What is a Custom Component?

For very specific pages you can create your own custom Component based on React, Angular, or any other framework and integrate it in Jet Admin interface. Writing your own custom JS/CSS/HTML has no limits in implementing any page you need.

To integrate your custom Component with Jet Admin data you can use the Jet Admin SDK library.

Create a Custom Component

In this tutorial, we'll show you how to create a sample Flex View component which you can, later on, extend to satisfy whatever needs you have.

1. Create your FlexView component project (playground) or clone an example

A Flex View uses Web Component specification to integrate any JS based component to Jet Admin – this allows you to use any Frameworks and Libraries you like as long as you create them as custom Web Components. So it can be React, Angular, Vue.js based components or any other.

First, you need to create a FlexView project where you can develop and test it. This project will be your playground for creating FlexView. It will work the same way as on Jet Admin but will make your development easier so that you can use your favourite IDE and environment. To make it simpler, you can use some of our ready-to-use starter projects on GitHub or use them as a reference:

• React – https://github.com/jet-admin/jet-flex-view-react-example​

• Angular – https://github.com/jet-admin/jet-flex-view-angular-example​

For example, here's an example of cloning React and preparing it for work:

git clone git@github.com:jet-admin/jet-flex-view-react-example.git
cd jet-flex-view-react-example
npm install

2. Run your project

After you created your project and cloned an example, make sure it works by running this command (or any other you use):

npm run start

The project works fine, which means that you can start developing your FlexView. But before that, read the following step if you need the Jet Admin API integration.

3. (optional) Set up Jet API integration

To integrate your custom FlexView with Jet Admin data and API, you can use Jet Admin SDK library. To start using it, you would have to install it first:

npm install jet-admin-sdk

To work with API and perform queries, the SDK needs to know which Project you are working with and your Access Token. When a FlexView is uploaded to production, it will fetch these automatically, but for development you need to specify it manually as shown below:

import { getPublicApiService } from 'jet-admin-sdk';
​
if (!process.env.NODE_ENV || process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development') {
  getPublicApiService().projectsStore.setCurrent('YOUR_PROJECT_UNIQUE_NAME');
  getPublicApiService().authService.tokenLogin('YOUR_USER_TOKEN');
}

• YOUR_PROJECT_UNIQUE_NAME – can be taken from URL of your project on Jet Admin

• YOUR_USER_TOKEN – can be taken from cookie token on https://app.jetadmin.io/​

That's it! You can now use Jet Admin API through PublicApiService. For example:

import { getPublicApiService } from 'jet-admin-sdk';
​
getPublicApiService().currentUserStore.get().subscribe(result => {
  if (result) {
    console.log('Current User is ' + result.username);
  } else {
    console.log('Failed to get Current User');
  }
});

4. Upload your FlexView to production

Once you're finished with your FlexView or just want to test it in a real application, you need to upload it. Build your project first:

npm run build

Usually, it will create your build files in dist folder, but it can differ for your environment. To upload your FlexView to Jet Admin, you need to upload a .zip file with your build files. Go to dist folder and compress all the contents to a single .zip file.

Now go to the FlexView create page as shown below. (Project Settings → FlexViews → Create FlexView)

Fill in the form and click the Create button:

• Unique Tag Name – tag name that you used for Web Component inside your FlexView project. Should pre prefixed with "jet-" and has dash-case. Also each of your FlexView should have unique tag names across your Jet Admin project.

• Display Name – name of FlevView used in Jet Admin interface.

• View Type – affects where FlexView will be visible, has the following options:

  • Common – can be added as a link to menu as an independent page

  • Collection – will be visible as a link on top of Collection list pages. Collection name will be passed to this FlexView as a parameter.

  • Record – will be visible as a link on top of Record view/change pages. Collection name and Record primary key will be passed to this FlexView as parameters.

• Collection – only of Collection and Record view types. Can limit for which Collection this FlexView will be visible. Can be set to any.

• Compiled custom element – zip file containing your build files of FlexView.

• Files to include into page – in order for your FlexView to work JS and maybe CSS files should be included. You should check which files from your zip files should be included. The order of loading can be changed. These files will be included only once when FlexView should be displayed and after inclusion they must defined custom element with tag name the same as your specified for Unique Tag Name.

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