>A practical rule:</strong> production can receive urgent fixes when necessary, but it should not become
... ... @@ -150,12 +150,26 @@
150 150   </p>
151 151   </div>
152 152  
153 - <h2 id="practical-checklist">A compact checklist</h2>
179 + <div class="resource-inline-cta">
180 + <p>
181 + <strong>Not sure how risky your current XWiki version is?</strong>
182 + A short technical review can clarify the upgrade path, extension compatibility,
183 + custom code risks and validation needs before production is touched.
184 + </p>
185 + <a class="btn btn-secondary" href="$xwiki.getURL('contact.WebHome')">Request a quick review</a>
186 + </div>
154 154  
188 + <h2 id="practical-checklist">XWiki custom development checklist</h2>
189 +
190 + <p>
191 + A maintainable XWiki customization should be easy to locate, explain, test and update. The following checklist
192 + can be used as a starting point when reviewing existing custom work or planning a new feature.
193 + </p>
194 +
155 155   <ul class="resource-checklist">
156 156   <li>Separate custom pages, scripts and configuration from standard XWiki content.</li>
157 157   <li>Document the business purpose, technical location and validation steps.</li>
158 - <li>Use a version control system, such as Git, for code and important assets.</li>
198 + <li>Keep custom code and important assets under source control, for example in Git.</li>
159 159   <li>Test custom features on staging before production upgrades.</li>
160 160   <li>Review old customizations and remove what is no longer used.</li>
161 161   </ul>
... ... @@ -174,6 +174,52 @@
174 174   flexible without becoming fragile.
175 175   </p>
176 176  
217 + <h2 id="custom-development-faq">XWiki custom development FAQ</h2>
218 +
219 + <h3>Does custom development make XWiki harder to upgrade?</h3>
220 + <p>
221 + Not automatically. Custom development becomes harder to upgrade when it is undocumented, mixed with regular
222 + content, applied directly in production or missing from the upgrade validation plan. Well-organized custom work
223 + can remain maintainable across upgrades.
224 + </p>
225 +
226 + <h3>Where should XWiki custom code be stored?</h3>
227 + <p>
228 + Custom wiki pages, scripts, templates and configuration should usually be kept in dedicated technical spaces.
229 + Code and important assets should also be tracked in a source control system, such as Git, so changes are not
230 + stored only in the production wiki.
231 + </p>
232 +
233 + <h3>When should an XWiki customization become an extension?</h3>
234 + <p>
235 + Packaging a customization as an extension is useful when the feature becomes complex, reusable, business-critical
236 + or shared across multiple instances. Java components, event listeners, scheduled jobs and integrations often
237 + benefit from an extension-based approach.
238 + </p>
239 +
240 + <h3>What should be tested after an XWiki upgrade?</h3>
241 + <p>
242 + Besides standard pages, the validation should include custom dashboards, templates, macros, workflows,
243 + permissions, notifications, PDF exports, scheduled jobs, integrations and any custom applications used by the
244 + organization.
245 + </p>
246 +
247 + <h3>Why should configuration be kept outside custom code?</h3>
248 + <p>
249 + Values such as group names, target spaces, external URLs, email recipients and workflow settings can change over
250 + time. Keeping them in configuration pages or preference objects makes custom features easier to adapt without
251 + changing the implementation.
252 + </p>
253 +
254 + <div class="resource-note">
255 + <p>
256 + Related resources:
257 + <a href="$xwiki.getURL('resources.xwiki-security-review')">what an XWiki security review should actually include</a>
258 + and
259 + <a href="$xwiki.getURL('resources.why-upgrade-xwiki')">why regular XWiki upgrades matter</a>
260 + </p>
261 + </div>
262 +
177 177   <div class="resource-cta">
178 178   <h3>Need help reviewing XWiki customizations?</h3>
179 179   <p>
... ... @@ -189,5 +189,54 @@
189 189   </div>
190 190   </section>
191 191  
278 + <script type="application/ld+json">
279 + {
280 + "@context": "https://schema.org",
281 + "@type": "FAQPage",
282 + "mainEntity": [
283 + {
284 + "@type": "Question",
285 + "name": "Does custom development make XWiki harder to upgrade?",
286 + "acceptedAnswer": {
287 + "@type": "Answer",
288 + "text": "Not automatically. Custom development becomes harder to upgrade when it is undocumented, mixed with regular content, applied directly in production or missing from the upgrade validation plan. Well-organized custom work can remain maintainable across upgrades."
289 + }
290 + },
291 + {
292 + "@type": "Question",
293 + "name": "Where should XWiki custom code be stored?",
294 + "acceptedAnswer": {
295 + "@type": "Answer",
296 + "text": "Custom wiki pages, scripts, templates and configuration should usually be kept in dedicated technical spaces. Code and important assets should also be tracked in a source control system, such as Git, so changes are not stored only in the production wiki."
297 + }
298 + },
299 + {
300 + "@type": "Question",
301 + "name": "When should an XWiki customization become an extension?",
302 + "acceptedAnswer": {
303 + "@type": "Answer",
304 + "text": "Packaging a customization as an extension is useful when the feature becomes complex, reusable, business-critical or shared across multiple instances. Java components, event listeners, scheduled jobs and integrations often benefit from an extension-based approach."
305 + }
306 + },
307 + {
308 + "@type": "Question",
309 + "name": "What should be tested after an XWiki upgrade?",
310 + "acceptedAnswer": {
311 + "@type": "Answer",
312 + "text": "Besides standard pages, the validation should include custom dashboards, templates, macros, workflows, permissions, notifications, PDF exports, scheduled jobs, integrations and any custom applications used by the organization."
313 + }
314 + },
315 + {
316 + "@type": "Question",
317 + "name": "Why should configuration be kept outside custom code?",
318 + "acceptedAnswer": {
319 + "@type": "Answer",
320 + "text": "Values such as group names, target spaces, external URLs, email recipients and workflow settings can change over time. Keeping them in configuration pages or preference objects makes custom features easier to adapt without changing the implementation."
321 + }
322 + }
323 + ]
324 + }
325 + </script>
326 +
192 192  {{/html}}
193 193  {{/velocity}}