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Last modified by Agnease on 2026/05/26 11:00
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edited by Agnease
on 2026/05/19 06:50
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To version 12.5
edited by Agnease
on 2026/05/26 11:00
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Title
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1 -xwiki-custom-development
1 +How to Customize XWiki Without Creating Upgrade Problems
Content
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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>
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>
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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="$xwiki.getURL('resources.xwiki-security-review')">what an XWiki security review should actually include</a>
110 + for related checks around permissions, authentication, extensions, infrastructure and operational practices.
111 + </p>
112 +
113 + <div class="resource-inline-cta">
114 + <p>
115 + <strong>Unsure how maintainable your XWiki customizations are?</strong>
116 + A customization review can help identify hidden scripts, undocumented logic,
117 + upgrade risks and features that should be documented, cleaned up or packaged properly.
118 + </p>
119 + <a class="btn btn-secondary" href="$xwiki.getURL('contact.WebHome')">Request a customization review</a>
120 + </div>
121 +
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>
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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>
139 + <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.
141 + Custom development should not exist only inside the production wiki. Java code, scripts, XAR packages,
142 + deployment files and templates should be stored in a source control system, such as Git. This gives the team a
143 + history of what changed, when it changed and why.
114 114   </p>
115 115  
116 116   <h3>4. Choose the right implementation level</h3>
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142 142   touched.
143 143   </p>
144 144  
175 + <p>
176 + For a broader upgrade preparation model, see
177 + <a href="$xwiki.getURL('resources.why-upgrade-xwiki')">why regular XWiki upgrades matter</a>.
178 + </p>
179 +
145 145   <div class="resource-note">
146 146   <p>
147 147   <strong>A practical rule:</strong> production can receive urgent fixes when necessary, but it should not become
... ... @@ -150,12 +150,26 @@
150 150   </p>
151 151   </div>
152 152  
153 - <h2 id="practical-checklist">A compact checklist</h2>
188 + <div class="resource-inline-cta">
189 + <p>
190 + <strong>Not sure how risky your current XWiki version is?</strong>
191 + A short technical review can clarify the upgrade path, extension compatibility,
192 + custom code risks and validation needs before production is touched.
193 + </p>
194 + <a class="btn btn-secondary" href="$xwiki.getURL('contact.WebHome')">Request a quick review</a>
195 + </div>
154 154  
197 + <h2 id="practical-checklist">XWiki custom development checklist</h2>
198 +
199 + <p>
200 + A maintainable XWiki customization should be easy to locate, explain, test and update. The following checklist
201 + can be used as a starting point when reviewing existing custom work or planning a new feature.
202 + </p>
203 +
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>
207 + <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>
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174 174   flexible without becoming fragile.
175 175   </p>
176 176  
226 + <h2 id="custom-development-faq">XWiki custom development FAQ</h2>
227 +
228 + <details class="resource-faq-item" open>
229 + <summary>Does custom development make XWiki harder to upgrade?</summary>
230 + <p>
231 + Not automatically. Custom development becomes harder to upgrade when it is undocumented, mixed with regular
232 + content, applied directly in production or missing from the upgrade validation plan. Well-organized custom work
233 + can remain maintainable across upgrades.
234 + </p>
235 + </details>
236 +
237 + <details class="resource-faq-item">
238 + <summary>Where should XWiki custom code be stored?</summary>
239 + <p>
240 + Custom wiki pages, scripts, templates and configuration should usually be kept in dedicated technical spaces.
241 + Code and important assets should also be tracked in a source control system, such as Git, so changes are not
242 + stored only in the production wiki.
243 + </p>
244 + </details>
245 +
246 + <details class="resource-faq-item">
247 + <summary>When should an XWiki customization become an extension?</summary>
248 + <p>
249 + Packaging a customization as an extension is useful when the feature becomes complex, reusable, business-critical
250 + or shared across multiple instances. Java components, event listeners, scheduled jobs and integrations often
251 + benefit from an extension-based approach.
252 + </p>
253 + </details>
254 +
255 + <details class="resource-faq-item">
256 + <summary>What should be tested after an XWiki upgrade?</summary>
257 + <p>
258 + Besides standard pages, the validation should include custom dashboards, templates, macros, workflows,
259 + permissions, notifications, PDF exports, scheduled jobs, integrations and any custom applications used by the
260 + organization.
261 + </p>
262 + </details>
263 +
264 + <details class="resource-faq-item">
265 + <summary>Why should configuration be kept outside custom code?</summary>
266 + <p>
267 + Values such as group names, target spaces, external URLs, email recipients and workflow settings can change over
268 + time. Keeping them in configuration pages or preference objects makes custom features easier to adapt without
269 + changing the implementation.
270 + </p>
271 + </details>
272 +
273 + <div class="resource-note">
274 + <p>
275 + Related resources:
276 + <a href="$xwiki.getURL('resources.xwiki-security-review')">what an XWiki security review should actually include</a>
277 + and
278 + <a href="$xwiki.getURL('resources.why-upgrade-xwiki')">why regular XWiki upgrades matter</a>
279 + </p>
280 + </div>
281 +
177 177   <div class="resource-cta">
178 178   <h3>Need help reviewing XWiki customizations?</h3>
179 179   <p>
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189 189   </div>
190 190   </section>
191 191  
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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.
metaTitle
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1 +How to Customize XWiki Without Creating Upgrade Problems | Agnease