Alfresco Gradle SDK

Gradle plugins and tasks to support Alfresco development

Usage

When following the default project layout and conventions, using the SDK is as simple as applying both plugins. Much additional configuration is possible to tailor the project to your needs.

plugins {
    id 'eu.xenit.alfresco' version "0.2.0" // Have a look at https://plugins.gradle.org/plugin/eu.xenit.alfresco for the latest version
    id 'eu.xenit.amp' version "0.2.0"
}

Conventional project layout

The conventional layout for building an Alfresco amp contains a build.gradle file applying at least the eu.xenit.amp plugin. The main sourceset is automatically configured. Next to the standard java and resources directories, it also contains an amp directory, which contains resources that will be placed in the AMP file.

simple-alfresco-project
├── build.gradle
└── src
    └── main
        ├── amp
        │   ├── config
        │   │   └── alfresco
        │   │       └── module
        │   │           └── example-default-amp
        │   │               └── module-context.xml
        │   └── module.properties # Optional, will automatically be generated from project metadata when not present
        └── java

Running the amp task with ./gradlew amp will build an amp file that will be placed in build/dist/${project.name}-${project.version}.amp.

Additional libraries needed for your project will be taken from the runtimeClasspath configuration and will automatically be placed inside your AMPs lib/ folder.

Therefore, it is important not add libraries to your runtimeClasspath that are already provided by Alfresco, as these will likely result in conflicting dependencies on your classpath. The eu.xenit.alfresco plugin helps by adding an alfrescoProvided configuration, where you can add libraries that you know are already provided by Alfresco. It ensures the libraries are only added to your compileClasspath, and that they are present on the compile- and runtime classpath of your unittests in the test sourceset.

Example project

You can copy the example project in src/integrationTest/resources/examples/simple-alfresco-project. You need to change the build.gradle file by adding the versions to the plugins.

Plugins

The eu.xenit.alfresco plugin

The eu.xenit.alfresco plugin introduces the alfrescoProvided configuration that makes it possible to define Alfresco dependencies that are already provided in the Alfresco war. These provided dependencies are used for compilation, but are not added as runtime dependencies, as they are already provided by alfresco itself. These dependencies are available when running unit tests.

A ${sourceSet.name}AlfrescoProvided configuration is also set up for all the other sourcesets that have enabled the amp configuration. These are not automatically attached to the dependencies of a test sourceset.

The eu.xenit.amp plugin

The amp plugin applies the eu.xenit.amp-base plugin and then configures the main sourceset with an amp configuration block using the default settings.

Then, it configures optional features that are usually desirable:

• It creates an artifact configuration, amp or ${sourceSet.name}Amp, that will contain the amp built by the task with the same name.
• When a matching Jar task does not exist for a sourceset, it creates that task so it can be consumed by the amp task.
• Adds all created Amp tasks as a dependency of the assemble lifecycle task.
• When the idea plugin is applied, configures all amp config directories as resource directories for IntelliJ IDEA.

The eu.xenit.amp-base plugin

The amp base plugin creates and configures an amp task for each sourceset that has enabled the amp configuration.

Configuration

Creating an amp from a sourceset can be enabled and configured by using an amp block inside a sourceset.

sourceSets {
    main {
        amp {
            // This is the default configuration used by the eu.xenit.amp plugin. The defaults are presented here in simplified form.
            File moduleProperties = project.file("src/main/amp/module.properties")
            if(moduleProperties.exists()) {
                module(moduleProperties)
            } else {
                module([
                    "module.id": project.group+"."+project.name,
                    "module.version": project.version,
                    "module.title": project.name,
                    "module.description": project.description,
                ])
            }
            File fileMappingProperties = project.file("src/main/amp/file-mapping.properties")
            if(fileMappingProperties) {
                fileMapping(fileMappingProperties)
            }
            config {
                srcDir = "src/main/amp/config"
            }
            web {
                srcDir = "src/main/amp/web"
            }
        }
    }
}

module

A module.properties describes your AMP file. This file is required by Alfresco to recognize the AMP during installation.

A description of the properties can be found in the Alfresco developers documentation.

The module.properties file can be configured with a static file or with a map that can be dynamically configured in the project.

Defaults: If a file exists in src/${sourceSet.name}/amp/module.properties, it is used. If the file does not exist, a configuration is generated based on project properties.

Examples:

sourceSets {
    main {
        amp {
            // 1.a File based configuration
            module("path/to/module.properties") 
            // 1.b File based configuration with a `File`
            module(project.file("path/to/module.properties"))
            // 2. Dynamic configuration with a lazily evaluated closure
            module { 
                put("module.id", project.name)
                put("module.version", project.version)
            }
            // 3. Dynamic configuration with an eagerly evaluated map
            module([ 
                "module.id": project.name,
                "module.version": project.version,
            ])
        }
    }
}

fileMapping

The file-mapping.properties file that enables you to change the mapping from files inside the amp to their location in the Alfresco war.

A description of the file mapping can be found in the Alfresco developers documentation

Similar to module, this file can be configured with a static file or with a map.

Defaults: If a file exists in src/${sourceSet.name}/amp/file-mapping.properties, it is used. If the file does not exist, nothing is configured

Examples: The same configuration methods as for module are available.

config

Source directories for config will be placed in the config directory in the AMP. When using the default file mappings, these will be placed on the Alfresco classpath when the module is installed.

Source directories that are specified but do not exist are ignored.

Defaults: By default the src/${sourceSet.name}/amp/config directory is added to this configuration.

Examples:

sourceSets {
    main {
        amp {
            // 1. Set single source directory
            config.srcDir("src/main/amp/otherConfig")
            // 2. Add a source directory to the existing list
            config.srcDirs += "src/main/amp/additionalConfig"
            // 3. With a configuration block
            config {
                srcDirs += "src/main/amp/additionalConfig"
            }
        }
    }
}

web

Source directories for web will be placed in the web directory in the AMP. When using the default file mappings, these will be placed in the root of the webapp. It contains customized jsp files and static assets such as images, CSS and client-side javascript.

Source directories that are specified but do not exist are ignored.

Defaults: By default the src/${sourceSet.name}/amp/web directory is added to this configuration.

Examples: The same configuration methods as for config are available.

dynamicExtension

Configures the AMP to package a dynamic extension.

Enabling this functionality will place the built jar and its runtime dependencies in the Dynamic Extensions for Alfresco bundles directory, instead of on their conventional location for an Alfresco AMP.

Examples:

sourceSets {
    main {
        amp {
            // 1. Package a dynamic extension in an AMP
            dynamicExtension()
            // 2. Explicitly create a normal AMP without packaging a dynamic extension
            dynamicExtension(false)
        }
    }
}

Tasks

For every sourceset in which amps are enabled, a set of tasks is created. For the main sourceset these tasks are names as they are presented here, for other sourcesets, the name of the respective sourceset is added to the name.

amp

The amp task is a custom task of type eu.xenit.gradle.alfrescosdk.tasks.Amp.

The task is configured automatically to make its inputs match the configuration from sourceSets.

It is supported to override any property of the task. It is preferred to configure most of the task in the configuration block in sourceSets, as this will guarantee that e.g. IDE integration is also configured properly. Some properties, like libs and licenses are not configurable with the sourceSets configuration, and must be configured directly on the task when necessary.

For sourcesets other than the main sourceset, the task is named ${sourceSet.name}Amp.

processModuleProperties & processFileMappingProperties

The process*Properties tasks are tasks of type WriteProperties.

These tasks are configured to take the properties set in the sourceSets configuration and write them to a properties file which will be added to the amp.

It is supported to override any property of the tasks, but it should not be necessary

For sourcesets other than the main sourceset, the tasks are named process${sourceSet.name}MooduleProperties and process${sourceSet.name}FileMappingProperties.

Task types

Amp type

The eu.xenit.gradle.alfrescosdk.tasks.Amp task type is a subclass of Zip that adds convenience methods to creates AMP files.

Property	Type	Description
moduleProperties	File	The file that will be uses as /module.properties inside the AMP.
fileMappingProperties	File	The file that will be uses as /file-mapping.properties inside the AMP.
libs	ConfigurableFileCollection	Collection of files that will be placed inside the /lib directory.
licenses	ConfigurableFileCollection	Collection of files that will be placed inside the /licenses directory.
deBundles	ConfigurableFileCollection	Collection of files that will be placed inside the /config/dynamic-extensions/bundles directory and will be loaded by Dynamic Extensions.

CopySpec	Description
config	CopySpec for files that will be placed inside the /config directory.
web	CopySpec for files that will be placed inside the /web directory.

Example:

task amp(type: Amp) {
    moduleProperties = project.file("src/main/amp/module.properties")
    fileMappingProperties = project.file("src/main/amp/file-mapping.properties")
    libs = configurations.runtimeClasspath + jar.outputs.files
    config {
        from "src/main/amp/config/module" {
            into "alfresco/module/configured-default-amp"
        }
        from "src/main/amp/config/webscripts" {
            into "alfresco/extension/templates/webscripts"
        }
    }
}

Publishing

Tasks of the Amp type can be passed to the artifact function of the maven-publish plugin. This means that an AMP built with the amp task can be published in the same way as a jar would be published.

Example:

publishing {
    publications{
        maven(MavenPublication) {
            artifact tasks.amp
        }
    }
}