Plugin Architecture - v1.4 Enhancements (Code Snippets)

Previous Version

This is a previous version of the Ed-Fi Dashboards. Visit the Ed-Fi Tech Docs home page for a link to the current version, or the Ed-Fi Technology Version Index for links to all versions.

The Plugin Architecture of the Ed-Fi Dashboards was enhanced in v1.4. Improvements were made to reduce the amount of work implementers are required to do when updating to new versions of the Dashboards. Several bug fixes were incorporated to increase reliability and improve performance.

As part of that effort, a series of integration tests were developed to exercise and demonstrate the enhancements. These integration tests are also useful as examples and code snippets for developers who want to use these capabilities. The table below lists each enhancement, a general description, and a means of viewing the plugin functionality in a development instance of the Ed-Fi Dashboards. Where required, special instructions are listed.

Usage notes:

Unless otherwise specified, follow these standard instructions for building and deploying the integration samples:
- Create a folder called "Ed-Fi-Dashboard-Plugins" in the same directory as Ed-Fi-Core and Ed-Fi-Apps (which will be C:\ if you followed the Getting Started - Installation Steps documentation).
- Copy the folders containing plugin enhancement samples to this folder (i.e., copy the contents of C:\Ed-Fi-Samples\Sample Plugins\Integration Tests to C:\Ed-Fi-Dashboard-Plugins).
- Add the plugin sample you want to run to your Ed-Fi Dashboard solution and rebuild the solution. (The sample plugins reuse the same namespace, so you can only load one sample plugin at a time.)
- The plugin sample code includes a post-build step that copies the binaries to the correct location.
- Run your Dashboard application to view the plugin behavior.
- Remove the plugin project from for Ed-Fi Dashboard solution (so that you can load another one).
Where sample data is referenced below, the documentation assumes that you are using "Grand Bend" sample data.
Where URLs are specified below, the addresses assume that you are running a local instance of the application.

Enhancement Description How to View the Enhancement in the Dashboards

Action Filters

Enables the creation of a Plugin Context class that can be populated on each request and shared by all of the modules in the plugin.

To use this plugin feature, follow the standard plugin build and deployment instructions (view source code).

Log in as a System Administrator (e.g., KurtMcCarthy).
Navigate to the Sample Plugin tab on the initial Admin screen and confirm that "Super Plug-in Context" is displayed below Hello World.

EdFiControllerFactory Area Registration

Makes both non-Area and Area controllers available when an Area-based request is made, as well as ordering the plugin, apps, and core controllers correctly.

To use this plugin feature, follow the standard plugin build and deployment instructions (view source code).

Log in as a System Administrator.
From the default Admin Configuration page click on the "Hello High School" tab.
Confirm that you navigate to the page at: https://localhost/EdFiDashboardDev/Districts/GrandBendISD/Schools/Grand-Bend-High-School/HelloWorld.
Click back on the browser to return to the Admin Configuration page and click on the "Hello Not Area" tab. Confirm that you navigate to the page at: https://localhost/EdFiDashboardDev/HelloNotArea.

Embedded Image Provider

Makes plugin embedded images available at the URL @Url.Content("~/PluginContent/Your.Plugin.Name/Images/your-image.png").

To use this plugin feature, follow the standard plugin build and deployment instructions (view source code).

Log in as a System Administrator.
Navigate to the Sample Plugin tab on the initial Admin screen and confirm that the Ed-Fi Logo is displayed below Hello World.

Embedded Resource Provider

Supports plugins' ability to include scripts and style sheets as embedded resources. The embedded style sheets and scripts will be automatically included in the site layout page.

Special instructions apply for this plugin. Plugins that embed style sheets and scripts to be included in the site layout page will create an Installer class that inherits from WebDefaultConventionInstaller and overrides the Install function. The plugin's Install function will only call base.Install if the Plugin conforms to the conventions in the Plugin Embedded Providers, and its CSS and JavaScript code does not override the default Dashboard Styles and Scripts.

To use this plugin feature, follow the standard plugin build and deployment instructions (view source code).

Log in as a System Administrator.
Navigate to the Sample Plugin tab on the initial Admin screen and confirm that the Hello in Hello World has a yellow background, and that a JavaScript alert appeared.

Metric Template

Allows plugins to override existing, and create new, metric templates.

To use this plugin feature, follow the standard plugin build and deployment instructions (view source code).

Log in as a user that has access to the LEA Metrics.
Navigate to any LEA Metrics page and you should see all granular metric level 3 templates showing a "- Ed-Fi" at the end of the metric title.

Multiple Security Hierarchies

Allows plugins to create alternate security hierarchies.

To use this plugin feature, follow the standard plugin build and deployment instructions (view source code).

Log in as a System Administrator.
Navigate to the Sample Plugin tab in the initial Admin area. Confirm that the message "You are authorized." is displayed below the "Hello World" message.

Plugin Area Registration

Enables the ability for plugins to create new ASP.NET MVC Areas.

To use this plugin feature, follow the standard plugin build and deployment instructions (view source code).

Log in as any user.
Navigate to the new HelloPlugin area at: https://localhost/EdFiDashboardDev/HelloPlugin/HelloPlugin and you should see the "Hello Plugin!" page.

Plugin Configuration Specific Registration

Allows the plugin to provide configuration (e.g., Debug, Release) specific IOC registration installers.

To use this plugin feature, follow the standard plugin build and deployment instructions (view source code).

In addition, you will need to add the following snippet to the <inversionOfControl> <installers> section of the EdFi.Dashboards.Presentation.Web Web.config file:

<add name="Plugin Configuration-Specific Installer" typeName="EdFi.Dashboards.Plugins.HelloWorld.Web.Utilities.
CastleWindsor.Development.ConfigurationSpecificInstaller,
EdFi.Dashboards.Plugins.HelloWorld.Web"/>

Log in as a System Administrator.
Navigate to the Sample Plugin tab on the initial Admin screen and confirm that the No Education Organization Image and image path are displayed below "Hello World."

Plugin Extensions

Allows plugins to have extension assemblies in the same way that Core Dashboard Assemblies may be extended.

To use this plugin feature, follow the standard plugin build and deployment instructions (view source code).

There is one additional project that you will need to add to your Visual Studio EdFi Solution in the EdFi.Dashboards.Plugins.Extensions.HelloWorld.Web folder.

Log in as a user that has access to the LEA.
Navigate to LEA Overview page and you should see Ed-Fi-Plugin Override Extension in the header of the LEA Overview tab.

Plugin Security

Enables plugins to create their own Claim types, and use them to authorize Service calls.

To use this plugin feature, follow the standard plugin build and deployment instructions (view source code).

In addition, there are 5 Projects that you need to add to your Visual Studio EdFi Solution. The projects to add include a non-Plugin Security Extension project called EdFi.Dashboards.Extensions.Resources.Security, that contains a new HelloWorldClaimSetBasedClaimsProvider class.

The EdFi.Dashboards.Presentation.Core and EdFi.Dashboards.SecurityTokenService.Web projects both need to reference the new Security Extension project.

The EdFi.Dashboards.Presentation.Core
\Utilities\CastleWindsor\ConfigurationSpecificInstallerBase and EdFi.Dashboards.SecurityTokenService.Web
\Utilities\CastleWindsor\ConfigurationSpecificInstallerBase classes need to be updated or sub-classed to register the new HelloWorldClaimSetBasedClaimsProvider for IClaimSetBasedClaimsProvider.

Log in as a System Administrator.
Go to the Local Education Agency (Grand Bend ISD) Area.
Select the last tab on the right, which should read "Sample Plugin."
Confirm that you receive a SecurityAccessDeniedException error.
Logout.
Log in as a Superintendent user.
You should be at the Local Education Agency (Grand Bend ISD) Area.
Select the "Sample Plugin" tab.
Confirm that you see the "Hello World" message.

Registration Assembly Scanning

Enables plugins to register Domain Metric Controllers.

To use this plugin feature, follow the standard plugin build and deployment instructions (view source code).

Log in as any user.
Navigate to the new Domain Metric Controller page at: https://localhost/EdFiDashboardDev/ CommunityOrganization/DomainMetric and you should see the "Hello Domain Metric!" page.

RTF Result

Allows plugins to export data in Rich Text Format.

To use this plugin feature, follow the standard plugin build and deployment instructions (view source code).

Log in as any user.
Navigate to the new Domain Metric Controller page at: https://localhost/EdFiDashboardDev/Districts/GrandBendISD/Admin/HelloWorld?format=rtf and you should see the an RTF File download.

User Entry Providers

Enables custom Home Pages for particular user types to be defined in a plugin.

To use this plugin feature, follow the standard plugin build and deployment instructions (view source code).

Log in as a System Administrator.
Confirm that as soon as you log in you are taken to the Sample Plugin tab that says "Hello World."

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Plugin Architecture - v1.4 Enhancements (Code Snippets)

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