README.md

element-web-modules are now maintained at element-hq/element-modules

Note

These modules for the Element Web matrix client were originally developed by Nordeck for the sovereign workplace. Maintenance was taken over by Element in March 2025 at https://github.com/element-hq/element-modules.

Element Web openDesk Module

A module for Element to provide openDesk specific functionality.

It uses the Module API to add the openDesk navbar.

Features:

• Add a navigation bar to Element.
• Customize the theme colors of Element.

Requirements

The minimal Element version to use this module is 1.11.50.

Install the Element Module

Checkout Element and setup the development environment according to their documentation. Go into the element-web folder and create a build_config.yaml file with the following content:

modules:
  - '@nordeck/element-web-opendesk-module@^0.0.1'

Build Element and deploy your custom version as described by the original documentation. In case you want to create a docker-based build process, you might find inspiration in the setup we use for our e2e tests.

Configure the Element Module

The module provides the following optional configuration options:

• banner - Enable the banner component.
  • ics_navigation_json_url - The URL of the navigation.json file that contains the navigation structure for the user.
  • ics_silent_url - The URL of the silent endpoint that is used via inline frame to log in the user.
  • portal_logo_svg_url - The URL of the portal logo.svg file.
  • portal_url - The URL of the portal.
• custom_css_variables - a configuration of --cpd-color-* css variables to override selected colors in the Element theme. The Element Compound documentation has a list of all available options.

For the navigation bar and launcher, the following variables are relevant:

• --cpd-color-text-action-accent sets the background of the launcher icon when expanded and the top border of the menu
• --cpd-color-icon-on-solid-primary sets the color of the launcher icon when expanded

To have the primary button background color consistent with your menu color, use the following variable:

• --cpd-color-bg-action-primary-rest

Example configuration:

{
  "net.nordeck.element_web.module.opendesk": {
    "config": {
      "banner": {
        "ics_navigation_json_url": "https://example.com/navigation.json",
        "ics_silent_url": "https://example.com/silent",
        "portal_logo_svg_url": "https://example.com/logo.svg",
        "portal_url": "https://example.com"
      },

      // ... add more optional configurations
      "custom_css_variables": {
        "--cpd-color-bg-action-primary-rest": "#5e27dd",
        "--cpd-color-text-action-accent": "#5e27dd",
        "--cpd-color-icon-on-solid-primary": "#000000"
      }
    }
  }
}

Running the Element Web module locally

1. Run yarn build in this repository.

2. Checkout Element and setup the development environment according to their documentation.

3. (In the element-web folder) Create a build_config.yaml with the following content:

   # Directory structure:
   # <your projects folder>/
   # ├─ element-web/
   # │  ├─ ...
   # │  ├─ build_config.yaml
   # │  ├─ package.json
   # ├─ matrix-react-sdk/
   # │  ├─ ...
   # ├─ matrix-js-sdk/
   # │  ├─ ...
   # ├─ element-web-modules/
   # │  ├─ packages
   # │  │  ├─ element-web-opendesk-module
   # │  │  │  ├─ build/
   # │  │  │  │  ├─ ...
   # │  │  │  ├─ package.json
   # │  │  │  ├─ ...
   # │  ├─ package.json
   
   modules:
     - 'file:../element-web-modules/packages/element-web-opendesk-module'

4. Add the following example configuration to the Element Web config.json

  "net.nordeck.element_web.module.opendesk": {
      "config": {
          "banner": {
              "ics_navigation_json_url": "http://localhost:8080/open-desk/navigation.json",
              "ics_silent_url": "http://localhost:8080/open-desk/silent-login.html",
              "portal_logo_svg_url": "http://localhost:8080/open-desk/Nordeck-Logo_RGB.svg",
              "portal_url": "https://example.com/portal"
          },
          "custom_css_variables": {
              "--cpd-color-bg-action-primary-rest": "#5e27dd",
              "--cpd-color-text-action-accent": "#5e27dd"
          }
      }
  }

5. (In the element-web folder) Link the open desk module example files

ln -s ../element-web-modules/packages/element-web-opendesk-module/example webapp/open-desk

6. (In the element-web folder) Run yarn start and access it at http://localhost:8080

7. There should now be purple buttons and a header with the Nordeck logo plus some example application links

Important: You must run yarn build in this repo and restart Element after each change in the module.