Introduction
What AEM is, the technology stack (Sling, JCR, OSGi), AEMaaCS vs on-premise, installing the SDK, generating a project with the Maven archetype, and a project structure walkthrough.
JCR & Sling
The Java Content Repository, node types and properties, resource resolution, CRXDE Lite, and how Apache Sling maps URLs to content.
OSGi Fundamentals
OSGi bundles, services, the component lifecycle, the Web Console, and configuration management in AEM.
Your First Component
Component anatomy in AEM -- the cq:Component node, HTL template, dialog, and Sling Model. Creating, deploying, and using a simple component.
HTL Templates
The HTML Template Language in depth -- expressions, block statements, global objects, the Use API, and best practices.
Component Dialogs
Touch UI dialogs with Granite/Coral -- field types, tabs, multifields, image upload, validation, and conditional visibility.
Sling Models
Injecting JCR content into Java models -- annotations, adaptables, child resources, OSGi services, exporters, and best practices.
Templates & Policies
Editable templates, template types, structure vs initial content, component policies, allowed components, and page structure.
Client Libraries
CSS and JS management in AEM -- clientlib structure, categories, dependencies, embedding, proxy serving, and the ui.frontend module.
Building Pages
Using Core Components, the responsive grid, navigation, header and footer, building a homepage and article page, and page properties.
Content Fragments & GraphQL
Content Fragment Models, creating and managing fragments, the AEM GraphQL API, persisted queries, and headless content delivery.
MSM & i18n
Blueprints, Live Copies, rollout configurations, language copies, the translation framework, and i18n dictionaries.
Dispatcher & Caching
Dispatcher architecture, cache rules, filters, rewrites, vanity URLs, cache invalidation, and local Dispatcher SDK testing.
Deployment & Cloud Manager
Git repo structure, Cloud Manager pipelines, environments, Rapid Development Environments, content transfer, and going to production.
Practice Projects
Six hands-on projects -- from a simple component to a production Dispatcher config -- to reinforce everything covered in the guide.