System Architecture

System Architecture#

Overview#

The kitconcept Intranet Distribution is built on top of kitconcept.core — a backend and frontend setup that serves as the baseline and foundation for all kitconcept GmbH distributions built on top of Plone.

It includes common features, add-ons, configuration, best practices, and shared components that are used across multiple projects. The intranet distribution extends this foundation with intranet-specific content types, behaviors, and UI components.

Backend Package#

Named kitconcept.core, the backend package provides all the building blocks needed to create a new Plone-based distribution.

Site creation#

This package enhances Products.CMFPlone's site creation mechanism by allowing a new base profile — rather than Products.CMFPlone:plone — to signal to the upgrade machinery that a new version is available.

kitconcept.core specializes the MigrationTool (kitconcept.core.tool.migration.MigrationTool) to support a new base profile and a dynamic list of dependencies. It uses kitconcept.core.factory.add_site — instead of Products.CMFPlone.factory.addPloneSite — to work with this enhanced MigrationTool.

Generic Setup profiles#

When you run a Generic Setup profile, the order of execution is:

  1. Run the pre_handler defined in the profile registration

  2. Install the dependencies listed in metadata.xml, in order

  3. Run every other import step defined in the profile (XML files)

  4. Run the post_handler defined in the profile registration

The distribution uses three distinct profiles:

kitconcept.core:base#

Replacement for Products.CMFPlone:plone. Defines the Dexterity content type for Plone Site and contains configuration that does not require site creation to be finalized (workflows, permissions, catalog).

The metadata.xml has no dependencies on other Generic Setup profiles and defines the version for kitconcept.core.

A post_handler script (kitconcept.core.setuphandlers.base.import_final_steps) finalizes site creation by:

  • Initializing the MigrationTool with the base profile and package

  • Purging and resetting profile versions on portal_setup

  • Running the kitconcept.core:cmfdependencies profile

  • Running the kitconcept.core:dependencies profile

  • Running standard CMFPlone setup functions (role manager, cache handlers, timezone)

kitconcept.core:cmfdependencies#

Replacement for Products.CMFPlone:dependencies. Installs core add-ons via their Generic Setup profiles — the registry, portlets, theming, and versioning. Keeps registry records and portlet managers but does not assign portlets.

kitconcept.core:dependencies#

Installs all required dependencies shared across distributions:

Dependency

Profile

Plone RESTAPI

plone.restapi:default

Plone Volto

plone.volto:default

Collective Person

collective.person:default

Volto Light Theme

kitconcept.voltolighttheme:default

Volto Form Support

collective.volto.formsupport:default

Social Media Support

plonegovbr.socialmedia:default

Also configures: content types, versioning, catalog indexes, control panels, registry records.

Upgrade / Migration#

Note

The migration / upgrade warnings in the user interface no longer refer to new versions of Plone, but to new versions of kitconcept.core — defined in metadata.xml of the kitconcept.core:base profile.

After bumping the version of kitconcept.core:base, a new upgrade step must be created. The following is an illustrative example — use current source and destination version numbers from the codebase:

<configure
    xmlns="http://namespaces.zope.org/zope"
    xmlns:genericsetup="http://namespaces.zope.org/genericsetup"
    >

  <genericsetup:upgradeSteps
      profile="kitconcept.core:base"
      source="[PREVIOUS_VERSION]"
      destination="[NEW_VERSION]"
      >
    <genericsetup:upgradeStep
        title="Upgrade dependencies"
        handler="..utils.null_upgrade_step"
        />
    <genericsetup:upgradeDepends
        title="Update registry settings"
        import_profile="kitconcept.core:dependencies"
        import_steps="plone.app.registry"
        />
  </genericsetup:upgradeSteps>

</configure>

Dependencies listed in kitconcept.core.factory.LocalAddonList are upgraded to their latest installed version automatically when an upgrade of the base profile is run.

Frontend Layer#

The frontend is built on Volto Light Theme (VLT), a Volto add-on providing the base look-and-feel, block system, and site customization behaviors.

See also:

Contents