Enonic Controller Generator

Enonic XP Controller Generator

Procedures

Step 1: Detect Enonic XP Project

1. Execute node scripts/find-enonic-targets.mjs <workspace-root> to locate the project root and existing components.
2. If the script exits with code 1 (no markers found), inform the user that no Enonic XP project was detected and stop.
3. Record the sitePath from stdout — all generated files target directories relative to this path.

Step 2: Determine Component Type

1. Identify which component type the user requires:
   • Page — renders a full page, may declare one or more regions.
   • Part — a leaf component with a config form, no regions.
   • Layout — organizes other components via named regions.
   • Response processor — a site-level filter that modifies the HTTP response (e.g., inject scripts).
2. If the request is ambiguous, ask the user to clarify the component type before proceeding.

Step 3: Gather Component Details

1. Ask for or infer the following:
   • Component name (kebab-case, e.g., hero-banner).
   • Display name (human-readable, e.g., Hero Banner).
   • Language — TypeScript (.ts, default) or JavaScript (.js). Read references/compatibility.md for guidance on TS vs JS differences.
   • Template engine — Thymeleaf (default) or Mustache.
   • For pages/layouts: region names (default: main for pages).
   • For parts: form fields (name, type, occurrences).
   • For response processors: page contribution target (bodyEnd, headEnd, etc.) and the content to inject.

Step 4: Generate the XML Descriptor

1. Read references/controller-reference.md for the XML descriptor schema.
2. Create the descriptor file:
   • Page: <sitePath>/pages/<name>/<name>.xml
   • Part: <sitePath>/parts/<name>/<name>.xml
   • Layout: <sitePath>/layouts/<name>/<name>.xml
3. Include <display-name>, <description>, <form> (with inputs for parts), and <regions> (for pages and layouts).

Step 5: Generate the Controller

1. Read the appropriate template from assets/:
   • assets/page-controller.template.ts for pages.
   • assets/part-controller.template.ts for parts.
   • assets/layout-controller.template.ts for layouts.
2. Replace placeholders with the actual component name, config field mappings, region names, and library imports.
3. If JavaScript was requested, convert the ES module syntax to CommonJS (require/exports).
4. Read references/controller-reference.md for the Portal API surface (functions, import paths).
5. Place the controller at:
   • Page: <sitePath>/pages/<name>/<name>.ts (or .js)
   • Part: <sitePath>/parts/<name>/<name>.ts (or .js)
   • Layout: <sitePath>/layouts/<name>/<name>.ts (or .js)
   • Processor: <sitePath>/processors/<name>.js

Step 6: Generate the View (if applicable)

1. For pages, parts, and layouts using Thymeleaf or Mustache, generate a paired .html view file in the same directory as the controller.
2. For pages and layouts, include data-portal-region="<region-name>" attributes on container elements.
3. For region iteration, use data-th-each="component : ${region.components}" with data-portal-component="${component.path}".

Step 7: Wire Response Processors (if applicable)

1. If generating a response processor, check whether <sitePath>/site.xml exists.
2. If it exists, add a <response-processor> entry inside the <processors> block.
3. If it does not exist, create <sitePath>/site.xml with the processor declaration.

Step 8: Update build.gradle Dependencies

1. Check the project's build.gradle for existing library includes.
2. Add any missing dependencies:
   • com.enonic.xp:lib-portal:${xpVersion} — required for all controllers.
   • com.enonic.xp:lib-content:${xpVersion} — if the controller uses content queries.
   • com.enonic.lib:lib-thymeleaf:2.0.0 — if using Thymeleaf rendering.
   • com.enonic.lib:lib-mustache:2.1.0 — if using Mustache rendering.
   • com.enonic.lib:lib-asset:${libVersion} — if the controller generates asset URLs (replaces the deprecated portalLib.assetUrl in XP 7.15+).

Step 9: Validate Output

1. Verify the descriptor file name matches the parent directory name exactly.
2. Verify the controller file name matches the descriptor directory name.
3. Verify all region names in the controller/view match those declared in the XML descriptor.
4. Read references/examples.md to cross-check the generated code against known-good patterns.

Error Handling

• If scripts/find-enonic-targets.mjs exits with code 1 (NO_PROJECT), inform the user that no Enonic XP project was found and suggest creating the standard directory structure under src/main/resources/site/.
• If a component with the same name already exists at the target path, warn the user and ask whether to overwrite or rename.
• If the user reports a 404 on a part or missing regions, read references/troubleshooting.md to diagnose common causes.
• If the generated controller fails at runtime with view resolution errors, verify the view file is co-located with the controller and the resolve() call uses the correct filename.