AEM Component Development

10. AEM Component Development

Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) allows developers to create custom components that enhance the functionality and appearance of web pages. AEM components are reusable, self-contained units of content or functionality that can be added to web pages. In this comprehensive tutorial, we'll explore the process of AEM component development, including practical examples.

Prerequisites:

Before diving into AEM component development, make sure you have the following prerequisites in place:

• AEM Development Environment: Set up a local AEM development environment or access a remote AEM instance with developer access.
  
  
• Integrated Development Environment (IDE): Use a code editor or IDE (e.g., Adobe Brackets, Visual Studio Code, IntelliJ IDEA) for writing and managing code.
  
  
• Basic Knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript: Familiarity with web technologies is essential.

Creating a Simple AEM Component:

Let's create a basic "Featured Article" component as an example.

1. Project Structure: AEM components are typically organized within a project. Create a new project or use an existing one.

2. Component Folder Structure:In your project, create a folder for the "Featured Article" component. The folder structure might look like this:

/apps//components/content/featured-article

3. Component JCR Node: Define the component in the JCR (Java Content Repository) by creating a 'cq:Component' node with appropriate properties and subnodes. Use the CRXDE Lite or a similar tool for this task.

4. Component Structure: Create the component structure within the component folder:

/apps//components/content/featured-article/
├── featured-article.html
├── dialog.xml
├── clientlibs
│   └── custom-styles.css
└── _cq_editConfig.xml

5. HTML Markup (featured-article.html): Define the HTML structure of the component. For example:

<div class="featured-article">
  <h2>Title: ${properties.title}</h2>
  <p>Description: ${properties.description}</p>
</div>  

6. Dialog (dialog.xml): Create a dialog to configure the component properties. This is useful for non-technical users. Example dialog.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<jcr:root xmlns:jcr="http://www.jcp.org/jcr/1.0"
          xmlns:cq="http://www.day.com/jcr/cq/1.0"
          jcr:primaryType="cq:Dialog"
          title="Featured Article Component"
          xtype="tabpanel">
  <items jcr:primaryType="cq:WidgetCollection">
    <tab1
      jcr:primaryType="cq:Widget"
      title="General"
      xtype="panel">
      <items jcr:primaryType="cq:WidgetCollection">
        <title
          jcr:primaryType="cq:Widget"
          fieldLabel="Title"
          name="./title"
          xtype="textfield"/>
        <description
          jcr:primaryType="cq:Widget"
          fieldLabel="Description"
          name="./description"
          xtype="textarea"/>
      </items>
    </tab1>
  </items>
</jcr:root>

7. Client Libraries (custom-styles.css): Include any CSS or JavaScript files required for your component's styling and functionality in the client libraries.

8. Edit Configuration (_cq_editConfig.xml): Define the component's edit configuration, which controls how it's displayed in the AEM authoring environment. Example _cq_editConfig.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<jcr:root xmlns:cq="http://www.day.com/jcr/cq/1.0"
          xmlns:jcr="http://www.jcp.org/jcr/1.0"
          jcr:primaryType="cq:EditConfig">
  <cq:listeners
      jcr:primaryType="cq:EditListenersConfig"
      afteredit="REFRESH_PAGE"/>
</jcr:root>  

9. Component Activation: Activate the component by installing the package or using Maven to build and deploy it to your AEM instance.

Using the Featured Article Component:

• Authoring Environment: Log in to your AEM authoring environment.
  
  
• Create a New Page: Create a new page or edit an existing one where you want to use the "Featured Article" component.
  
  
• Component Insertion: Insert the "Featured Article" component into the page using the appropriate method (drag-and-drop, component browser, etc.).
  
  
• Component Configuration: Configure the component's properties, such as title and description, using the dialog you defined earlier.
  
  
• Preview and Publish: Preview the page to see how the component looks. Once satisfied, publish the page to make it accessible to website visitors.

Conclusion:

Creating custom components in Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) allows you to extend the platform's functionality to meet your specific needs. By following the steps outlined in this tutorial and tailoring them to your project's requirements, you can develop and integrate custom components effectively, enhancing your AEM-powered websites and digital experiences.