Updating config.json for Application - with Javascript

[ToddUlery]

Is there anybody out there with tips or samples for updating WAB config.json file?

More specifically adding a widget through Javascript.

I am trying to read in the json, find where i need to add, and update the json file.

I know how to just open and manually adding the widget.

Robert Scheitlin, GISP‌ ---hoping you have some tips. 

Developers‌Web AppBuilder Custom Widgets

[RebeccaStrauch__GISP · Accepted solution]

I have some links to tips /blogs/myAlaskaGIS/2017/02/15/web-appbuilder-tips-and-links-for-creating-modifying-and-modifying-cus...‌  

that and several other WAB developer edition blogs can be found /blogs/myAlaskaGIS/2016/03/09/web-appbuilder-developer-edition-customization-resource-list?sr=search...‌   

[ToddUlery]

Thanks Rebecca, I will give these a look over.

[RobertScheitlin__GISP]

Todd,

   I am a little confused by your goal here. Why are you wanting to update the main config.json manually. Why not use the WAB UI for that?

[ToddUlery]

I have some grunt tasks that run to create the widgets, and what is missing is adding it into the application. I was hoping to just add another task that reads the json, prompts the Developer for position of the widget, and updates and saves out the file.

I have been tasked to work out a dev workflow. We would like to keep the builder out of the flow as much as possible.

[RobertScheitlin__GISP]

Todd,

   I have never attempted anything like that but the main config.json is just a basic json/text file so if you grunt task and read and write and parse the json then you should have no problem.

[ToddUlery]

Yeah that was the thought, but then i started getting in the weeds, and then they started to grow higher. Just not a JSON master. But i am sure i am just over thinking it.

[RobertScheitlin__GISP]

Todd,

   You probably are. Json is pretty simple text and the widgets are just part of a arrays like

"widgetsOnScreen" : {

  "widgets": [

    {

      "position" : {

        "left" : 105,

        "top" : 45,

        "relative" : "map"

      },

      "id" : "_6",

      "name" : "Query",

      "version" : "2.4",

      "uri" : "widgets/Query/widget",

      "config" : "configs/Query/config_Query widget.json",

      "icon" : "widgets/Query/images/icon.png"

    },

[ToddUlery]

Thanks, Robert Schmidley‌ and rastrauch‌ ---- It is a bit more complicated than I thought for the timeframe I have and would better serve to just wait on it.

On another objective; would you suggest a best practice when altering the WAB structure  (regarding CSS on Theme based Elements) to place these style updates in a separate CSS file and just @import or load this in separate. Or just tack them on to already existing CSS files where the original exists.  ???

[RebeccaStrauch__GISP]

Todd, if you haven't already done so, you may want to repost your new question in Web AppBuilder Custom Themes   or at least repost and then tag that group.