Developer guide

How Zotonic finds templates, dispatch rules, and assets

Zotonic indexes resources from the site's active modules. A file existing on disk is not enough: its application must be discoverable, and its module must participate in that site.

  1. Confirm that the application is included by the umbrella build.
  2. Compile it and inspect any .app.src errors.
  3. Rescan modules when adding a package.
  4. Activate its Zotonic module for the site.
  5. Check template selection or dispatch inspection for the specific resource.

File watching normally picks up edits and additions in known applications. Adding a whole application can need a rescan or broader update. Do not assume the browser cache is responsible until the server selects the correct source file.

Related documentation

Developer guide

Create a reusable module

Create apps_user/zotonic_mod_garden with the following files. This example adds a discoverable module without starting an extra process.

Developer guide

Update dependencies deliberately

Change a dependency when you can identify the required fix or feature and the affected callers. Read its version constraints and inspect…

Developer guide

Upgrade a module's data schema

Version schema changes through the module's installation and upgrade mechanism. Inspect a module using -mod_schema and manage_schema/2…

Notifications

observe_module_ready/2

Signals that the active modules or their indexed templates, actions, models, and other components have changed.

Models

modules

Access information about which modules are installed and which ones are active.

Cookbook

Create a reusable module

Create apps_user/zotonic_mod_garden with the following files. This example adds a discoverable module without starting an extra process.