Orchard CMS: Connect List content part to content item - orchardcms

Question

I have been struggling with what I thought would be simple.
I have a content type called Supplier. This supplier has contact information containing two addresses, one for Correspondence Address and one for Visiting Address. The supplier has also several locations, like location north and location south. A location is also an address. So basically I have a content item Supplier with a lot of addresses and all of them with their own type.
Migration:
public int Create() {
//Creating the Location contentrecord, contentpart and contenttype
SchemaBuilder.CreateTable("LocationPartRecord", table => table
.ContentPartRecord()
.Column<int>("LocationsPartRecord_id")
);
ContentDefinitionManager.AlterPartDefinition("LocationPart", part => part
.Attachable(false)
.WithField("LocationName", f => f.OfType("TextField"))
.WithField("AddressLine1", f => f.OfType("TextField"))
.WithField("AddressLine2", f => f.OfType("TextField"))
.WithField("Zipcode", f => f.OfType("TextField"))
.WithField("City", f => f.OfType("TextField"))
.WithField("Country", f => f.OfType("TextField")));
ContentDefinitionManager.AlterTypeDefinition("Location",
cfg => cfg
.WithPart("CommonPart")
.WithPart("LocationPart")
);
//Creating the Locations 'container' contentpart
SchemaBuilder.CreateTable("LocationsPartRecord", table => table
.ContentPartRecord()
);
ContentDefinitionManager.AlterPartDefinition("LocationsPart", builder => builder.Attachable());
//Creating the supplier. Specific supplier contentfields can be added later. Doing records, so I can add
//datafields later that are not contentfields
SchemaBuilder.CreateTable("SupplierPartRecord", table => table
.ContentPartRecord());
ContentDefinitionManager.AlterPartDefinition("SupplierPart", part => part
.Attachable(false)
);
ContentDefinitionManager.AlterTypeDefinition("Supplier", builder => builder
.Creatable()
.Draftable()
.WithPart("CommonPart")
.WithPart("TitlePart")
.WithPart("BodyPart")
.WithPart("AutoroutePart", partBuilder =>
partBuilder.WithSetting("AutorouteSettings.AllowCustomPattern", "true")
.WithSetting("AutorouteSettings.PatternDefinitions", "[{Name:'Supplier', Pattern: 'aanbieders/{Content.Slug}', Description: 'aanbieders/supplier-name'}]")
.WithSetting("AutorouteSettings.DefaultPatternIndex", "0"))
.WithPart("SupplierPart")
.WithPart("LocationsPart"));
return 1;
}
Models:
*LocationPartRecord and LocationPart *
public class LocationPartRecord:ContentPartRecord {
public virtual LocationsPartRecord LocationsPartRecord { get; set; }
}
public class LocationPart:ContentPart<LocationPartRecord> {
LocationsPartRecord LocationsPartRecord {
get { return Record.LocationsPartRecord; }
set { Record.LocationsPartRecord = value; }
}
}
LocationsPartRecord and LocationsPart (container)
public class LocationsPartRecord:ContentPartRecord {
public LocationsPartRecord()
{
Locations = new List<LocationPartRecord>();
}
[CascadeAllDeleteOrphan]
public virtual IList<LocationPartRecord> Locations { get; set; }
}
public class LocationsPart:ContentPart<LocationsPartRecord> {
public LocationsPart() {
Locations = new List<LocationPart>();
}
public readonly LazyField<IList<LocationPart>> _locations = new LazyField<IList<LocationPart>>();
public IList<LocationPart> Locations {
get { return _locations.Value; }
set { _locations.Value = value; }
}
}
From here I am stuck. I would like to see when Creating a new supplier, I get a screen containing all the content item fields for supplier and a list of locations, with the ability to create, delete or update a location.
I don't need the code to be spelled out, but a direction would suffice. Which drivers, controllers and views should I create. This is only for admin console. For frontend the locations need to be displayed and not edited.

Answer 1

I don't think there will be any way to get the functionality you're after without custom coding. As you have suggested, the comments module could be a good example to copy. The Controllers in the comments module are only to manage all of the comments in their own admin pages, separate to the content items they belong to. The edit / display of the comments is still provided through the drivers and handlers.
Using the Comments module analogy:
CommentsPart = AddressesPart - This would be added to your Supplier content type
CommentPart = AddressPart - This would be added to your Address content type
You could strip out a lot of the extra functionality that is included for managing comments and just copy the drivers, handlers, views and models for these two parts.
I have seen some gallery modules that may allow you to build these relationships through the admin interface, however I haven't used it myself:
http://gallery.orchardproject.net/List/Modules/Orchard.Module.Downplay.Mechanics

Answer 2

Address shouldn't be a part, it should be a field. This way, you can have more than one, and each can be named.

Answer 3

Don't know if this would be helpful (and the site appears to be down - but Google has a cached version if you are patient for it to load), but there is a good blog about exactly your situation. It's Skywalkers excellent Web Shop series. I believe Part 8 contains the code related to multiple addresses (uses Address and Addresses). This seems to involve your problem, and the code may be what you need.
In case you have trouble getting to the site, there is also a CodePlex repository for the code. Additionally, Bertrand's Nwazet Commerce module might have similar code.