All the information on how to develop and debug C# Behaviours with the help of Visual Studio as a remote development tool for your OMNIA Applications.

1. Introduction

When developing behaviours in OMNIA platform, writing C# with no context directly into the modeling area is not going to be enough for any other than the simplest scenarios. However, it is possible to download the exact C# classes that the platform will use for its execution of the behaviours, and both develop code and test it in Visual Studio.

2. Obtaining the model

  • Access the modeling area for the tenant and environment you want to develop in;
  • Access Model info / Builds and download the build you want, using the Download build option;

3. Structure of the downloaded build

After extracting the downloaded build (a .zip file), you will have the following folders:

  • BinaryData
    • ApplicationAsset: The files uploaded as model Assets;
    • ComponentsPackage: The packages of components added to the model;
  • Server
    • Behaviours: The C# classes generated based on the modeled behaviours (Entity, Data, Application and Code Dependencies);
  • Database
    • Queries: The SQL queries (modeled in advanced mode or not);
  • UI
    • Behaviours: The JavaScript classes generated based on User Interface behaviours;
    • WebComponents: The JavaScript files representing the modeled Web Components.
    • Themes: The SASS files representing the modeled Themes.
    • CssStyles: The modeled CSS Styles classes.
    • Scripts: The modeled JavaScript global scripts.

4. C# Behaviours

In the build folder, inside the classes folder you will have the following folders:

  • _common: Contains the Data Transfer Objects (DTOs) used to transfer the entity’s data between systems. To each entity added to the model, a DTO will be generated in this folder;
  • Internal: Contains a folder to each Data Source that will have behaviours executed in the internal OMNIA behaviour environment (the Data Source System will always be placed here);
  • External: Contains a folder to each Data Source that will have behaviours executed in an external environment (either on OMNIA Connector or not).

4.1 Data Source structure

Each Data Source will have a folder with a Visual Studio C# Project, which contains all the behaviours that will be executed in this Data Source.

The project can have (depending of which behaviours are modeled) the following folders:

  • Application: Contains the Application Behaviours;
    • Files under subfolder “Infrastructure” shouldn’t be edited.
  • Data: Contains the Data Access Objects (DAOs) (one per entity), each one with the representation of the modeled Data Behaviours;
    • Files under subfolder “Infrastructure” shouldn’t be edited.
  • Entity: Contains the classes (one per entity) that support the execution of the operations modeled through Entity Behaviours.
    • A file will be generated for each entity and its name will respect the rule MyEntityName.Operations.cs.
    • A file will be generated for each state machine and its name will respect the rule MyEntityName.StateMachine.cs.
    • Files under subfolder “Domain” shouldn’t be edited.
  • CodeDependencies: Contains the Code Dependencies;

5. C# Debugging

All C# behaviours can be debugged using all the debugging features of Visual Studio.

To debug and develop behaviours you need to use the OMNIA Connector to receive the requests made to a given Tenant and Data Source.

Attaching the connector to a Data Source, will make all the requests to to be forwarded to your connector during that session.

5.1 Pre-requisites

In order to debug the OMNIA Behaviours you will need to:

5.2 Debug Cloud Behaviours

In order to debug the behaviours that will be executed in the cloud (including the behaviours of the Data Source System), you need to attach your OMNIA Connector to the OMNIA Platform subscription running on the cloud.

To do that, you need to execute the following command, using the Command Line, replacing the Tenant code and the Data Source you want to debug:

    ./Omnia.Connector.Windows.exe run --attach -tenant:YourTenantCode -datasource:DataSourceToDebug

Note: The parameters are case sensitive

Once you have runned the previous command:

  • Open the build folder and navigate to the folder classes;
  • Open the folder of the Data Source you have attached to debug in the previous command;
  • Open the C# project in Visual Studio, using the .csproj file.

Using the Visual Studio debbuging features, start the debbuger and from now on, all the requests made in the OMNIA Platform to this Data Source will be forwarded to this debug session.

5.3 Debug Connector Behaviours

In order to debug the behaviours that will be executed in the Connector, through a custom Data Source, you need to start the OMNIA Connector:

  • Opening the executable Omnia.Connector.Windows.exe;
  • Or executing the following command on the Command Line: 
        ./Omnia.Connector.Windows.exe

Once you have the OMNIA Connector running:

  • Open the build folder and navigate to the folder classes;
  • Open the folder of the Data Source you want to debug;
  • Open the C# project in Visual Studio, using the .csproj file.

Using the Visual Studio debbuging features, start the debbuger and from now on, all the requests made in the OMNIA Platform to this Data Source will be forwarded to this debug session.

NOTE: If breakpoints are not loaded, it might be necessary to change Debugging Information setting. Click here to see how.

6. Remote UI Development

6.1. Pre-requisites

To develop OMNIA UI Behaviours and WebComponents you will need to:

  • Install node.js. Click here to download;
  • Download the build you want to debug and unzip to a new folder.
  • Using the command line, go to the extracted UI folder and install the npm packages running the command “npm install”;

We recommend to use VS Code and you can open the folder extracted. You can also use your IDE of choice.

6.2. Initializing the development environment

To develop the User Interface Behaviours, Web Components and Themes, you need to serve the corresponding files using a local HTTP server.

To do that, your project has a start script, so open the command line, change the working directory to the UI folder inside the unzipped folder (the build files) and run the following command:

    npm start

After the command executes, the files will be accessible from your browser. Save the Port of the HTTP server (you will need it later).

Once you have the HTTP server running:

  • Access the modeler area of the tenant you want to develop;
  • In the top bar, open the additional options of the Build & deploy button and select the option Remote UI Development;
  • Then, you will be prompted about the Development endpoint port and you must provide the Port of the HTTP server;
  • After you type in the development endpoint port, you can Start the remote development environment;
  • You will be redirected to the application with the development mode activated.

6.3. Debug User Interface Behaviours and Web Components

The best way to debug the JavaScript code executing in the OMNIA platform is using the Browser Developer Tools.

Example with Chrome Developer Tools

  • Open the Developer Tools (F12);
  • Go to the Sources tab;
  • Under the (no domain) section, you have access to the loaded files;
  • Opening the files, you can set breakpoints and debug the code like in any other web application.

Tip: If you add debugger; in any place of your code and have the Developer Tools open, it will act as a breakpoint when the browser hit this line of code.

6.4. Developing themes

By running npm start you are launching a sass compiler that will watch the changes to your files. So, just edit the variables.scss file of your theme and reload the browser page.