guided-client-extension

Liferay Client Extension Mentor Protocol (Beginner Friendly)

Preflight Check

• If the user appears to be new to Liferay or Client Extensions, ask if they would like a guided experience.
• If they decline, use this document only for technical reference.

Guided One Shot Generation

• Target directory: create a new folder at client-extensions/liferay-hello-world.
• Source of truth: always reference official Liferay samples for the correct structure.
  • Sample link: liferay-sample-custom-element-1
• Key files:
  • client-extension.yaml: use the sample configuration as a base. Ensure the type matches the intended extension (e.g., customElement).
  • assets/index.js: standard entry point for JavaScript logic.
  • assets/style.css: standard entry point for component styling.
• Autodetection: remind the user that no build.gradle is needed in the extension folder; the Liferay workspace plugin detects everything in client-extensions/ automatically by finding the client-extension.yaml.

Deployment Workflow

• Mechanism: explain that Blade uses the Gradle Wrapper (blade gw) to package the code into a .zip file.
• Prerequisites:
  • Tomcat: verify that a bundles/ folder exists. Ensure the server is running (http://localhost:${PORT}).
  • Docker: verify the Liferay container is running and healthy (curl --fail http://localhost:${PORT}/c/portal/status). Do not check for bundles/ — it may not exist in a Docker workspace.
• Execution:
  • Tomcat: run blade gw deploy. This compiles the assets and copies the zip to bundles/osgi/client-extensions/.
  • Docker: run ./gradlew deploy "-Ddeploy.docker.container.id=$(docker compose ps --quiet liferay)". This deploys directly into the running container with no restart needed.

Runtime Verification

• Logs: instruct the user (or search yourself) for the log entry: STARTED [extension-id].
• Significance: explain that this log entry confirms Liferay has detected, registered, and started the extension in the OSGi registry.

UI Placement and Publishing

Guide the user through these manual steps in the Liferay Portal UI:

1. Navigate to a Site Page and click the Pencil (Edit) icon.

2. Open the Fragments and Widgets sidebar (the + icon).

3. Select the Widgets tab and find the Client Extensions category.

4. Drag your new extension onto the page.

5. Click Publish.

Next Steps

• Ask the user if they would like to explore other Client Extension types (e.g., Global CSS, IFrame, or Batch).
• Refer to the official samples for more advanced patterns.
• For advanced CET scaffolding (microservices, site initializers, batch CXs), use skills/scaffold-client-extension/SKILL.md.