Orchard CMS: Create Content Items from External Data Source - orchardcms

Question

In Orchard CMS I have a service that pulls data from an external data source, and loads the data into an Orchard Content Part. The Part has a migration that welds it with a title part, and I have a route so that my controller is being hit via a URL:
I am using a controller to access the item via a URL, much like the Blog Part controller. However I can't render my part...
The Blog Controller does similar to the following:
var asset = _assetService.Get(1234);
if (asset == null) return HttpNotFound();
var model = _services.ContentManager.BuildDisplay(asset);
return new ShapeResult(this, model);
But if I do this, the 'BuildDisplay' method looks for asset.ContentItem but this is null, despite deriving my part from 'ContentPart'.
What do I need to do to get my data to display?

Answer 1

If I understand correctly, you are trying to display only one part, and not a whole content item.
To display a single shape, you can do the following:
private readonly IAssetService _assetService;
public MyController(IShapeFactory shapeFactory, IAssetService assetService) {
_assetService = assetService;
Shape = shapeFactory;
}
public dynamic Shape { get; set; }
public ActionResult MyAction(int assetId) {
var asset = _assetService.Get(1234);
if (asset == null) return HttpNotFound();
// the shape factory can call any shape (.cshtml) that is defined
// this method assumes you have a view called SomeShapeName.cshtml
var model = Shape.SomeShapeName(asset);
return new ShapeResult(this, model);
}
!!Note:
This does not kick of the (display)driver of the part, it only returns the .cshtml with the given model

Answer 2

By having my part deriving from ContentPart, I can use the following Controller method:
private readonly IAssetService _assetService;
private readonly IOrchardServices _services;
public MyController(IShapeFactory shapeFactory, IAssetService assetService, IOrchardServices services) {
_assetService = assetService;
_services = services;
Shape = shapeFactory;
}
public dynamic Shape { get; set; }
public ActionResult MyAction(int assetId) {
var asset = _assetService.Get(1234);
if (asset == null) return HttpNotFound();
// this method assumes you have a view called Parts.Asset.cshtml (see the AssetPartDriver)
var model = _services.ContentManager.New("Asset");
var item = contentItem.As<AssetPart>();
item.Populate(asset) // Method that just populates the service loaded object into the ContentPart
return new ShapeResult(this, _services.ContentManager.BuildDisplay(item));
}
This will use the 'AssetPartDriver':
public class AssetPartDriver : ContentPartDriver<AssetPart>
{
protected override DriverResult Display(AssetPart part, string displayType, dynamic shapeHelper)
{
return ContentShape("Parts_Asset", () => shapeHelper.Parts_Asset()); // Uses Parts.Asset.cshtml
}
}
And in conjunction with the 'Placement.info' file renders on the screen:
<Placement>
<Match ContentType="Asset">
<Match DisplayType="Detail">
<Place Parts_Asset="Content"/>
</Match>
</Match>
</Placement>
The migration file combines my web service part with other Orchard parts:
public class Migrations : DataMigrationImpl
{
public int Create()
{
ContentDefinitionManager.AlterTypeDefinition("Asset", cfg => cfg
.WithPart("AssetPart")
.WithPart("AutoroutePart", builder => builder
.WithSetting("AutorouteSettings.AllowCustomPattern", "True"))
.Listable()
.Securable()
.Creatable(false));
ContentDefinitionManager.AlterPartDefinition("AssetPart", part => part
.WithDescription("A part that contains details of an individual Web Service loaded asset."));
return 1;
}
}
These additional parts are not yet used, but can be populated during creation and displayed individually using the placement file.
This is the first step of what I was trying to achieve!!