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How to make a LORIS module

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christinerogers edited this page Aug 5, 2019 · 13 revisions

HOME > TECHNICAL > How to make a LORIS module

  1. Overview
  2. Create directory structure
  3. Add required files
  4. Access module in Loris
  5. Add module Permissions
  6. Add to LorisMenu
  7. Add Configuration settings
  8. Test your module
  9. Add Documentation

Note: If you are looking for information about how to adapt or override a module, please see Code Customization❗

See also: Coding Standards from the last release

1) Overview 📝

A Loris module consists of a group of pages that perform a specific function or assist with a specific task. In Loris, all active modules are shown as submenu items in the main menu on top of the page. Examples of modules include Document Repository, Candidate List (Access Profiles), Imaging Browser ...

Note to contributors: In order to contribute a new module to Loris, you must first fork our repository and checkout a new branch based on the current development branch (currently 17.0-dev).

After creating your module, push the branch to your fork of Loris and create a pull request to the current development branch under aces/Loris

The following tutorial outlines a set of steps to follow in order to create a new Loris module.

Note: This wiki is under construction

2) Create directory structure

  1. Create a new folder corresponding to your module name under $LORIS$/modules/
  • Important: the name you choose for the module will be used as a descriptive URL to access the module, so it is important to have a short and descriptive name (i.e media)
  • Note: module name must use only lowercase alphanumeric characters and underscores (no spaces)
    • i.e document_repository
  1. Create remaining folders inside the module according to the following tree structure:
├── ajax/       // PHP files used to make AJAX requests to retrieve information bypassing Loris page router
│
├── css/        // CSS files used by the module
│
├── js/         // Compiled React files (vanilla javascript) that are served to the browser
│
├── jsx/        // Original React files (JSX) - must be compiled
│
├── php/        // PHP classes used to retrieve data from database and display forms
│  
├── templates/  // Smarty files (.tpl) that define page markup (HTML)
│
├── test/       // Test Plan and Integration Tests for the current module
│
├── README.md   // Brief description of what the module is and what it does 
│

3) Add required files

The most basic version of a module will require a single php file to retrieve information from database and a single .tpl file to render the page.

Option 1: Page with a selection filter

  1. NDB_Menu_Filter_$ModuleName$.class.inc - usually a main page on a module
  2. menu_$ModuleName$.tpl - a template associated with NDB_Menu_Filter_$ModuleName$

For an example of this implementation module, see Media

Option 2: Page with a regular form (or a placeholder page)

  1. NDB_Form_$ModuleName$.class.inc - renders a extends NDB_Form
  2. form_$ModuleName$ - a template associated with NDB_Form_$ModuleName$

Important: If NDB_Form_$ModuleName$.class.inc is used as the entry point for the module, it must contain a function named $ModuleName$ corresponding to the requested URL.

Example: Going to $LORIS$/dashboard/ looks in dashboard module, finds NDB_Form_dashboard.class.inc class and executes dashboard() function.

For an example of this implementation module, see Dashboard

Tips:

  • Selection Filters: Don't forget to include code to handle a variable number of Projects and different project configurations
  • Guide to Loris React components

4) Access module in Loris

Once you created the modules as described above, go to $LORIS$/$ModuleName$ to see your newly created page

For more information, see How Loris URLs work

5) Add module Permissions

Under construction

  • View and Edit are our current conventions, for a starting point. e.g. candidate_parameter_view and candidate_parameter_edit
  • Add to default MysQL schema as well as your MySQL patch for existing projects
  • also see LorisMenuPermissions.

6) Add to LorisMenu

Under construction

LorisMenu and LorisMenuPermissions tables - add to default schema as well as your patch for existing projects.

  • LorisMenuPermissions should match the hasAccess() function in your module

7) Add Configuration settings

Under construction

8) Test your module

  • Commit a test plan. Don't forget to include permission checks/tests
  • Write unit and integration tests, and provide sample test data if possible

For more information, see LORIS Module Testing

9) Add Documentation

Under construction

  • User-facing Help text For contributors:
  • Readme within information on how to set up / configure / populate the module. If any scripts have been included under tools/ to push data to the DQT, mention them here
  • Add a page for your module in this Wiki

We welcome your pull requests for new modules, please contribute! 💯

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