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Area: Optimizely CMS
Applies to versions: 10 and higher
Other versions:
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Add-ons

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Note: This documentation is for the preview version of the upcoming release of CMS 12/Commerce 14/Search & Navigation 14. Features included here might not be complete, and might be changed before becoming available in the public release. This documentation is provided for evaluation purposes only.

This topic describes the add-on concept, and how to package and deploy add-ons. An add-on contains components that extend the functionality of an Optimizely website, such as initializable modules, gadgets, visitor group criteria, virtual path providers, page and search providers, and so on.

Configuring shell modules

An add-on is packaged and deployed as a shell module. Configure modules in web.config to associate a virtual path to an assembly that contains gadgets and other plug-ins. The following example defines a module of the assembly QuickChat.dll and associates it with the virtual path /modules/QuickChat.

<episerver.shell>
  <publicModules rootPath="~/modules/" autoDiscovery="Minimal">
    <add name="QuickChat">
      <assemblies>
        <add assembly="QuickChat" />
      </assemblies>
    </add>
  </publicModules>
</episerver.shell>

The following example configures a PublicTemplates  module. The module’s disk location is the root of the application (~/), which means that relative references to client resources and menu items are based on this URL. Furthermore, Optimizely maps the module to an assembly, EPiServer.Templates.Public, which means Optimizely routes controllers in this assembly through the path format /modules/PublicTemplates/{controller}/{action}. The shell initialization module set up this route.

<episerver.shell>
   <publicModules rootPath="~/modules/" autoDiscovery="Minimal">
      <add name="PublicTemplates" resourcePath="~/">
          <assemblies>
             <add assembly="EPiServer.Templates.Public" />
         </assemblies>
      </add>
   </publicModules>
</episerver.shell>

protectedModules and publicModules

These elements contain collections of shell modules. Optimizely maps protectedModules to a path protected by ASP.NET authorized rules, and maps publicModules to a path that is open to everyone.

Attributes:

  • rootPath. The root path where modules are located and routed. Required.
  • autoDiscovery. Option for probing the module folder and loading module assemblies automatically on start-up. The default is Minimal. If you change this to Modules, folders are automatically added as modules below the root path.

Module (add element)

The publicModules and protectedModules elements in web.config contain a collection of registered modules. These modules define assemblies and virtual paths. By default, a module is expected to be found in a folder whose name matches the module. This folder should be located in the configured rootPath (as configured per public and protected modules).

Attributes:

  • name. Required. The name of the module used to find the module directory.
  • resourcePath. Optional. The path of the module to override the default location of the module.
  • clientResourcePath. Optional. An alternative location for client resources. By default, this path is the same as resourcePath.

Elements:

  • assemblies. Assemblies to load and associate with the module. You can combine this value with assemblies defined by the module depending on the auto discovery option.

Example (web.config):

<add name="ShellExtras" 
     resourcePath="~/Somewhere/Else/Extras"&#160;clientResourcePath="~/Somewhere/Else/Entirely/Extras">
   <assemblies>
     <add assembly=" EPiServer.Shell.Extras" />
  </assemblies>
</add>

Module manifest

Each module has a manifest file (module.config) in the root directory, where you can specify additional module-specific settings.

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Last updated: Jul 02, 2021

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