Most of what is listed here is either implemented as part of http://wcm.io/ as small helper methods or sling/wcm commons functionality - or obsolete/superseded by Sling and AEM functionality.

Application Helper Features

• Page object cache infrastructure extensible by page object readers
  • Perhaps no longer relevant for configuration infrastructure (see Multi Tenancy and Configuration), but it may be still required for other usecases
• DOM HTML API and Java-based Component Model
  • If we still require this type of components
• Content types/Mime types, File extension
• Escape helper methods
• URL Parameter parsing methods
• Version information: Make the version(s) of the deployed application accessible from the outside via (hidden) URL

WCM Helper Features

• Common page and resource filter implementations
• Helper for ignoring well-known AEM properties with special meanings, or resources with it (e.g. from MSM that hides components that are deleted with an MSM inheritance, but still present in the repository)
• htx -> html redirection

WCM Helper Templates

• Text Resource Template
• "Directory Upload" Template - Supports uploading a ZIP that is extracted into a folder structure - supports uploading of whole microsites with static HTML and resources or other mini frontend-only applications that can be references via their URL
• "Structure Element" Template
• "Smart Activate Tree" Template - Does not single page activation, but packages a content package with all relevant packages, activates the whole content package to the publish instances, and marks the relevant pages as activated

Sling Helper Features

• Helpers for detection resource modifications and set not-modified-since headers
• Abstract default implementation of background service with best practices
  • Avoid long-running JCR sessions
  • Do not use administrative session
  • Cluster/topology-aware
  • Provide dependency injection
• Helper classes for resource types, run modes, Sling URLs
  • Check which of these features are available in Sling API as well, or where Sling API may be fixed or extended
  • Proper support of run modes, remove old-style runmode support already deprecated in Sling/CQ
• adaptTo extension for "adaptNotNull"
• Sling Suffix handler infrastructure (maybe with an API that is easier to understand)

JCR Helper Features

• Helper methods for handling binary nodes and mime types inside JCR