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Defining a page as a side-menu entry (basicType)​

With the virtualType and configureType we have learned how to configure a page for your Extension product, but that won't make it appear on the side-menu. For that you need to use the function basicType coming from $plugin.DSL. As an example usage of that method, one could do the following:

import { IPlugin } from '@shell/core/types';

// this is the definition of a "blank cluster" for Rancher Dashboard
// definition of a "blank cluster" in Rancher Dashboard
const BLANK_CLUSTER = '_';


export function init($plugin: IPlugin, store: any) {
  const YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME = 'myProductName';
  const YOUR_K8S_RESOURCE_NAME = 'provisioning.cattle.io.cluster';
  const CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME = 'page1';
  
  const { 
    product,
    configureType,
    virtualType,
    basicType
  } = $plugin.DSL(store, YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME);

  // registering a top-level product
  product({
    icon: 'gear',
    inStore: 'management',
    weight: 100,
    to: {
      name: `${ YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME }-c-cluster-${ CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME }`,
      params: {
        product: YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME,
        cluster: BLANK_CLUSTER
      }
    }
  });
  
  // defining a k8s resource as page
  configureType(YOUR_K8S_RESOURCE_NAME, {
    displayName: 'some-custom-name-you-wish-to-assign-to-this-resource',
    isCreatable: true,
    isEditable:  true,
    isRemovable: true,
    showAge:     true,
    showState:   true,
    canYaml:     true,
    customRoute: {
      name: `${ YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME }-c-cluster-resource`,
      params: {
        product: YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME,
        cluster: BLANK_CLUSTER,
        resource: YOUR_K8S_RESOURCE_NAME
      }
    }
  });

  

  // creating a custom page
  virtualType({
    labelKey: 'some.translation.key',
    name:     CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME,
    route:    {
      name:   `${ YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME }-c-cluster-${ CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME }`,
      params: {
        product: YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME,
        cluster: BLANK_CLUSTER
      }
    }
  });

  // => => => registering the defined pages as side-menu entries
  basicType([YOUR_K8S_RESOURCE_NAME, CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME]);
}

On the above example we are creating two side menu entries on a "root" level for your YOUR_K8S_RESOURCE_NAME and CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME pages.

Menu entries can also be grouped under a common "folder/group" in the side menu. For that the basicType takes an additional parameter which will be the name for the folder/group" in the side-menu. An example of the grouping as a follow-up on the example above would be: 

// update of the function usage based on the example above

// => => => registering the defined pages as side-menu entries as a group 
  basicType([YOUR_K8S_RESOURCE_NAME, CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME], 'my-custom-group-name');

NOTE: On the example above the label of the group on the side-menu will be my-custom-group-name.

Side menu ordering (weightType and weightGroup)​

How about if you wanted to change the side-menu ordering for your Extension product? That can be achieved by using the functions weightType and weightGroup coming from $plugin.DSL. Let's then look at the following example:

import { IPlugin } from '@shell/core/types';

// this is the definition of a "blank cluster" for Rancher Dashboard
// definition of a "blank cluster" in Rancher Dashboard
const BLANK_CLUSTER = '_';

export function init($plugin: IPlugin, store: any) {
  const YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME = 'myProductName';
  const YOUR_K8S_RESOURCE_NAME = 'provisioning.cattle.io.cluster';
  const CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_1 = 'page1';
  const CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_2 = 'page2';
  const CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_3 = 'page3';
  
  const { 
    product,
    configureType,
    virtualType,
    basicType
  } = $plugin.DSL(store, YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME);
  // registering a top-level product
  product({
    icon: 'gear',
    inStore: 'management',
    weight: 100,
    to: {
      name: `${ YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME }-c-cluster-${ CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_2 }`,
      params: {
        product: YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME,
        cluster: BLANK_CLUSTER
      }
    }
  });
  // defining a k8s resource as page
  configureType(YOUR_K8S_RESOURCE_NAME, {
    displayName: 'some-custom-name-you-wish-to-assign-to-this-resource',
    isCreatable: true,
    isEditable:  true,
    isRemovable: true,
    showAge:     true,
    showState:   true,
    canYaml:     true,
    customRoute: {
      name: `${ YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME }-c-cluster-resource`,
      params: {
        product: YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME,
        cluster: BLANK_CLUSTER,
        resource: YOUR_K8S_RESOURCE_NAME
      }
    }
  });
  // creating a custom page
  virtualType({
    labelKey: 'some.translation.key',
    name:     CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_1,
    route:    {
      name:   `${ YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME }-c-cluster-${ CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_1 }`,
      params: {
        product: YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME,
        cluster: BLANK_CLUSTER
      }
    }
  });
  // creating yet another custom page
  virtualType({
    labelKey: 'some.translation.key',
    name:     CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_2,
    route:    {
      name:   `${ YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME }-c-cluster-${ CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_2 }`,
      params: {
        product: YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME,
        cluster: BLANK_CLUSTER
      }
    }
  });
  virtualType({
    labelKey: 'some.translation.key',
    name:     CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_3,
    route:    {
      name:   `${ YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME }-c-cluster-${ CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_3 }`,
      params: {
        product: YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME,
        cluster: BLANK_CLUSTER
      }
    }
  });
  // registering some of the defined pages as side-menu entries in the root level
  basicType([CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_2, CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_3]);
  // registering some of the defined pages as side-menu entries in a group
  basicType([YOUR_K8S_RESOURCE_NAME, CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_1], 'myAdvancedGroup');
}

Note: All individual root elements (in the example would be CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_2 and CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_3) are placed under a pseudo-group called root, which in turn has always a default weight of 1000. In the example provided above we are registering 4 pages: 1 is a "resource" page (YOUR_K8S_RESOURCE_NAME) and 3 are "custom" pages (CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_1, CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_2 and CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_3).

These pages are set as side-menu entries being YOUR_K8S_RESOURCE_NAME and CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_1 in a group called myAdvancedGroup and 2 other pages(CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_2 and CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_3) as a root level side-menu entry.

The default ordering of these side-menu entries is the order on which you register them using basicType, taking also into consideration pseudo-group root, which in turn will always be above any other custom groups, provided the fact that the developer hasn't defined any custom group weight yet.

In the above example the side-menu output would be something like:

  • CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_2
  • CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_3
  • myAdvancedGroup
    • YOUR_K8S_RESOURCE_NAME
    • CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_1

If we wanted to define some custom ordering for these menu entries, we would need to use the functions weightType and weightGroup, like: 

import { IPlugin } from '@shell/core/types';

// this is the definition of a "blank cluster" for Rancher Dashboard
// definition of a "blank cluster" in Rancher Dashboard
const BLANK_CLUSTER = '_';

export function init($plugin: IPlugin, store: any) {
  const YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME = 'myProductName';
  const YOUR_K8S_RESOURCE_NAME = 'provisioning.cattle.io.cluster';
  const CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_1 = 'page1';
  const CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_2 = 'page2';
  const CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_3 = 'page3';
  
  const { 
    product,
    configureType,
    virtualType,
    basicType
  } = $plugin.DSL(store, YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME);
  // registering a top-level product
  product({
    icon: 'gear',
    inStore: 'management',
    weight: 100,
    to: {
      name: `${ YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME }-c-cluster-${ CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_2 }`,
      params: {
        product: YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME,
        cluster: BLANK_CLUSTER
      }
    }
  });
  // defining a k8s resource as page
  configureType(YOUR_K8S_RESOURCE_NAME, {
    displayName: 'some-custom-name-you-wish-to-assign-to-this-resource',
    isCreatable: true,
    isEditable:  true,
    isRemovable: true,
    showAge:     true,
    showState:   true,
    canYaml:     true,
    customRoute: {
      name: `${ YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME }-c-cluster-resource`,
      params: {
        product: YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME,
        cluster: BLANK_CLUSTER,
        resource: YOUR_K8S_RESOURCE_NAME
      }
    }
  });
  // creating a custom page
  virtualType({
    labelKey: 'some.translation.key',
    name:     CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_1,
    route:    {
      name:   `${ YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME }-c-cluster-${ CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_1 }`,
      params: {
        product: YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME,
        cluster: BLANK_CLUSTER
      }
    }
  });
  // creating yet another custom page
  virtualType({
    labelKey: 'some.translation.key',
    name:     CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_2,
    route:    {
      name:   `${ YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME }-c-cluster-${ CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_2 }`,
      params: {
        product: YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME,
        cluster: BLANK_CLUSTER
      }
    }
  });
  virtualType({
    labelKey: 'some.translation.key',
    name:     CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_3,
    route:    {
      name:   `${ YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME }-c-cluster-${ CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_3 }`,
      params: {
        product: YOUR_PRODUCT_NAME,
        cluster: BLANK_CLUSTER
      }
    }
  });
  // registering some of the defined pages as side-menu entries in the root level
  basicType([CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_2, CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_3]);
  // registering some of the defined pages as side-menu entries in a group
  basicType([YOUR_K8S_RESOURCE_NAME, CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_1], 'myAdvancedGroup');
  // => => => individual ordering of each menu entry
  weightType(CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_1, 2, true);
  weightType(YOUR_K8S_RESOURCE_NAME, 1, true);
  weightType(CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_3, 2, true);
  weightType(CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_2, 1, true);
  // => => => ordering of the grouped entry
  weightGroup('myAdvancedGroup', 1001, true);
}

Given the example provided above, what would be the output in terms of ordering of this side-menu?

  • myAdvancedGroup
    • CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_1
    • YOUR_K8S_RESOURCE_NAME
  • CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_3
  • CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_2

Interpreting the code on the example, it's easy to follow the ordering defined:

  • We are setting 3 root level side-menu items: CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_2, CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_3 and myAdvancedGroup
  • Technically, as mentioned on the note above, CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_2 and CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_3 are placed under a group called root which has no label associated, hence why it's not perceived as "group" like myAdvancedGroup
  • Since we are giving a weight of 1001 to myAdvancedGroup (the bigger, the higher it will sit on the menu ordering - higher than the default 1000 of root), the myAdvancedGroup menu will be above the CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_2 and CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_3 side-menu entries
  • Inside the myAdvancedGroup group we are setting a specific order as well: weight of 2 to CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_1 and a weight of 1 to YOUR_K8S_RESOURCE_NAME.This will make the side-menu entry for CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_1 appear higher than YOUR_K8S_RESOURCE_NAME inside the group myAdvancedGroup
  • As for the CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_2 and CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_3 they are done inside that virtual group called root. Since CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_3 is set a weight of 2 and CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_3 is set a weight of 1, CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_3 will appear above CUSTOM_PAGE_NAME_2

NOTE: The last parameter for the weightType and weightGroup functions is a boolean that should be set to true at all times so that it works properly.

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