servicestack plugin to a Windows Service that will serve static files? - servicestack

Question

I've ServiceStack (V5.1.0) as a Windows Service, serving REST APIs, no problems. I would like to create a plugin that will serve static files from a specific physical directory, for any routes that start with /GUI.
I've read "Q: ServiceStack Razor with Multiple SPAs" here ServiceStack Razor with Multiple SPAs
But this seems to only handle individual files like index.html., and I need to serve not just files in the root of the physical path, but files in the subdirs of the physical path as well. For example, the route /GUI/css/site.css should serve the site.css file found in the css subdirectory below the root.
I looked at "Mapping static file directories in ServiceStack" here
https://forums.servicestack.net/t/mapping-static-file-directories-in-servicestack/3377/1
and based on this, tried overriding GetVirtualFileSources
public class AppHost : AppSelfHostBase {
...
// override GetVirtualFileSources to support multiple FileSystemMapping.
// Allow plugins to add their own FileSystemMapping
public override List<IVirtualPathProvider> GetVirtualFileSources()
{
var existingProviders = base.GetVirtualFileSources();
// Hardcoded now, will use a IoC collection populated by plugins in the future. Paths will be either absolute, or relative to the location at which the Program assembly is located.
existingProviders.Add(new FileSystemMapping("GUI",#"C:\Obfuscated\netstandard2.0\blazor"));
return existingProviders;
}
....
}
and using a FallBackRoute in the plugins' model,
[FallbackRoute("/GUI/{PathInfo*}")]
public class FallbackForUnmatchedGUIRoutes : IReturn<IHttpResult>
{
public string PathInfo { get; set; }
}
But I can't figure out how to get the interface method to change the PathInfo into an object that implements IVirtualFile.
public HttpResult Get(FallbackForUnmatchedGUIRoutes request)
{
// If no file is requested, default to "index.html"" file name
var cleanPathInfo = request.PathInfo ?? "index.html";
// Somehow, need to convert the cleanPathInfo into an IVirtualFile, that specifies the correct VirtualPathProvider (indexed by "GUI"")
// insert here the magic code to convert cleanPathInfo into an object that implements IVirtualFile
// var cleanVirtualPathInfo = cleanPathInfo as IVirtualFile
// to make use of ServiceStack enhanced functionality, wrap the cleanVirtualPathInfo in a HttpResult,
HttpResult httpresult = new HttpResult(cleanPathInfo,false); // this doesn't compile, because no overload with 2 parameters takes a string as the first parameter, but there is an overload that will take an IVirtualFile object
return httpresult;
}
Any suggestions to make the interface code return the correct files? Or a better way to allow for multiple plugins, each to support a different SPA, based on the first portion of the route? Hints, links, explicit instructions - any and all are welcome!

Answer 1

You just need to register a Virtual File System, you don't need to create your own Service as ServiceStack's static file handler will automatically return the first file it finds in the list of registered Virtual File Sources.
If you want to be able to register File Mappings in a Plugin you can add it to the AppHost's AddVirtualFileSources list in the plugin constructor, e.g:
public class GuiPlugin : IPlugin, IPreInitPlugin
{
public void Configure(IAppHost appHost)
{
appHost.AddVirtualFileSources.Add(
new FileSystemMapping("GUI", appHost.MapProjectPath("~/blazor")));
}
public void Register(IAppHost appHost) {}
}
The appHost.MapProjectPath() lets you resolve a physical file from your AppHost's projects Content Path. Then you can register the Plugin in your AppHost with:
public override void Configure(Container container)
{
Plugins.Add(new GuiPlugin());
}
Where your files in /blazor should now be resolvable from your registered path mapping, e.g:
/GUI/file.html -> C:\project\path\file.html
Note you don't need any Services and ServiceStack will automatically return the static files of registered file mappings, so you'll want to remove any [FallbackRoute] you've added.