Background
Skilljar is evolving to provide a more robust and reliable product experience. As part of this evolution, we are streamlining and optimizing the use and support of custom JavaScript and CSS snippets in themes to certain key features. This change aims to enhance the overall user experience and ensure compatibility with future product enhancements and upgrades.
Why Are We Deprecating Custom Code Snippets?
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Enhanced Product Experience
- Our goal is to deliver high-quality, built-in features that meet your needs without requiring extensive customization.
- By focusing on product-level features, we can ensure a more consistent and reliable experience.
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Support and Maintenance:
- Custom code snippets can lead to conflicts with existing custom theme code, and developing new features, resulting in unexpected issues and challenges for our support team.
- We have streamlined the developer center to include our supported snippets, ensuring reliable and maintainable customizations now and with future product updates.
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Best Practices:
- Custom code often deviates from industry best practices, leading to performance and compatibility issues.
- We recommend following best practices for JavaScript and CSS debugging and utilizing in-house development resources for advanced customizations.
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Professional Assistance:
- For advanced customizations, our most successful customers work with technical staff or Skilljar's Professional Services. This ensures high-quality, compatible customizations that meet your specific needs.
Your Options:
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Supported Snippets:
- Refer to our developer center for snippets that will continue to be updated and compatible with future product enhancements.
- Any custom snippets used beyond this scope are at your own risk and are unsupported.
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Professional Services:
- For custom and / or complex customizations, consider engaging with Skilljar’s Professional Services. Our team can help you implement further customizations and ensure they are compatible with our platform.
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Training and Resources:
- Utilize our training materials and resources to learn more about our product features and how they can meet your needs without extensive customization.
- Leverage your own in house developers or add your own coding to theming. This page should help to get you started on that journey.
Recommended Debugging Procedures
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Determine When the Functionality Changed or Stopped Working:
- Identify the exact moment when the issue started.
- Check your audit log, theme updates, and versions of code updated from coworkers or vendors around that time.
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Work with Your Developers or Vendors:
- Collaborate with your internal development team or third-party vendors to isolate the issue.
- They may have more insights or tools at their disposal to identify and resolve the problem.
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Investigate Overlapping IDs, Functions, or Input Event Chain Interruptions:
- Look for any overlapping IDs, functions, or input events in your JavaScript code that could be causing conflicts.
- Make sure that all identifiers are unique and that there are no interruptions in your event chains.
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Figure out under what exact circumstances the issue(s) occur. Context will help your developers or vendors debug.
- Is the issue happening to certain students and not others? Sometimes group-based rules might result in different student experiences.
FAQs
What should I do when I need support on legacy snippets?
Your options are:
- Visit the updated developer center for a new supported version of your snippet.
- Follow the steps outlined in our help center about debugging your own code. Refer to our debugging guides for common issues and troubleshooting tips.
- ChatGPT has proven to be a great resource for many of our customers to help understand and debug any existing snippets.
Can I upgrade my existing snippets?
Yes! While we are deprecating support for new custom code, you can still upgrade your existing snippets. Make sure to follow best practices and test thoroughly to ensure compatibility.
What if I still want to use custom code?
Custom code snippets are use-at-your-own-risk and unsupported. We recommend using our fully supported snippets from the Developer Center.
How will this change benefit me?
By leveraging product-level features, you will benefit from improved stability, better support, and a more streamlined experience. Our features are designed to work seamlessly within the Skilljar environment, reducing the risk of conflicts and errors.
Can Skilljar Professional Services help with customizations?
Yes, our Professional Services team is available to assist with advanced customizations. They can provide expertise and ensure your customizations are implemented correctly and efficiently. Please contact your CAE (Client Account Executive) for further information on engaging with this team.
What if my custom code conflicts with Skilljar updates?
Custom code that conflicts with Skilljar updates will not be supported. We recommend using the supported snippets and following our guidelines to avoid such issues.
Where can I find the supported snippets?
Supported snippets are available in the Developer Center. These snippets are tested and verified by our team to ensure compatibility and support.
What are the risks of using unsupported custom code?
Using unsupported custom code can lead to conflicts with Skilljar updates, potential security vulnerabilities, and reduced support from our team. It is advisable to use our supported features and snippets to ensure the best experience.
How do I get started with the fully supported snippets?
Visit our Developer Center to explore the available snippets and documentation. Follow the guidelines and best practices provided to implement these snippets effectively.
Conclusion:
By deprecating custom code snippets, we aim to provide a more stable, reliable, and maintainable product experience. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we transition towards a more product-focused approach. If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to our support team or your Customer Success Manager.