Scaffolding in ASP.NET Core Application

19 Dec 20229 minutes to read

Syncfusion provides Visual Studio Scaffolding for Syncfusion ASP.NET Core platform to quickly add code that interacts with data models and reduce the amount of time to develop with data operation in your project. Scaffolding provides an easier way to create Views and Controller action methods for Syncfusion ASP.NET Core DataGrid, Charts, Scheduler, Diagram, Tree Grid, Rich Text Editor, Document Editor, and PDF Viewer controls.

NOTE

Check that at least one Entity Framework model exists, and the application has been compiled once. If no Entity Framework model exists in your application, refer to this documentation to generate the Entity Framework model. After the model file has been added, check that the required DBContext and properties have been added. Build the application before trying scaffolding. If any changes have been done in the model properties, rebuild the application once before performing scaffolding.

NOTE

The Syncfusion ASP.NET Core UI Scaffolder is available from 18.4.0.39 to ASP.NET Core web application.

Add a scaffolded item

The following steps explain how to add a scaffolded item to your ASP.NET Core Web application.

NOTE

Before using the Syncfusion ASP.NET Core Scaffolding, check whether the ASP.NET Core Extensions - Syncfusion is installed or not in Visual Studio Extension Manager by clicking on the Extensions -> Manage Extensions -> Installed for Visual Studio 2019 or later and for Visual Studio 2017 by clicking on the Tools -> Extensions and Updates -> Installed. If this extension is not installed, install the extension by following the steps from the download and installation help topic.

  1. Right-click the Controllers folder in the Solution Explorer, click Add, and then select New Scaffolded Item…

    Syncfusion Scaffolded add-in

  2. In the Add Scaffold dialog, select Syncfusion ASP.NET Core UI Scaffolder, and then click ‘Add’.

    Choose Syncfusion Scaffolding from Visual Studio Add scaffold dialog

  3. In the Syncfusion UI Scaffolder dialog, select the desired Syncfusion control to perform scaffolding, and then click Next.

    Choose required control

  4. Selected control model dialog will be launched in the Syncfusion UI Scaffolder. Enter the Controller Name and View Name as application requirements, and then select the required Model Class of the active project and its relevant Data Context Class, and then click Next.

    Choose required Model

  5. Selected control feature dialog will be launched in the Syncfusion UI Scaffolder. Choose the required features, update the required data field, and then click Add.

    Choose required selected control features

  6. The Controller and the corresponding View files will be added into the application with the selected features of Syncfusion control code snippet.

    Required Controller and View files added in the project for the selected control

  7. Then, add navigation to the created view file based on your requirement to open in the webpage.

  8. If you installed the trial setup or NuGet packages from nuget.org, you have to register the Syncfusion license key to your project since Syncfusion introduced the licensing system from 2018 Volume 2 (v16.2.0.41) Essential Studio release. Navigate to the help topic to generate and register the Syncfusion license key to your project. Refer to this blog post for understanding the licensing changes introduced in Essential Studio.

Syncfusion ASP.NET Core Command-line Scaffolding

Syncfusion provides Scaffolding command-line for Syncfusion ASP.NET Core to quickly add code that interacts with data models and reduce the amount of time to develop with data operation in your project. Scaffolding provides an easier way to create view file and Controller action methods for Syncfusion ASP.NET Core DataGrid, Charts, Scheduler, Diagram, Tree Grid, Rich Text Editor, Document Editor, and PDF Viewer controls.

NOTE

Check that at least one Entity Framework model exists. If no Entity Framework model exists in your application, refer to this documentation to generate the Entity Framework model. After the model file has been added, check that the required DBContext and properties are added. Now, build the application, and try scaffolding. If any changes are made in the model properties, rebuild the application once before performing scaffolding.

Install Command-line Scaffolding

Install syncfusion.scaffolding tool globally by using below command.

dotnet tool install -g syncfusion.scaffolding

Update Command-line scaffolding

Update syncfusion.scaffolding tool globally by using below command.

dotnet tool update -g syncfusion.scaffolding

Add a scaffolded item from command-line

The following steps explains how to add a scaffolded item from command-line to your ASP.NET Core application.

NOTE

Before adding the scaffolded item from command-line, check whether the dotnet-aspnet-codegenerator tool is installed or not by dotnet tool list -g command in command prompt. If it is not installed, then install dotnet-aspnet-codegenerator tool globally by using this command dotnet tool install -g dotnet-aspnet-codegenerator.

  1. After installing syncfusion.scaffolding tool, the syncfusion_scaffold command is invoked and it shows the available controls.

    syncfusion_scaffold

    CommandLine Scaffold Available Controls

  2. To add a scaffolded item from command-line, you have to invoke syncfusion_scaffold application like the following syntax,

    syncfusion_scaffold [control][arguments]

    Parameter Description Control
    -p|–project Path to .csproj file in the project. All Controls
    -cname|–controller-filename Name of controller file to be added in project. All controls
    -vname|–view-filename Name of view file to be added in project. All Controls
    -m|–model Database model name with namespace (example: WebApplication1.Models.Tasks). All Controls
    -dc|–db-context DbContext name with namespace (example: WebApplication1.Models.TasksContext). All Controls
    -pkey|–primary-key Set Feature name/column name as primary key. Data Grid/Tree Grid
    -tid|–treegrid-id Id of Tasks. Tree Grid
    -pid|–parent-id Parent Id value Tree Grid/Diagram
    -x|–x-axis X-axis of Chart Charts
    -Y|–Y-axis Y-axis of Chart Charts
    -sid|–scheduler-id Id of Scheduler Event. Scheduler
    -stime|–start-time Start Time of Scheduler Event. Scheduler
    -etime|–end-time End Time of Scheduler Event. Scheduler
    –is-all-day Set IsALLDay for Scheduler Event. Scheduler
    -did|–diagram-id Id of Diagram layout. Diagram

  3. If you run the syncfusion_scaffold [control] command, the parameters of control shown like below image.

    control parameter details

  4. Run the following command to generate controller and view files through command-line by passing required arguments of the given control.

    syncfusion_scaffold {controlName} --project "{projectFileNamewithPath}" --model {model} -dc {dbContext} -cname {controllerName} -vname {viewName} [controlMantoryParameter] [controlMantatoryParameterValue]

    CommandLine Scaffold

  5. As controller and view files are generated successfully, add the Syncfusion NuGet packages and styles which is required to render Syncfusion control.

    ASPNETCore added Files
    ASPNETCore Service Changes

How to render Syncfusion control?

Refer to the following UG links to render Syncfusion control after performing scaffolding.

Configure using Syncfusion.EJ2.AspNet.Core package