Self-hosted vs CLI Vs Block

[spare scroll]

Porting an Iframe old app to new supported standards ...
I created a Blocks project, a CLI one and a SelfHosted

The latter is my favourite as it allows me to deploy using external coding but it looks limited. I just need to build a Widget that can be dropped/added to the site and then give a settings panel to configure this widget.

In the self hosted app I dont see a way to make this work. ie the dashboard page is not opened as an overlay that you can edit whilst viewing the Widget rendering so it is not that user friendly. Ie the dashboards are in Wix Studio... but I need everything in the Editor.

Given the above what are my options as of today? Ideally options that are as LTS as possible and supported 100% by Wix.

[fading plank]

I imagine using Astro CLI would be the way to go.

If it works like the old CLI it will let you design your UI in Block (or not) while being able to code your logic in your own environment. I think it's the best of both worlds.

Keep in mind that even though Astro CLI is the way moving forward, it does not have all the features of the old CLI and is in technical preview at the moment.

So Astro CLI with some cautions 🙂

[onyx pine]

I seem to be coming across a number of things that are 'supported in CLI or self-hosted apps only'. I have only used Wix Blocks to build apps.

I tried Astro CLI out and it seems very promising, but there is a learning curve for me to use CLI. 🙁

In the Wix Harmony email, I see this:
Going forward: We’re developing a brand-new, React-based builder that will allow you to build apps that are suitable for Wix Harmony.

Is this another app builder option???

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Harmony is another editor rather than a builder AFAIK from the email. About CLI or Astra or Blocks, the problem is that i use some custom code and having to refactor it is an extra step. I would be inclined to use self hosted but I dont see an option to deploy Widgets with ...
I could use the Wix Block Custom Element (i have built one already) but I would like a settings panel that is not in Blocks... is maybe a self hosted one. Is that possible?

[fading plank]

I think CLI is the best of both world then. User can't edit the widget's element from the editor unfortunatly but you can design your own panel and UI.

To note that Harmony's website won't support Wix Block Widgets (at least for the moment) and It might be replace by a newer system(as far as I understand)

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That "note that Harmony's website won't support Wix Block Widgets (at least for the moment)" is the part that I would double think about before going ahead with a choice. It needs to be a LTS choice. I have just spent sometime using the API from the old Iframe app and turns out for some use cases it does not work/has no access.

About "User can't edit the widget's element from the editor unfortunatly " ... this sounds counter intuitive for me.

So at the moment you can only do a widget that gives you a settings panel there and then only in Blocks?

Can i link some sort of settings panel on a self hosted app?

[spare scroll]

Just to be specific, from my last googling ... ,

Self-hosted Widget -> https://dev.wix.com/docs/build-apps/develop-your-app/frameworks/self-hosting/supported-extensions/site-extensions/site-widgets-and-plugins/add-self-hosted-site-widget-extensions-with-custom-elements

Settings panel for it -> https://dev.wix.com/docs/build-apps/develop-your-app/extensions/site-extensions/site-widgets/create-a-settings-panel-for-a-site-widget-or-plugin-wix-cli-and-self-hosting

I think I will investigate this but again I worry that I will make this full effort of converting the app into this and it will eventually have compatibilities/support problems again