I’m in the process of migration classic configurators over to Kinetic. Is there a way I can adjust the HTML/CSS that is auto-generated in the Kinetic App Studio?
Thanks,
Josh
App studio only builds a json file, which is like a recipe/program for the framework to turn into an app.
If you want to tweak the look, you may want to look at a browser extension. I think @hmwillett uses stylebot.
There is some base html, css, and js that you theoretically could edit if you have server access, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
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Yeah… Mainly I just want to adjust the HTML markup and styling since I’m fairly limited on the drag/drop stuff with the properties, and I’ve done a fair amount of HTML/CSS on non-Epicor stuff. Plus, I’ve been getting the general “Error” slide-out-from-right message quite a bit just trying to adjust the UI and properties.
It would be easier for me to adjust the actual markup versus having to mess with the UI limitations.
Yeah, sorry. Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way.
The json is interpreted at runtime, and the html is auto generated based on that.
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You’d think the web version would have a more flexible UI system, but its not that way at all.
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That’s what I figured… If the foundation is web-based, why limit the developer to drap/drop? Seems counterintuitive to me.
Even when you’re in the App Studio modifying the UI, there is clearly markup being generated.
Why not let the developer modify the actual markup? 
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Consistency/stability.
For a platform like this, this is better.
(as long as the underlying framework is both robust and complete, which in my opinion, it is not yet, but it’s getting there)
I’m hoping in the future we could have an advanced section for integration of things that are more custom.
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You mean it could be worse than it is? 
From an theory point of view, I totally agree with you. The more you simplify and constrain a system, the easier it should be to polish what remains. It begs the question, why does it appear we are not getting those results…
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We are, just not at the pace most if us would like.
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Does Microsoft let users directly change the Outlook Web UI? Does SalesForce? Does Google let us change their Apps? No, and we accept that. What companies do is add customization within the bounds of the framework. Sure, there are browser extensions, but make sure you trust them. A browser extension can see EVERYTHING in your session, including access tokens. In 2017, the author of the Particle extension sold it and the new owner used it to inject code into webpages. So even an extension with a good reputation could go bad.
The moral of the story hasn’t changed with Vantage/Epicor/Kinetic customizations: use the framework. Yes, the latest one is still in flux, so keep those Ideas coming.
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Technically you don’t have to, could always make your own UI for the REST API… 
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For individual apps, that’s exactly what I plan to do. Build my own client, nope, I’m crazy, but not that crazy!
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Certainly isn’t a required mindset, though. If you think of the product as an ERP core or ERP API / Platform, then allowing users power over the UI isn’t outside the framework. Wordpress themes come to mind, or making a game with a pre-made game engine, like Unity.
Obviously that makes the barrier to entry that much higher, and I’m not recommending it. But its a valid potential model, Epicor makes a solid base ERP, then have an ecosystem of industry specific ‘themes /UI apps’ with Epicor, third party, or in-house built options. And then you have Linux fragmentation
Every option has its costs. But engineering is solving problems under constraints, not blaming the constraints. I’m sure we will all find a way, even if sometimes it requires us to make our own apps.
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Themes are a part of the framework. No?
If Epicor builds a theming framework like they did with the Classic UI, I could see that too. Microsoft has Fluent UI for some of their web work. And what web dev hasn’t used Bootstrap?
@bconner mentioned web components in the EpiUser podcast (or comments afterwards) which could be an interesting way to let user add drag/drop functionality or other integrations into the MetaUI/Kinetic framework. If we could define our own component and have it registered in Application Studio, that would be really cool.
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I’m not an expert, but the combinations of plugins and themes allowed for a very wide range of functionality and appearance. (And you could change the css by hand, which is how I related it to the thread).
That would be helpful. I think more control over layout/sizing/spacing I think would make the most difference.
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@jbrekke might as well mark this post as the solution so anyone searching doesn’t have to read my off topic rambling
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Great job, Evan! 
I got a solution by proxy.
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I think this was a case of either bad grammar or someone deliberately misunderstanding to tease @klincecum 
The ambiguous “this post” was supposed to be the one quoted, but this is a more hilarious outcome. I’m on my way to the top of the leader board one corrupt shit post at a time. woooot
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