ABP Suite Template Sharing (idea) and non-function-based filter object (request) #9557

brauerj@gc.adventist.org created 15 days ago

Could you make a community sharing area for templates for ABP Suite? Perhaps as part of the "app store" model being worked on?

I would like a template that does NOT depend on functions on the backend but uses a "filter" object on the back end corresponding to the query DTO currently created on the front end. Then use AutoMapper to map between. I would think that would make a good default/replacement to the current method. Numerous function calls are HARD to maintain!!

I'd make the change myself but it would get out of date too soon and there is no way to share with others so they can help maintain this alternative approach.

Thanks,

Jonathan

AI-Bot created 15 days ago

Support Team ABP Agent

ABP Suite currently allows you to edit and customize code generation templates through the "Edit Templates" feature. These templates are embedded resources managed by the Volo.Abp.Commercial.SuiteTemplates package, and you can switch between UI and database provider templates as needed. However, there is no official community sharing area or "app store" for user-contributed templates at this time. Your suggestion aligns with common requests from the community, and it would be beneficial for collaborative template maintenance and sharing. You can follow updates on this feature in the official documentation and support channels.
Regarding your request for a template that uses a "filter" object (DTO) on the backend instead of multiple function-based filters: The current ABP Suite-generated code typically passes individual filter parameters to backend methods. Your approach—using a single filter DTO and AutoMapper for mapping—would indeed simplify maintenance and is a recognized best practice for complex filtering scenarios. While this is not the default behavior in ABP Suite, you can customize the templates to implement this pattern. If a community sharing platform for templates is introduced, it would make it easier to distribute and maintain such improvements collaboratively.

Sources:

https://abp.io/docs/latest/suite/editing-templates
https://abp.io/support/questions/65

This response was generated by AI. If it didn’t solve your problem, feel free to post a new answer — our support team will jump in to help you soon.

brauerj@gc.adventist.org created 15 days ago

I would be curious to know the reasoning behind the function call approach (vs filter object). I would think the templates should be designed to more EASILY allow direct editing rather than more obfuscation and forcing us to always depend on ABP Suite.

EngincanV created 14 days ago

Support Team .NET Developer

[brauerj@gc.adventist.org] said: I would be curious to know the reasoning behind the function call approach (vs filter object). I would think the templates should be designed to more EASILY allow direct editing rather than more obfuscation and forcing us to always depend on ABP Suite.

Hi, I completely understand your perspective on preferring a more direct editing approach rather than working through multiple function calls, which can feel like a form of "obfuscation." Your concern about potential reliance on ABP Suite is also valid, and I actually agree with you on that point.

When we started developing ABP Suite, one of our main goals was to provide an editable template system, allowing developers to easily customize the templates they work with. We do currently support that capability. However, with the addition of new template types (such as custom code, file upload, master-child, etc.), the growing number of templates can indeed make it challenging to locate and update the right one efficiently.

I'll go ahead and create an internal issue for this, and we’ll evaluate how we can improve the customization experience in upcoming versions.

Thanks for your feedback.