Building AEM Features Like a LEGO Master: Stack, Snap, and Deploy!

Hey AEM Rockstars!

Grab your coffee (or tea), and let’s break down how to tackle feature development in AEM like you’re solving a puzzle—fun, right? Whether you’re about to kick off a new feature or tweak an old one, I’ve got some tips to make the process smoother and more enjoyable.

Feature Development Playbook – The Unofficial Guide

1. Sketch It Out First things first: jot down your feature. Break it up into bite-sized pieces, sort of like writing a to-do list. Each task? That's a method in your Java class. Keep it simple—each method should do one thing and have a verb-smacked name that says exactly what it does. Think of this as setting up your game plan before jumping into the game.

2. Don't Repeat Yourself Notice anything that keeps popping up in your to-do list? Maybe it’s grabbing a ResourceResolver over and over. Why not streamline? Fetch it once, use it everywhere needed, and then close it out. It’s like getting a season pass—more bang for your buck and less hassle each time.

3. Utility Belt Essentials Got a handy piece of code that could be used across different classes? Turn it into a utility method. It’s like having a Swiss Army knife in your AEM project—super handy for all sorts of situations.

4. Clean House Check for any deja vu in your code—like hitting up the same repository path more than needed. Clean that up to keep your code sprinting like a champ.

5. Future-Proof with OSGi Think about the “what ifs” of the future. Any URLs or settings that might change? Wrap them up in OSGi configs. This way, you won’t need to dig into the code later—just tweak the settings. Also, decide if your feature needs to be on both the author and publisher or just one. Tailor it with the configuration policy to fit just right.

6. Log Like a Pro Imagine it’s 1 AM, and something’s gone sideways. What logs would save the day? Craft your logs to be clear and helpful:

• INFO: What’s generally happening?
• DEBUG: Save these for the Sherlock-mode deep dives.
• ERROR: Flashing lights and alarms for when things go south.
• Time-stamps on resource-heavy tasks can be a lifesaver for spotting slow-downs.
• Keep sensitive info out of logs, but make sure they verify critical data is where it should be.

7. Too Simple? Think Again If everything about your feature fits neatly into one medium-complexity class, you might have missed a spot. Could there be a hidden utility lurking? Maybe split some duties into separate services? Don’t be afraid to break things apart for clarity and efficiency.

Wrap Up Developing features in AEM doesn’t have to be a grind. With the right approach, it’s like putting together a LEGO set—follow the plan, add some creativity, and build something awesome. And remember, the more you prep now, the less hassle you'll have later.

Until next time, keep coding creatively!