Wix Custom Element Widget: A Comprehensive Developer's Guide to Structured App Development 🚀

This is what a Wix Custom Element Widget: A Comprehensive Developer's Guide to Structured App Development Guide looks like according to https://bing.com/images/create

Overview of Wix Custom Element Widget Development

Navigating the complexities of Wix app development can be challenging. The principles outlined here represent a methodical approach to Wix Custom Element Widget development, derived from practical experience and iterative learning. After multiple iterations, I've distilled the essential steps and structural insights for creating a Wix Custom Element Widget.

The wix dev Node.js environment using React with TypeScript Integration to implement strong typing, and enhance code reliability and maintainability. Google Cloud Platform provides scalability.

Here we will be building the baseline of a Wix Application Custom Element Widget. At the end of this we will have a Wix Custom Element Widget that we can use as a template moving forward. Take a look at the Github Repo: my-wix-app

Let's get started with Create Wix App

Initiating Create Wix App

npm create @wix/app@latest

This command initiates a structured approach to Wix app development, providing a systematic method for creating custom widgets.

Strategic App Generation Considerations

When prompted, select:

• App type (basic app for granular control)

• Widget framework

• These are the successful results of my selections.

Wix Basic App baseline Success, but this app needs an extension to be useful.

Extensibility Through the Wix Generator

npm run generate

Wix Generator Wix Application Extension Options.

This command provides structured options for expanding your Wix app.

You can generate directory structures for

• Site Widgets

• Dashboard Pages

• Backend Integrations

• more...

  
  

Wix App Directory Structure

---

my-wix-app/

│

├── src/

│ ├── site/widget/custom-elements/my-widget/

│ ├── dashboard/

│ ├── backend/

│ └── assets/

├── .wix/

├── dist/

└── node_modules/

---

Each directory serves a specific architectural purpose. The site/widget/custom-elements/my-widget directory is where all our custom elements will live.

My Specific Custom Element Widget Implementation Directory Structure

The generated Basic Application comes with a dashboard page.

Using this Repo as a Custom Element Template?

Even though it's an extra few steps I recommend using Create Wix App and the Wix Generator to start your widget. It guarantees you will have the latest and greatest directory structure.

Wix App Generator Success! Your repo should look like my repo now BUT THAT'S NOT A GOOD THING yet

But if you do decide to use it as a template after you get this repo stood up in your Local dev environment make sure you do some...

UUID Management(read about it here)

• Generates unique identifiers systematically

• replace the old UUID in the elements.json file(now your widget has a new ID to Wix)

• Ensure consistent app identification

• Repo script

• Included in package.json a new-uuid command

{
...other stuff from package.json,
"scripts": {
    "replace-uuid": "node scripts/replace-uuid.js"
}

• Change the uuid in the element.json file to this new unique identifier using the uuid node package or errors will appear

Local Development: Wix CLI Utilization

npm run dev

The CLI is a professional development tool

Now..go fourth and create Wix Custom Element Widget magic and let me know what you come up with in the comments.🚀

The Finale!

Custom Element Widgets provide a standardized approach to creating modular, reusable web components within the Wix ecosystem.

...and now you are off to begin developing your own new shiny Wix App Custom Widget. Let me know what you come up with in the comments.

Code as though you will be the one to maintain it!