Module Settings

Last modified: June 26, 2026

Introduction

Module settings allow you to set Java managed dependencies, choose the type of the module, and set a version for certain module types.

To open module settings, double-click Settings in the required module.

Java Dependencies

You can add managed dependencies for each module on the Java Dependencies tab. For more information, see Managed Dependencies.

Export

Select the Export tab:

Configure

The Configure tab contains the module's basic settings.

Module Type

There are three types of modules, and the choice of type depends on the purpose of the module. You can choose one the following:

App module
Add-on module
Solution Module

If you switch from an add-on or solution module to an app module, or from an app module to a solution or an add-on module, the module data is lost once the new version of the app is deployed. Switching from an add-on to a solution module and from a solution to an add-on module is possible without loss of data.

App Module

An app module is a standard way of structuring your app. Use app modules to distinguish between functional domains: create an app module for each relevant domain and put all pages, microflows, entities, and other documents in one place.

An app module is exported as a package file (.mpk ) that includes the full source code of the module.

Add-on Module

An add-on module is a standalone module that is not dependent on other modules. It is used as a separate element (for example, as a connector).

An add-on module is exported as a module file (.mxmodule) that only exposes the elements with the Usable export level. For more information on export levels, see Configuring Add-on and Solution Modules for Publishing. Its source cannot be inspected by the consumer of the module.

If you are creating functionality that can be exported and used by other users separately and independently of the rest of the app, you can set your module to an add-on type.

When the module is set as the add-on module, it gets the letter A as an icon.

Solution Module

Solution modules are only used for developing a solution and are an inseparable part of it. The set of solution modules used for the solution form the solution core. Solution modules are exported as a solution package and distributed as a solution to multiple consumers. For more information, see Creationg Solutions in the Marketplace Guide.

When the module is set as the solution module, it gets the letter S as an icon.

Module Version

Version is available for all module types for Studio Pro 11.12 and above. In earlier versions of Studio Pro, version is available only for add-on and solution module types.

This is the version number of the module. The version should be a semantic version, consisting of at least three parts: major, minor, and patch version. For more information on semantic versions, see Semantic Versioning.

Mendix recommends setting a new version every time you make changes to the module. For modules that will be published to the Marketplace, the version must be set before exporting the package.

The Marketplace automatically uses the version from the exported package. You cannot change this manually. If the version is already in use, the Marketplace rejects the package.

Package

Improved package management is available for Studio Pro 11.12 and above.

Studio Pro 11.12 introduces improved package management to enable reliable module tracking and updates.

Key improvements are delivered through new module properties and a new manifest.json file format in module packages (.mpk files):

Package identification – Each module receives a Module ID that uniquely identifies it across all versions. This allows Studio Pro to reliably track modules across updates, even if the module name changes.
Package integrity – Each package includes a checksum (SHA-256 hash) that verifies the integrity of the package itself and the imported module in the app.
Metadata tracking – The manifest includes information about the package name, version (following semantic versioning), type, and the Mendix metamodel version used to create it.

The Package section on the General tab displays package identification information for the module. Studio Pro uses this information to track modules across versions, which is the foundation for more reliable module updates.

Module ID

The module ID is a unique identifier for the module that remains the same across all versions. It determines whether two module packages represent the same module and is therefore the basis for module update compatibility. If two modules share the same module ID, Studio Pro can update one with the other. If the IDs differ, Studio Pro treats them as distinct modules.

Automatic Module ID Assignment

The module ID is assigned automatically and is stable across devices, so multiple developers working on the same module independently receive the same value.

For modules imported from the Marketplace, the module ID is derived from the Marketplace component ID.
For all other modules, the module ID is derived from the app ID and the module name. This ensures the ID remains consistent across devices when multiple developers work independently.

When you open an existing app in Studio Pro, every module that does not yet have a module ID receives one automatically. No action is required.

Manual Module ID Override

In some cases, you may want to override the automatically assigned module ID. To change it, click to open a dialog where you can enter a new value.

Changing the module ID may break existing installations that depend on this module. Only override this value if you understand the implications.

Marketplace does not allow you to publish a module with a module ID that is already used by another publisher.

Checksum

The Checksum is a read-only SHA-256 hash that uniquely identifies a specific version of the module package. It serves two purposes:

Integrity – It is a hash of the contents of the original module package that Studio Pro uses to detect any user modifications after the module was imported.
Version identification – It allows you to compare two module packages for equality without inspecting their contents.

The checksum is displayed only for modules imported from a module package. For modules created directly in your app, the checksum is calculated when you export the module and is not displayed in the Package section.

Package Manifest

When you export a module package (a .mpk file), Studio Pro adds a manifest.json file to the package alongside the existing metadata. The manifest contains the following:

The module ID and module name
The module version
The checksum of the package
The Mendix metamodel version used to create the package
The list of files included in the package

The legacy package.xml metadata file is not mentioned in manifest.json but is still included in the package for backward compatibility.