Chris Andre Buys
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Added a discussion
I think so.....Custom Modules Made Easy in UNA CMS – No Coding Required

After spending time digging through the UNA CMS documentation, I’m convinced that anyone can create their own custom modules — at least to a meaningful extent.

Did you know the Developer module in Studio is designed for exactly this? As the name suggests, it allows us to develop custom modules without needing deep programming skills. Of course, having some background in systems or programming helps (especially with naming conventions and logic), but the tool itself puts module creation within reach for more people.

Inside the Developer module you’ll find options for Settings, Polyglot, Forms, Navigation, and Pages. Together, these building blocks make up the foundation of a custom module. It’s a powerful feature that many UNA users may not even be aware of.

That’s why I’m reaching out to others who might be interested in exploring this further. With community effort — and hopefully some detailed guidelines or even video tutorials from the UNA CMS team — we could make module creation a simple, repeatable process and truly unlock UNA’s potential.

The UNA team has already moved the platform closer to a headless CMS, bridging it tightly with modern frontend development, and now we’re even seeing AI technologies being introduced. Adding easier, more accessible custom module development would be another game-changer.

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    • I think that is not a bad idea Chris, It would be great to see some tutorials that help get people started with some basic modules including video step by step, I think there could be a lot to learn and a lot of input .

      • I came to a standstill because of personal matters, but I haven’t been able to forget this amazing discovery. UNA CMS team — please respond. You created the Developer Module; please invest some time in this, because I truly believe it could give UNA a whole new lease on life.

        Everyone is looking at the latest AI tools for redesign and development, and clients are understandably nervous about moving to AI-first platforms. If we get this going, UNA can remain one of the top CMS choices — we just need support to overcome that fear. Please share updates, give us guidance or access, and let the community help carry the legacy forward. We’re ready to contribute.

        • @Clubhouse Thank you very much for your support in, I believe one of the greatest discoveries since being with unacms. Also to those who gave it a thump-up, thanks guys.

          • Hello @Chris Andre Buys !

            Could you please explain what parts of the Developer app you want to see with more expanded explanation? And even Developer is a very nice module, but in some cases you need to create your own app anyway because some things are possible to do only there.

            • @LeonidS my friend, funny enough I was expecting you to respond.. and much appreciated 🙏

              For me, the exciting part is how the Developer app already gives us a “jump start” into module creation without needing to touch too much code. I’m especially curious about how the different sections — Settings, Polyglot, Forms, Navigation, and Pages — all tie together to form a complete custom module.

              A more expanded explanation (or even a walkthrough) of how those pieces interact would help a lot, especially for people like me who want to move from basic setup to real custom module building.

              I do understand that sometimes a fully custom app will still be necessary, but having a clearer map of what the Developer app can (and can’t) do would really help us get started.

              Thanks again, it means a lot to have your guidance.

              • Glad to know that my appearance was expected :-) About your question. The Developer app provides the advanced versions of the main UNA service apps like the Polyglot, Forms, Pages and Navigation for the already existing modules and Settings for the whole UNA. For example, you may create a new form via the Developer->Forms app with all possible settings, but for the start to work with it you need to use the following code like:

                bx_import('BxDolForm');
$oForm = BxDolForm::getObjectInstance('sample_form_objects', 'sample_form_objects_add'); // get form instance for specified form object and display
if (!$oForm)
    die('"sample_form_objects_add" form object or "sample_form_objects_add" display is not defined');
$oForm->initChecker(); // init form checker witout any data - adding new record
if ($oForm->isSubmittedAndValid())
    echo 'inserted id: ' . $oForm->insert (); // add new record to the database 
echo $oForm->getCode(); // display form

                So without own sample module described here and here you can't use this form. The sample module can be found here . But yes, the description of every page and field of the Developer app will be good anyway.

                • Thanks a lot for the detailed explanation @LeonidS — it really helps to see how the Developer app connects with the underlying service apps like Forms, Pages, and Navigation. The code example makes it clearer how something created in Developer actually comes to life once it’s tied into a sample or custom module.

                  I understand now that the Developer app gives us the advanced tools to define things like forms or pages, but the real power comes when those are plugged into a module, one we create. That’s why I feel a step-by-step walkthrough (or documentation that shows the full flow from creating in Developer → wiring it into a custom module → seeing it work on the site) would be a game-changer for people like me who are just getting into UNA development, and trust me, I think the entire unacms community.

                  Please man, maybe a video or so ...

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