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Managing website code (TCDL)

RWS recommends that you manage your website code using SDL Tridion Sites. When you use and create tags in a technology-neutral language called TCDL, Content Delivery can transform them into your website's language (actual code) at various stages of the delivery process.

You can implement dynamic functionality for your website in various ways:

Unmanaged code

Unmanaged code is website code, stored on your website, that is not handled by SDL Tridion Sites. You can create templating code in SDL Tridion Sites that outputs calls to your code.

The disadvantage of unmanaged code is that you are responsible for ensuring that the code is in the right location, that it works as intended, that it is the latest version, and so on.

Loosely managed code

You can insert ASP.NET or JSP statements in your templating code that are rendered 'as is' and are executed at request time.

Although your code is versioned and in the right location, it is difficult to debug. Moreover, third parties who call the Content Service get ASP.NET or JSP code in their response, code that they may not be able to run.

Tightly managed code

You can insert TCDL statements in your templating code. TCDL is a technology-neutral language that gets transformed into your website's language at publish time or at request time. TCDL tags are available for standard Content Delivery functionality and you can also create your own custom TCDL tags.

The advantage of letting SDL Tridion Sites manage your website code is that your code is in the right location, works as intended, is versioned, and so on.