How is the HTML that is generated by components represented in the repository?

[kendalls5216292]

My knowledge of Sling and AEM is improving, but I'm still confused about a lot.

I have components and templates that produce HTML using JSP. The last part of the path looks like this in CRX/DE:

something/jcr:content/contentnode

contentnode has sling:resourceType=foundation/components/parsys

jcr:content has sling:resourceType=/apps/myapp/components/siteoutput/default/topicpage

something has jcr:primaryType=cq:Page

If I click on something, html is loaded into the browser with the last part of the path being something.html

So is the html only created when someone loads the node something into a web browser, or is it stored somewhere? I mean aside from any web server/web app caching.

[Akash_Kapoor]

Hi kendalls5216292 ,

Every page i.e a node of type cq:page in AEM is associated with a template that defines the page component used to render the page. This page component would contain the default HTML code which would be rendered when the page is called. You can refer to https://helpx.adobe.com/in/experience-manager/6-3/sites/developing/using/the-basics.html for understanding the basic sling script resolution.

[kendalls5216292]

I think I understand that much. In the slingbucks example, the content part has JSON and the app part has ESP scripts that create HTML from the JSON, data the user entered and structure in the ESP. In my case, there is only HTML structure created by JSP and associated CSS and Javascript. I see no content anywhere, so far. I think my guess in the last paragraph might be how it is represented, the content is somewhere I don't know and the JSP is given access to it and transforms it to generate HTML. That seems to match what you've said.

[Vaibhavi_J · Accepted solution]

Hi @kendalls5216292 , 

Any template or components renders based on sling resolution. 

Templates:

Any template has its page rendering component. Basically when you create the page by selecting the template, page rendering component will load the resources defined ie html css js etc 

Component:

When the component is added on the page, again similar sling resolution happens and content will be loaded

In short to make you understand in your scenario sling resolution steps added below. 

• Once you load the page on browser path will be taken from /content/xyz/xyz(leaving the extension) 
• Once you navigate to the above path in crx you can find the sling:resource type where path will be pointed to page rendering component that is,/apps/components /<component-name>
• Resources are loaded from the component (you can see sling resolution document to understand which JSP will be selected) 

Also, to answer your another question, it is not only the html format will be rendered always. AEM supports other rendering formate as well ex JSON

Adobe documentation will explain this in detail. 

[kendalls5216292]

Thanks. I do know the information you are mentioning. My case is unusual maybe because the components are being used to Render DITA content as part of the XML Documentation addon. The content is not in the JSP and it is nowhere that I have seen so far and that is the piece I don't know. I am guessing I can figure it out if I look at variables and parameters available to the JSP and look closely at the foundation components.

[VeenaVikraman]

@kendalls5216292 I get your issue here. Totally understand where you are struggling. Since I understand from your post that you are a beginner in AEM , I would first recommend you to go through the Basic AEM architecture. The answer to your entire question resides with the basic architecture of AEM. I searched for the official docs on this but couldn't find it in google search so sharing this instead. https://www.zarantech.com/blog/aem-architecture-explained/ it's the same.

Now coming back to your question, the issue you are struggling here to understand is called Sling Resolution or Sling Resource Resolution. I had recently tried to explain the same with some example in my Linkedin

I would recommend you to read this and let me know any more question on this and we will be happy to help. 

Happy development

Veena ✌