Rewrote global context article to include insights from community meetup, examples of how to create a context and how to consume a context.

Author: Ben Szymanski

16/umbraco-cms/customizing/extending-overview/extension-types/global-context.md

@@ -1,24 +1,158 @@
 ---
-description: Establish the bond for extensions to communication across the application
+description: Global contexts in Umbraco provide a clean, type-safe way to share functionality across the backoffice.
 ---
 
 # Global Context
 
-{% hint style="warning" %}
-This page is a work in progress and may undergo further revisions, updates, or amendments. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice.
-{% endhint %}
+The Global Context extension type allows extension authors to create a custom context of data and functions and make it available across the entire backoffice. Unlike other contexts that might be scoped to a specific workspace or view, a global context is available everywhere. These contexts are kept alive through the entire backoffice session.
 
-A global context manages the logic code from your Lit Element controllers.
+Consider using a global context when you need to:
+
+- **Share state across multiple extensions** - Track user preferences or application-wide settings
+- **Provide utility functions** - Common operations that multiple parts of an extension
+- **Manage centralized services** - API clients, notification handlers, or data repositories
+- **Coordinate between different extensions** - Communication layer between dashboards, property editors, and other components
+- **Share functionality with other extensions** - Allow other package developers to access features and functionality within the package
+
+Extension authors should prefer to use other context types [Workspace Contexts](workspaces/workspace-context.md) over Global Contexts. Umbraco itself uses Global Contexts sparingly, for clipboard, current user, and icons.
 
 ## Registration of a Global Context
 
-You can register a global context like so:
+Global Context extensions can be registered using a manifest file like `umbraco-package.json`.
 
-```typescript
+{% code title="umbraco-package.json" %}
+```json
 {
-    type: 'globalContext',
-    alias: 'My.GlobalContext.Products',
-    name: 'My Products Context',
-    api: 'my-products.context.js',
+    "$schema": "../../umbraco-package-schema.json",
+    "name": "My Global Context Package",
+    "version": "1.0.0",
+    "extensions": [
+        {
+            "type": "globalContext",
+            "alias": "My.GlobalContext",
+            "name": "My Global Context",
+            "api": "/App_Plugins/my-global-context/dist/my-context.context.js"
+        }
+    ]
+}
+```
+{% endcode %}
+
+**Key fields:**
+- `type`: Must be `"globalContext"`, see: [ManifestGlobalContext](https://apidocs.umbraco.com/v16/ui-api/interfaces/packages_core_extension-registry.ManifestGlobalContext.html)
+- `alias`: A unique identifier for the context
+- `name`: A human-readable name
+- `api`: The path to the compiled JavaScript file
+
+## Creating Your Global Context
+
+### 1. Define a Context Token
+
+First, create a context token. This is how other parts of an extension will reference the context:
+
+{% code title="src/my-context.ts" %}
+```typescript
+import { UmbContextToken } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/context-api';
+
+export interface MyGlobalContextInterface {
+    getCurrentUser(): Promise<string>;
+    setPreference(key: string, value: any): void;
+    getPreference(key: string): any;
+    getHostElement(): Element;
+}
+
+export const MY_GLOBAL_CONTEXT = new UmbContextToken<MyGlobalContextInterface>(
+    'My.GlobalContext'
+);
+```
+{% endcode %}
+
+### 2. Implement the Context Class
+
+Next, implement the context class:
+
+{% code title="src/my-context.ts" %}
+```typescript
+import { UmbContextBase } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/class-api';
+import { UmbControllerHost } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/controller-api';
+
+export class MyGlobalContext extends UmbContextBase<MyGlobalContextInterface> implements MyGlobalContextInterface {
+    #preferences: Map<string, any> = new Map();
+    
+    constructor(host: UmbControllerHost) {
+        super(host, MY_GLOBAL_CONTEXT);
+    }
+    
+    async getCurrentUser(): Promise<string> {
+        // In a real implementation, you'd fetch this from the API
+        return 'Current User';
+    }
+    
+    setPreference(key: string, value: any): void {
+        this.#preferences.set(key, value);
+        console.log(`Preference set: ${key} = ${value}`);
+    }
+    
+    getPreference(key: string): any {
+        return this.#preferences.get(key);
+    }
+
+    getHostElement(): Element {
+        return this;
+    }
+}
+
+export default MyGlobalContext;
+```
+{% endcode %}
+
+## Using Global Contexts
+
+Once the global context extension is registered, it can be consumed in any web component throughout the backoffice.
+
+{% code title="src/my-custom-dashboard.ts" %}
+```typescript
+import {
+    LitElement,
+    html,
+    customElement,
+} from "@umbraco-cms/backoffice/external/lit";
+import { UmbElementMixin } from "@umbraco-cms/backoffice/element-api";
+import {
+    MY_GLOBAL_CONTEXT,
+    MyGlobalContextInterface,
+} from "./service-status-context.ts";
+
+@customElement("my-custom-dashboard")
+export class MyCustomDashboard extends UmbElementMixin(LitElement) {
+    #myContext?: MyGlobalContextInterface;
+
+    constructor() {
+        super();
+
+        // Consume the global context
+        this.consumeContext(MY_GLOBAL_CONTEXT, (instance) => {
+            this.#myContext = instance;
+        });
+    }
+
+    async #handleClick() {
+        if (!this.#myContext) return;
+
+        // Use the context
+        const user = await this.#myContext.getCurrentUser();
+        this.#myContext.setPreference("lastVisit", new Date().toISOString());
+
+        console.log(`Welcome back, ${user}!`);
+    }
+
+    render() {
+        return html`
+      <uui-button @click=${this.#handleClick} look="primary">
+        Check User
+      </uui-button>
+    `;
+    }
 }
 ```
+{% endcode %}