What is Alfresco bootstrap content?

Bootstrap content is data — folders, groups, permissions, sometimes documents — that Alfresco imports automatically the first time a module is installed. It is driven by the ImporterModuleComponent Spring bean, which loads an ACP or view XML file into a target path in the repository.

What files does this tool generate?

Three: bootstrap-context.xml (the Spring beans that register the importers), folders.xml (an Alfresco view describing your folder tree and ACLs), and — if you add groups — groups.xml (an authority view that creates the groups). Together they seed structure on module install.

Where do these files go in my module?

bootstrap-context.xml goes under alfresco/module/ /context/ (imported by module-context.xml). The view files go under alfresco/module/ /bootstrap/ to match the location property in the beans. Adjust paths if your project layout differs.

How does appliesFromVersion work?

The ImporterModuleComponent only runs once per module version. appliesFromVersion controls which module versions trigger the import. Bump it when you want the bootstrap to re-run on an upgrade; otherwise existing installs skip it.

Can I set permissions on the folders?

Yes. Add an authority (e.g. GROUP_finance) and a permission role (Consumer, Contributor, Editor, Collaborator, Coordinator) to a folder and the generator emits a block with the matching ACE.

Wasim's Site

Alfresco Bootstrap Content Generator

Build a folder tree, groups, and permissions and export bootstrap-context.xml plus the ACP view XML to seed your Alfresco repository on module install.

Module Settings

Module ID

Target Path

Folders

Folder Name

Title (optional)

Parent Folder

Authority (optional)

Permission

Groups (optional)

Short Name

Display Name

Parent Group

bootstrap-context.xml (Spring)

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
<!DOCTYPE beans PUBLIC '-//SPRING//DTD BEAN//EN' 'http://www.springframework.org/dtd/spring-beans.dtd'>
<beans>
  <bean id="my-module.bootstrapFolders" class="org.alfresco.repo.module.ImporterModuleComponent" parent="module.baseComponent">
    <property name="moduleId" value="my-module" />
    <property name="name" value="bootstrapFolders" />
    <property name="appliesFromVersion" value="1.0" />
    <property name="bootstrapViews">
      <list>
        <props>
          <prop key="path">/${spaces.company_home.childname}</prop>
          <prop key="location">alfresco/module/my-module/bootstrap/folders.xml</prop>
        </props>
      </list>
    </property>
  </bean>
</beans>

folders.xml (ACP view)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<view:view xmlns:view="http://www.alfresco.org/view/repository/1.0"
           xmlns:cm="http://www.alfresco.org/model/content/1.0"
           xmlns:app="http://www.alfresco.org/model/application/1.0">
  <!-- add folders to generate the view -->
</view:view>

Bootstrapping Content in Alfresco

When you install an Alfresco module, you often want a predictable starting structure — a set of department folders, a group hierarchy, and the right permissions already in place. Alfresco does this with the ImporterModuleComponent Spring bean, which imports an ACP or view XML file into a target path the first time the module runs. Writing those beans and the nested view XML by hand is exactly the kind of boilerplate this generator removes.

What Gets Generated

bootstrap-context.xml: the Spring beans that register one importer for folders and (optionally) one for groups.
folders.xml: an Alfresco view:view describing your folder tree, with cm:contains nesting and optional view:acl permission entries.
groups.xml: an authority view that creates usr:authorityContainer groups, nested where you define a parent.

How to Use This Generator

Set the module id and target path: the path is where the top-level folders are created (Company Home by default).
Add folders: name each one, optionally nest it under a parent, and set an authority + permission to generate an ACL.
Add groups (optional): define short names and nest sub-groups under parents.
Copy or download: place the files in your module under context/ and bootstrap/.

Permission Roles

Consumer — read-only access

Contributor — add content, edit own

Editor — edit existing content

Collaborator — contributor + editor

Coordinator — full control

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Alfresco bootstrap content?: Bootstrap content is data — folders, groups, permissions, sometimes documents — that Alfresco imports automatically the first time a module is installed. It is driven by the ImporterModuleComponent Spring bean, which loads an ACP or view XML file into a target path in the repository.
What files does this tool generate?: Three: bootstrap-context.xml (the Spring beans that register the importers), folders.xml (an Alfresco view describing your folder tree and ACLs), and — if you add groups — groups.xml (an authority view that creates the groups). Together they seed structure on module install.
Where do these files go in my module?: bootstrap-context.xml goes under alfresco/module/<module-id>/context/ (imported by module-context.xml). The view files go under alfresco/module/<module-id>/bootstrap/ to match the location property in the beans. Adjust paths if your project layout differs.
How does appliesFromVersion work?: The ImporterModuleComponent only runs once per module version. appliesFromVersion controls which module versions trigger the import. Bump it when you want the bootstrap to re-run on an upgrade; otherwise existing installs skip it.
Can I set permissions on the folders?: Yes. Add an authority (e.g. GROUP_finance) and a permission role (Consumer, Contributor, Editor, Collaborator, Coordinator) to a folder and the generator emits a <view:acl> block with the matching ACE.

Official Resources

Repository Extension Points (Alfresco Docs)