The Alfresco Application Development Framework (ADF) extension mechanism allows you to add, remove, and change the behavior of your applications. The extension mechanism supports the Digital Workspace, and is the recommended way to make direct changes to its source code.
Customizations that are implemented through the extension mechanism are more maintainable because the changes are modular and isolated from the core of the application. This approach to customizing the Digital Workspace ensures upgrades are easier to manage and test.
Use the Digital Workspace and develop an extension if your use case is mainly covered by the Digital Workspace functionality. However, some additional changes are required to meet the expectations and the requirements. In case of complex changes, a custom ADF based application is an alternative.