System customization
Master data and modules are essential parts of the censhare system and system configuration. censhare comes with a predefined set of master data and system module assets. The censhare standard configuration also contains a wide range of preconfigured features. Features store asset properties and metadata, for example for product assets.
Frontend customization with webpacked files
With the introduction of web-packed files for the censhare Web frontend (aka censhare WP), the customization workflow changed. If you want to migrate from censhare 2021.1 or lower to censhare 2021.2 or higher, read our migration guide first.
System customization should be well planned and used carefully. It requires advanced knowledge of the censhare system, such as an understanding of the configuration of the censhare Server, especially the meaning, usage, and dependencies of the definitions in the Master data tables.
Master data
The master data contain all the data definitions that are needed for the operation of the system. For example, these data define the asset types and file systems. Each system comes with a preset of definitions that allow operating the server. The masterdata.xml file is the main instrument to define and maintain custom master data. Asset XML files are used to define and maintain custom module assets.
Module assets
The Module assets are the main source of the censhare system configuration. For example, workspace Module assets describe the setup of user workspaces. Each system comes with preconfigured Module assets that are needed to operate the server.
On top of this, you can add custom Module assets, which depend on the specific project requirements. Custom Module assets are defined and stored in asset XML files.
The System module assets are assets with type module.* and are considered as core parts for the censhare 5 Web. Each one of these assets plays an important role in constructing main parts of the User Interface as well as parts of the available functionalities in censhare 5 Web.
To name a few of the functionality these assets touch:
- HTML dialogs
- Scripts (JS controllers)
- Workspace Widget definitions and configurations, Pages and Containers
- Feature definitions
- Actions and server actions
- Transformation
- Content Editor
- Layouts
- Views, Slots and Snippets
- Branding
Features
Asset properties such as metadata and product features are stored in the features. Features are configured in the censhare Admin Client and represented as Feature assets.
The censhare standard configuration contains a wide range of preconfigured asset features. These features include internal asset properties such as the name, ID and type.
You can create additional features in the censhare Admin Client. The configuration of a feature specifies, which type of data is stored in the feature (for example: text, numbers or dates), and how the data is edited (for example: text field, selection list or asset reference).