"Allowed components" design (with static templates) -...

[#1]

Hi folks,

We have static templates and authors do the "allowed components" design via Design Mode. (We can also build and download the designs via /etc/designs/<site> filter.) 

They complain that sometimes they have to redo parts of the "allowed components", as the configuration disappears, possibly when the components change, like getting a new Component Group. Has anyone ever heard of this problem before.?

Another possibility is to do the "allowed components"  Design via an exported package of /etc/designs/<site>.  I can edit the design in the XML there and  reinstall the package. It seems to work o.k. but I have seen the following warning in  https://docs.adobe.com/content/help/en/experience-manager-64/developing/platform/templates/page-temp...

"Adobe recommends only applying designs through Design Mode .

Modifying designs in CRX DE for example is not best practice and the application of such designs can vary from expected behavior."

Is modifying the design by editing the XML in a package also not recommended since it is just another format of CRX DE nodes ?

thanks

Fiona

[fionas76543059 · Accepted solution]

@fionas76543059,

For static template projects, we typically try to set up the content authors off to a great future by pre-configuring allowed components to each template. Once when the /etc/designs are configured and released, we will change the filter in our code from mode replace to merge (existing content are not modified, i.e. only new content is added and none is deleted or modified). This ensures that we will not overwrite the content author's settings. 

When there's a need for developers tamper with the /etc/designs configuration, request a scheduled content freeze amend, and re-deploy. 

REPLY: They complain that sometimes they have to redo parts of the "allowed components", as the configuration disappears, possibly when the components change, like getting a new Component Group. Has anyone ever heard of this problem before.? This situation looks like an issue with releasing content and forgetting to manage the filter.xml.

I hope this helps,

Brian.

[fionas76543059 · Accepted solution]

Thanks Brian, So it sounds like you can interleaf alterations to the allowed components via the Design Mode UI and XML content packages without running into problems.

[BrianKasingli · Accepted solution]

Once your /etc/designs have been released into AEM from your project, you set the filters to "merge", which will actually never add or modify the settings in your next releases. Create a plan on which users have permissions to update the allowedComponents in "Design Mode". but for me, if we are expected that the AEM authors will maintain the design configuration of a given page, we will just let them have full control, and stop (programmatically) maintaining the design configuration.