Extension Template Catalog

Overview

The extension template catalog is a remote, versioned list of Candescent-maintained starters for web widgets. Use these vetted project layouts when you want a faster path than a blank offline scaffold. The generator downloads the latest catalog, allows users to pick a template, and produces a runnable Nx Module Federation project under widgets/web/ wired for @cdx-extensions/di-sdk-web and the web harness.

note

Run all commands below from your FI repository root.

Browse the Catalog

Templates are added to the catalog on an ongoing basis. See the full, up-to-date set at generation time (interactive prompts) or with the list command below.

Setup

Install the generator package:

Bash

npm install @cdx-extensions/extension-generator-web

Use the same @cdx-extensions registry configuration as the rest of your FI repo (see Getting Started).

See what's available

Bash

nx run list-web-widget-templates

This command fetches the same remote catalog the generators use and prints web widget entries grouped by category.

Example: Credit Score (Data Chart)

Browse — category and template picker:

$ nx run generate-web-widget

? Choose a template category: › Data Chart
? Choose a template: › Credit Score — CDX web widget template (credit-score).
? Choose a name for your widget (kebab-case): › acme-credit-score

Outcome — generated widget in the web harness:

Example: Agent (Interactive)

Browse — category and template picker:

$ nx run generate-web-widget

? Choose a template category: › Interactive
? Choose a template: › Agent — CDX web widget template (agent).
? Choose a name for your widget (kebab-case): › acme-agent

Outcome — generated widget in the web harness:

note

Template ids, categories, and counts change as Candescent publishes new starters. Use nx run list-web-widget-templates or the interactive generator for the current catalog.

Generate Your Extension

Interactive (full flow)

Bash

nx run generate-web-extensions

Equivalent:

Bash

nx g @cdx-extensions/extension-generator-web:extensions-from-template

Flow:

1. Fetches the latest catalog from the remote URL (with cache and local fallbacks).
2. Prompts for extension type (from catalog), then category, then template.
3. Prompts for your widget name.
4. Optionally prompts for an environment apiUrl when the template supports it.
5. Downloads the selected npm template package and scaffolds the widget under widgets/web/<name>-widget/.

Widget only (skip type picker)

Bash

nx run generate-web-widget

Equivalent:

Bash

nx g @cdx-extensions/extension-generator-web:widget

Workspace command	Underlying generator
nx run generate-web-extensions	@cdx-extensions/extension-generator-web:extensions-from-template
nx run generate-web-widget	@cdx-extensions/extension-generator-web:widget

Non-Interactive / CI Usage

Pass generator options after --:

Bash

nx run generate-web-widget -- --template=credit-score --name=acme-credit-score
nx run generate-web-widget -- --template=agent --name=acme-agent

Option	Required	Description
name	Yes	Widget slug in kebab-case
template	Yes	Catalog template id (discover ids with nx run list-web-widget-templates) or full npm package name
stackWidget	No	true for stack-widget layout (default false)

What You Get

In addition to widget source from the selected template package, the generator writes CDX project scaffold files:

• .babelrc, .eslintrc.json
• jest.config.ts, webpack.config.ts, module-federation.config.ts
• project.json, tsconfig.json, tsconfig.app.json, tsconfig.spec.json

Widgets scaffold under widgets/web/<name>-widget/.

Scaffold templates ship in the generator package under dist/projectFiles/. When a published template package includes them under dist/, those versions take precedence.

Only modify files inside src/app/ for your widget logic and UI. See Getting Started for the full editability guide.

Advanced

Optional reference for troubleshooting. Most users can skip this section.

Catalog source and cache

On each run the generator syncs catalog/extension-templates.json in this order: remote URL → ~/.cdx/cache/catalog/extension-templates.json → local workspace catalog/extension-templates.json.

Clear ~/.cdx/cache/ after a platform publish if you need a fresh template overlay download.

note

Today the published web catalog is widget-only. The full-flow generator can prompt for other extension types when the catalog includes them; until then, use nx run generate-web-widget or pick widget in the interactive flow.

Next Steps

• Getting Started — Offline starter vs catalog and editability
• Platform Capabilities (Local) — How local development works with mock data
• Widget Integration — Module Federation, registration, and deployment