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Last modified by Agnease on 2026/05/26 11:00
From version 12.1
edited by Agnease
on 2026/05/26 10:35
Change comment: There is no comment for this version
To version 11.3
edited by Agnease
on 2026/05/26 09:14
Change comment: There is no comment for this version

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... ... @@ -32,7 +32,6 @@
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>
36 36   </ul>
37 37   </aside>
38 38  
... ... @@ -53,20 +53,6 @@
53 53  
54 54   <div class="resource-note">
55 55   <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>
70 70   <strong>The main point:</strong> custom code is not the problem. Uncontrolled custom code is. XWiki can be
71 71   customized safely when changes are separated from standard pages, tracked, documented and tested.
72 72   </p>
... ... @@ -104,12 +104,6 @@
104 104   path.
105 105   </p>
106 106  
107 - <p>
108 - Customizations should also be reviewed as part of the wider platform risk model. See
109 - <a href="$xwiki.getURL('resources.xwiki-security-review')">what an XWiki security review should actually include</a>
110 - for related checks around permissions, authentication, extensions, infrastructure and operational practices.
111 - </p>
112 -
113 113   <h2 id="safe-model">A safer model for XWiki custom work</h2>
114 114  
115 115   <h3>1. Keep custom code separate from standard XWiki pages</h3>
... ... @@ -127,11 +127,11 @@
127 127   into a maintainable part of the platform.
128 128   </p>
129 129  
130 - <h3>3. Keep custom code under source control</h3>
109 + <h3>3. Track important changes in a version control system</h3>
131 131   <p>
132 - Custom development should not exist only inside the production wiki. Java code, scripts, XAR packages,
133 - deployment files and templates should be stored in a source control system, such as Git. This gives the team a
134 - history of what changed, when it changed and why.
111 + Serious custom development should not exist only inside the production wiki. Java code, scripts, XAR packages,
112 + deployment files and important templates should be stored in a version control system, such as Git. This gives
113 + the team a history of what changed, when it changed and why.
135 135   </p>
136 136  
137 137   <h3>4. Choose the right implementation level</h3>
... ... @@ -163,11 +163,6 @@
163 163   touched.
164 164   </p>
165 165  
166 - <p>
167 - For a broader upgrade preparation model, see
168 - <a href="$xwiki.getURL('resources.why-upgrade-xwiki')">why regular XWiki upgrades matter</a>.
169 - </p>
170 -
171 171   <div class="resource-note">
172 172   <p>
173 173   <strong>A practical rule:</strong> production can receive urgent fixes when necessary, but it should not become
... ... @@ -176,17 +176,12 @@
176 176   </p>
177 177   </div>
178 178  
179 - <h2 id="practical-checklist">XWiki custom development checklist</h2>
153 + <h2 id="practical-checklist">A compact checklist</h2>
180 180  
181 - <p>
182 - A maintainable XWiki customization should be easy to locate, explain, test and update. The following checklist
183 - can be used as a starting point when reviewing existing custom work or planning a new feature.
184 - </p>
185 -
186 186   <ul class="resource-checklist">
187 187   <li>Separate custom pages, scripts and configuration from standard XWiki content.</li>
188 188   <li>Document the business purpose, technical location and validation steps.</li>
189 - <li>Keep custom code and important assets under source control, for example in Git.</li>
158 + <li>Use a version control system, such as Git, for code and important assets.</li>
190 190   <li>Test custom features on staging before production upgrades.</li>
191 191   <li>Review old customizations and remove what is no longer used.</li>
192 192   </ul>
... ... @@ -205,47 +205,10 @@
205 205   flexible without becoming fragile.
206 206   </p>
207 207  
208 - <h2 id="custom-development-faq">XWiki custom development FAQ</h2>
209 -
210 - <h3>Does custom development make XWiki harder to upgrade?</h3>
211 - <p>
212 - Not automatically. Custom development becomes harder to upgrade when it is undocumented, mixed with regular
213 - content, applied directly in production or missing from the upgrade validation plan. Well-organized custom work
214 - can remain maintainable across upgrades.
215 - </p>
216 -
217 - <h3>Where should XWiki custom code be stored?</h3>
218 - <p>
219 - Custom wiki pages, scripts, templates and configuration should usually be kept in dedicated technical spaces.
220 - Code and important assets should also be tracked in a source control system, such as Git, so changes are not
221 - stored only in the production wiki.
222 - </p>
223 -
224 - <h3>When should an XWiki customization become an extension?</h3>
225 - <p>
226 - Packaging a customization as an extension is useful when the feature becomes complex, reusable, business-critical
227 - or shared across multiple instances. Java components, event listeners, scheduled jobs and integrations often
228 - benefit from an extension-based approach.
229 - </p>
230 -
231 - <h3>What should be tested after an XWiki upgrade?</h3>
232 - <p>
233 - Besides standard pages, the validation should include custom dashboards, templates, macros, workflows,
234 - permissions, notifications, PDF exports, scheduled jobs, integrations and any custom applications used by the
235 - organization.
236 - </p>
237 -
238 - <h3>Why should configuration be kept outside custom code?</h3>
239 - <p>
240 - Values such as group names, target spaces, external URLs, email recipients and workflow settings can change over
241 - time. Keeping them in configuration pages or preference objects makes custom features easier to adapt without
242 - changing the implementation.
243 - </p>
244 -
245 245   <div class="resource-note">
246 246   <p>
247 247   Related resources:
248 - <a href="$xwiki.getURL('resources.xwiki-security-review')">what an XWiki security review should actually include</a>
180 + <a href="$xwiki.getURL('resources.xwiki-security-reviewi')">what an XWiki security review should actually include</a>
249 249   and
250 250   <a href="$xwiki.getURL('resources.why-upgrade-xwiki')">why regular XWiki upgrades matter</a>
251 251   </p>
... ... @@ -266,54 +266,5 @@
266 266   </div>
267 267   </section>
268 268  
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