1.3. About this Documentation

1.3.1. Prerequisites

Before you start venturing into a complete understanding of Sitecore Helix – and particularly the reasoning behind it – it is a good idea to have some experience in developing in ASP.NET and in Sitecore. Although the example sites work well as end-to-end examples of Sitecore implementations (and as such are a good supplement to the Sitecore developer training), the added intricacies of the conventions can add to an increased learning curve of Sitecore.

1.3.2. The Scope of Sitecore Helix

Sitecore Helix does not define conventions or best practices for all aspects of ASP.NET or Sitecore, but rather focuses on the macro solution architecture of Sitecore development. This means that you find that some of aspects of Sitecore development such as object-oriented architecture and ASP.NET MVC conventions are not mentioned in this document. In other words, despite the conventions and recommended practices in this document, Sitecore Helix still gives you great freedom in your choice of tools and general development practices.

1.3.3. Focus on Sitecore MVC

Although the overall Sitecore Helix conventions and principles can be applied to Sitecore JavaScript Services (JSS), SXA, or even Sitecore with ASP.NET Web Forms (!), this documentation is focused on the use of ASP.NET MVC with Sitecore. Future enhancements to this documentation will detail the application of Sitecore Helix practices to JSS, and how practices might differ slightly when building with SXA.

1.3.4. Sitecore Helix is not a Rulebook

Although Sitecore Helix is a set of recommended practices and conventions from Sitecore itself, it is not a set of rules. Development teams, businesses and requirements will differ for each Sitecore solution. Although there are great benefits to be gained from aligning to a defined set of conventions, there is also a need for pragmatism. The advice is to generally read all development conventions, patterns and principles – including Sitecore Helix – with a critical mindset and apply them in the context of your own business, team and solution. However care must be taken when deviating for the sake of short-term velocity – always keep in mind the core design principles upon which Sitecore Helix is based, with the goals of maintainability and long-term value for your customer.

1.3.5. The Continuing Evolution of Sitecore Helix

Sitecore Helix is a set of conventions formed through the collective experiences of Sitecore developers. The conventions are formed through open discussions, but are formalized by Sitecore. As the Sitecore development technology stack will change over time, so will the conventions be adapted and updated to support these changes. The underlying reasoning for Sitecore Helix (the why) will remain the same, even though the conventions (the how) will change to reflect the current world.

Your experience about what works, and what does not, when architecting Sitecore solutions is invaluable to the continuing refinement of these practices. We welcome feedback and contributions to Sitecore Helix via the Helix Docs GitHub Repository.