vscode-aem

Lightweight tools for working with AEM projects and SDKs inside Visual Studio Code.

Note: This extension is designed for AEM as a Cloud Service projects. Compatibility with older or on-premise AEM versions is not guaranteed.

Features

• Context-aware Maven module and profile detection Detects the correct Maven module and profile based on the current file or directory.

• Build and deploy commands Provides commands to build or deploy specific modules using standard AEM profiles (autoInstallSinglePackage, autoInstallPackage, autoInstallBundle).

• Flexible build options Supports optional flags like skip-tests and dry-run via the command palette or terminal.

• AEM SDK instance management Start, stop, and monitor local AEM SDK instances (author/publish) with configurable ports and debug settings.

• SDK extraction and setup Extract and install the AEM SDK Quickstart and optional Forms Add-on.

• Instance status and log tailing View running status and logs directly in VS Code.

• Project and module scaffolding Scaffold new AEM projects and modules using the Adobe Maven archetype.

• CLI integration Includes an optional CLI script to run Maven commands outside of VS Code with the same logic.

Requirements

• Java and Maven installed and available in your PATH
• AEM Maven project (archetype or similar structure)

Getting Started

Open your AEM Maven project in VS Code and run the AEM Maven Helper command from the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P).

You can leave the input blank to auto-detect the module based on your current file, or specify a module and options directly (e.g., ui.apps skip-tests).

This is the fastest way to trigger a build or deployment using the correct profile without needing to navigate manually.

AEM Maven Helper

Use the AEM Maven Helper command to run Maven builds based on the file or folder you’re working in.

Usage

1. Open your AEM Maven project in VS Code.

2. Run AEM Maven Helper from the Command Palette.

3. Enter module name and options (e.g., ui.apps build skip-tests).

   • Leave blank to auto-detect the module.
   • Use build to build without install profile.
   • Use all to build the all module.
   • Add skip-tests or dry-run as needed.

4. The extension will run or display the appropriate Maven command.

Example

• From inside ui.apps, no input will build it with the correct profile.
• From ui.apps/some/nested/path, it will detect and build the right parent module.
• Run core skip-tests dry-run to preview the command for core without executing.

AEM SDK Helper

Setting Up a Local AEM Instance (First Time)

1. Download the AEM SDK Quickstart and (optionally) the Forms Add-on From the Adobe Software Distribution portal.

2. Configure extension settings

   • Set aemSDK.home to the directory where SDKs should be installed (e.g. /Users/you/aem-sdk).
   • (Optional) Edit aemSDK.instances to configure instance names, ports, and debug options.

3. Run the SDK Setup command

   • Open the Command Palette and run AEM: SDK Setup.
   • If aemSDK.quickstartPath or aemSDK.formsAddonPath are not configured, you’ll be prompted to select files.
   • The extension will extract and configure the SDK for each instance.

4. Start your AEM instances

   • Run AEM: SDK Start from the Command Palette.

5. Check instance status and logs

   • Use AEM: SDK Status and AEM: SDK Log as needed.

Tip: Only re-run SDK Setup if updating the Quickstart or Forms Add-on.

SDK Commands

AEM Scaffolding Helper

Use the AEM: Scaffold command to create new AEM projects or modules with Adobe’s official archetype.

Scaffolding Commands

• AEM Scaffold (vscode-aem.scaffold) Launches an interactive prompt to scaffold a new AEM project. It will ask for:

  • App Title (e.g., My Site)
  • Java package (e.g., example.mysite). This will be used as com.example.mysite for -DgroupId and -Dpackage.

  The command runs mvn -B org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-archetype-plugin:${archetypePluginVersion}:generate using your configured settings.

You can customize the archetype version and parameters via:

• aemScaffold.archetypePluginVersion
• aemScaffold.scaffoldArgs

CLI Usage & Configuration

The CLI now supports the full app configuration and all SDK/Maven/scaffold commands. You can use the CLI for local automation, scripting, or CI/CD.

CLI Installation

Install the CLI globally from npm:

npm install -g vscode-aem

This will make the aem command available anywhere on your system.

Running the CLI

You can run the CLI entry point (e.g. aem) from your project root or any directory. All commands and options available in the VS Code extension are also available in the CLI.

Example:

aem sdk start
aem sdk stop --instance author
aem maven ui.apps build skip-tests
aem scaffold project

Configuration Commands

The CLI provides a set of aem config subcommands to help you manage and inspect your configuration:

• aem config init [path] Generate a default config file at the given path. If [path] is a directory, the file will be created as .aemrc.json inside that directory. If omitted, defaults to .aemrc.json in the current directory or the path set by AEM_CONFIG_PATH.
• aem config show Show the fully resolved config (including env overrides and defaults).
• aem config path Show the config file path currently in use.
• aem config validate [path] Validate the config file at the given path. If [path] is a directory, .aemrc.json in that directory will be validated. If omitted, defaults to .aemrc.json in the current directory or the path set by AEM_CONFIG_PATH.
• aem config env Show environment variable overrides currently set for config fields.
• aem config env-list List all available config environment variables and their descriptions.

Configuration

The CLI and extension share a unified configuration system. Configuration is loaded from (in order of precedence):

1. The file specified by the AEM_CONFIG_PATH environment variable (if set)
2. .aemrc.json in the current working directory
3. .aemrc.json in your home directory

Known Issues

• Only supports Maven-based AEM projects with standard archetype structure.
• Profile detection assumes conventional profile names and plugin usage.
• On macOS, Java may not boot in the background on first run

Motivation

Managing local AEM development can be tedious:

• Juggling multiple terminals to control Author and Publish
• Copying and extracting new SDK files manually
• Forgetting steps or flags when switching environments
• Running Maven in the wrong directory and wondering why changes didn’t apply
• Repeatedly typing the same flags (-DskipTests, -PautoInstallPackage, etc.)

This extension automates those workflows to help you stay focused on development.

Why not use existing Maven extensions? General Maven plugins don’t handle AEM-specific profiles or SDK automation. This one is built specifically for the AEM developer workflow.

This extension was developed for personal use. It may not be as robust as official tools, but it aims to simplify common AEM dev tasks inside VS Code.