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Title
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1 -How to Customize XWiki Without Creating Upgrade Problems
1 +xwiki-custom-development
Content
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11 11   </div>
12 12   </div>
13 13  
14 - <h1 id="hero-title">Why XWiki custom development needs structure, documentation and upgrade awareness</h1>
14 + <h1 id="hero-title">How to customize XWiki without creating upgrade problems</h1>
15 15  
16 16   <p class="resource-summary">
17 17   XWiki can be adapted to complex business needs. The important part is to keep custom work documented,
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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  
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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>
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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="$xwiki.getURL('resources.xwiki-security-review')">what an XWiki security review should actually include</a>
110 - for related checks around permissions, authentication, extensions, infrastructure and operational practices.
111 - </p>
112 -
113 113   <h2 id="safe-model">A safer model for XWiki custom work</h2>
114 114  
115 115   <h3>1. Keep custom code separate from standard XWiki pages</h3>
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127 127   into a maintainable part of the platform.
128 128   </p>
129 129  
130 - <h3>3. Keep custom code under source control</h3>
109 + <h3>3. Track important changes in a version control system</h3>
131 131   <p>
132 - Custom development should not exist only inside the production wiki. Java code, scripts, XAR packages,
133 - deployment files and templates should be stored in a source control system, such as Git. This gives the team a
134 - history of what changed, when it changed and why.
111 + Serious custom development should not exist only inside the production wiki. Java code, scripts, XAR packages,
112 + deployment files and important templates should be stored in a version control system, such as Git. This gives
113 + the team a history of what changed, when it changed and why.
135 135   </p>
136 136  
137 137   <h3>4. Choose the right implementation level</h3>
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163 163   touched.
164 164   </p>
165 165  
166 - <p>
167 - For a broader upgrade preparation model, see
168 - <a href="$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
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176 176   </p>
177 177   </div>
178 178  
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>
153 + <h2 id="practical-checklist">A compact checklist</h2>
187 187  
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 -
195 195   <ul class="resource-checklist">
196 196   <li>Separate custom pages, scripts and configuration from standard XWiki content.</li>
197 197   <li>Document the business purpose, technical location and validation steps.</li>
198 - <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>
199 199   <li>Test custom features on staging before production upgrades.</li>
200 200   <li>Review old customizations and remove what is no longer used.</li>
201 201   </ul>
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214 214   flexible without becoming fragile.
215 215   </p>
216 216  
217 - <h2 id="custom-development-faq">XWiki custom development FAQ</h2>
218 -
219 - <details class="resource-faq-item" open>
220 - <summary>Does custom development make XWiki harder to upgrade?</summary>
221 - <p>
222 - Not automatically. Custom development becomes harder to upgrade when it is undocumented, mixed with regular
223 - content, applied directly in production or missing from the upgrade validation plan. Well-organized custom work
224 - can remain maintainable across upgrades.
225 - </p>
226 - </details>
227 -
228 - <details class="resource-faq-item">
229 - <summary>Where should XWiki custom code be stored?</summary>
230 - <p>
231 - Custom wiki pages, scripts, templates and configuration should usually be kept in dedicated technical spaces.
232 - Code and important assets should also be tracked in a source control system, such as Git, so changes are not
233 - stored only in the production wiki.
234 - </p>
235 - </details>
236 -
237 - <details class="resource-faq-item">
238 - <summary>When should an XWiki customization become an extension?</summary>
239 - <p>
240 - Packaging a customization as an extension is useful when the feature becomes complex, reusable, business-critical
241 - or shared across multiple instances. Java components, event listeners, scheduled jobs and integrations often
242 - benefit from an extension-based approach.
243 - </p>
244 - </details>
245 -
246 - <details class="resource-faq-item">
247 - <summary>What should be tested after an XWiki upgrade?</summary>
248 - <p>
249 - Besides standard pages, the validation should include custom dashboards, templates, macros, workflows,
250 - permissions, notifications, PDF exports, scheduled jobs, integrations and any custom applications used by the
251 - organization.
252 - </p>
253 - </details>
254 -
255 - <details class="resource-faq-item">
256 - <summary>Why should configuration be kept outside custom code?</summary>
257 - <p>
258 - Values such as group names, target spaces, external URLs, email recipients and workflow settings can change over
259 - time. Keeping them in configuration pages or preference objects makes custom features easier to adapt without
260 - changing the implementation.
261 - </p>
262 - </details>
263 -
264 - <div class="resource-note">
265 - <p>
266 - Related resources:
267 - <a href="$xwiki.getURL('resources.xwiki-security-review')">what an XWiki security review should actually include</a>
268 - and
269 - <a href="$xwiki.getURL('resources.why-upgrade-xwiki')">why regular XWiki upgrades matter</a>
270 - </p>
271 - </div>
272 -
273 273   <div class="resource-cta">
274 274   <h3>Need help reviewing XWiki customizations?</h3>
275 275   <p>
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285 285   </div>
286 286   </section>
287 287  
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Agnease.Code.SEODetailsClass[0]
metaDescription
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1 -Learn how to organize XWiki custom development, scripts, extensions and templates so your platform stays easier to maintain, document and upgrade.
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1 -How to Customize XWiki Without Creating Upgrade Problems | Agnease