What is changing?
Several widgets that were once Custom Hosted Widgets are now being delivered inside Brightspace as System Widgets.
The Homepage Widget Expansion Pack includes the following system widgets that replace previous Custom Hosted Widgets:
Why?
Moving from a Custom Hosted Widget to the System Widgets:
- Ensures that all updates and bug fixes are consistently and seamlessly applied to your widgets in every homepage where they’re in use.
- Simplifies the widget configuration process.
- Expands the number of translations available.
- Allows you to leverage Language Management to change widget terminology for your organization.
How can I tell if my widget needs to be updated?
Now: Look within the source code of your custom widget code: if it contains a URL to the LCS CDN (cdn.lcs.brightspace.com) you are currently using a Custom Hosted Widget.
December 20.23.12:
- For anyone with Edit Homepage permissions, an in-widget message will appear in all Custom Hosted widgets advising that support will end for that widget. This is a clear indication that users have a Custom Hosted widget active on the homepage.
Figure: In-widget messaging advising on end of support. From the in-widget message, users can navigate to the Custom Hosted Widget Replacement Service.
- Alternately, users can navigate to the Homepage Management tool. If there are Custom Hosted widgets active in the environment, a warning will appear on the Homepage Management tool. From here, users can navigate to the Custom Hosted Widget Replacement Service.
Figure: Homepage Management tool advising of active Custom Hosted widgets.
- Using the Custom Hosted Widget Replacement Service, users can:
- See a list of all Custom Hosted widgets as well as the number of homepages the widget is active on.
- Drill down to see the exact locations on which each widget is active.
April 20.24.04:
In April, a new BETA feature, called Automated Replacement service, released to non-prod sites. The Automated Replacement is added to the Custom Hosted Widget Replacement that allows users to:
- Bulk replace all instances of the Custom Hosted widget with the System version (Note: configurations will be automatically migrated).
- Delete all instances of the Custom Hosted widget
- Once all Custom Hosted widgets are replaced or deleted, the Custom Hosted widget is removed from the environment.
- The Custom Hosted Widget Replacement Service is a part of the Custom Hosted Widget (Custom Hosted Widget EOL Support) page.
Figure: Use the Custom Widget Automated Replacement Service page to locate, replace, or remove Custom Hosted widgets.
June 20.24.06:
In June, the Automated Replacement releases to prod sites.
December 2024/20.24.12:
All remaining Custom Hosted Widgets are automatically removed from homepages on client sites and the widgets are uninstalled from sites. HTTP requests to Custom Hosted Widget end-points deliver a 404 error.
How can I get the new widgets?
If you currently have a Custom Hosted widget available in your Brightspace instance, a new System Widget version of the same widget has been added to your instance.
Now that the new System Widget is in your Brightspace instance, you can use the Homepage Management tool to swap out existing Custom Hosted Widgets with new System Widgets.
If want to purchase these widgets, visit the Homepage Widget Expansion Pack page.
What will happen to my config settings?
Manual Replacement: Shared file configurations will need to be migrated to use a new widget configuration interface within each widget. This can be done by copying the JSON into the new config editor:
- Locate the config.txt file for the custom-hosted widget that you want to migrate (located in Public Files or in the Manage Files of an org unit in custom_widgets/{WidgetName}/).
- Click the dropdown menu on the file and then click Edit File.
- Copy the entire contents of the text file (it should only be JSON data).
- Click Cancel.
- Navigate to an org unit that includes the system version of the same widget on its active homepage.
- Select the inline context menu button ( [ ... ] ) to open the widget config editor (available to users with the Modify Org Unit Custom Widget Data permission for the current org unit).
- Paste the data you copied earlier into the text area in either the Organization or Course tab. Note: The correct tab depends on the original file's location (Public Files or Manage Files). If you're copying config data from the Manage Files area of an org unit, this process must be done from the homepage of the same org unit that the data is being copied from as it applies the configuration to the current org unit.
- Click Save and Close when complete.
Note: Shared files configurations will no longer be used in the System Widgets.
Automated Replacement: Please see above How can I tell if my widget needs to be updated?
How do I configure System Widgets?
Manual Replacement:
A new button will be available in System Widgets. This button will open an interface that allows configuration of the System Widget right in the homepage. This configuration interface is available to Admins that have the Modify Org Unit Custom Widget Data permission enabled. If you do not have this permission, ensure the Roles and Permissions tool has this permission checked for the specific required roles in your organization.
Automated Replacement:
Run the Custom Hosted Widget Replacement Service
- Navigate to the Custom Hosted Widget page.
- Select a widget you want to replace. The service can only be applied to one custom-hosted widget at a time, and this widget must be at its end-of-life stage. This includes all HWEP widgets except for the Multi-Profile Widget.Note: The replacement service cannot be run against custom hosted widgets that have no system widget analog. This includes the K12 Calendar and the K12 Footer.
- Click Replace next to the widget.
The replacement service runs as a background task on the Brightspace site. You can navigate away from the Custom Hosted Widgets page without interrupting the replacement service. Upon completion, the replacement service sends a notification to the Update Alerts section (represented by the bell icon) of the Brightspace main navigation bar.
Note: System Widgets cannot be conditionally released as Custom Hosted Widgets once could. If this functionality is required for your organization, please consider creating a PIE item.
How do I add the new widget to my homepage?
- Navigate to the Homepage Management tool
- Select the homepage you would like to add the widget(s) to
- In Edit Homepage, navigate to the Widgets area at the bottom of the page.
- Select Add Widgets within any of the layout panels to open a menu of available widgets
- Use the search feature to enter any of the previously mentioned widget names to find the widget (filter by System)
- Select the new Expansion Widget you’d like to add, then select Add
- Delete the Custom Hosted version of this widget (if applicable)
How Do I Get these Widgets?
If you don’t see this widget in your list or want to make any of these widgets available on your homepage, browse the Homepage Widget Expansion Pack catalog options. Select the widget(s) that best meet your needs and contact your D2L representative to add a Homepage Widget Expansion Pack.
