A comprehensive extension library for the Serenity Framework that provides enhanced functionality for data export, PDF generation, UI components, and more.
Features
📊 Excel Export: Advanced Excel generation with formatting, themes, and aggregation support
📄 PDF Export: HTML-to-PDF conversion using Puppeteer Sharp
🎨 UI Components: Extended form controls and formatters for Serenity
🔄 Service Registration: Automatic dependency injection with attributes
📐 Bootstrap Grid: Enhanced column width controls with Bootstrap 5 support
🌍 Localization: Enhanced text localization extensions
Installation
Install via NuGet Package Manager:
dotnet add package Idevs.Net.CoreLib
Or via Package Manager Console:
Install-Package Idevs.Net.CoreLib
Quick Start
1. Service Registration with Autofac (Recommended)
Idevs.Net.CoreLib now uses Autofac as the preferred dependency injection container. Add the following to your Program.cs:
using Idevs.Extensions;
var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
// Configure Autofac as the service provider and register Idevs services
builder.UseIdevsAutofac();
// Your other service registrations
builder.Services.AddControllersWithViews();
var app = builder.Build();
// Your middleware configuration
app.UseRouting();
app.MapControllers();
app.Run();
1.1. Alternative Service Registration (Legacy)
For projects that cannot use Autofac, you can still use the traditional service collection approach:
// In ConfigureServices method or Program.cs
builder.Services.AddIdevsCorelibServices();
// Note: RegisterServices() is now obsolete and included in AddIdevsCorelibServices()
1.2. Advanced Autofac Configuration
For more advanced scenarios, you can customize the Autofac container:
// With custom container configuration
builder.UseIdevsAutofac(containerBuilder =>
{
// Your custom registrations
containerBuilder.RegisterType<MyCustomService>()
.As<IMyCustomService>()
.InstancePerLifetimeScope();
});
// With additional modules
builder.UseIdevsAutofac(new MyCustomModule(), new AnotherModule());
2. Chrome Setup for PDF Export
Important: For PDF export functionality, you need to download Chrome/Chromium:
// In Program.cs Main method (before starting the application)
public static void Main(string[] args)
{
// Download Chrome if not already present
ChromeHelper.DownloadChrome();
CreateHostBuilder(args).Build().Run();
}
Usage Examples
Excel Export
public class OrderController : ServiceEndpoint
{
private readonly IIdevsExcelExporter _excelExporter;
public OrderController(IIdevsExcelExporter excelExporter)
{
_excelExporter = excelExporter;
}
[HttpPost]
public IActionResult ExportToExcel(ListRequest request)
{
var orders = GetOrders(request); // Your data retrieval logic
// Simple export
var excelBytes = _excelExporter.Export(orders, typeof(OrderColumns));
return IdevsContentResult.Create(
excelBytes,
IdevsContentType.Excel,
"orders.xlsx"
);
}
[HttpPost]
public IActionResult ExportWithHeaders(ListRequest request)
{
var orders = GetOrders(request);
var headers = new[]
{
new ReportHeader { HeaderLine = "Order Report" },
new ReportHeader { HeaderLine = $"Generated: {DateTime.Now:yyyy-MM-dd}" },
new ReportHeader { HeaderLine = "" } // Empty line
};
var excelBytes = _excelExporter.Export(orders, typeof(OrderColumns), headers);
return IdevsContentResult.Create(excelBytes, IdevsContentType.Excel, "order-report.xlsx");
}
}
PDF Export
public class ReportController : ServiceEndpoint
{
private readonly IIdevsPdfExporter _pdfExporter;
private readonly IViewPageRenderer _viewRenderer;
public ReportController(IIdevsPdfExporter pdfExporter, IViewPageRenderer viewRenderer)
{
_pdfExporter = pdfExporter;
_viewRenderer = viewRenderer;
}
[HttpPost]
public async Task<IActionResult> GenerateReport(ReportRequest request)
{
// Render HTML from Razor view
var model = GetReportData(request);
var html = await _viewRenderer.RenderViewAsync("Reports/OrderReport", model);
// Convert to PDF
var pdfBytes = await _pdfExporter.ExportAsync(
html,
"<div style='text-align: center;'>Order Report</div>", // Header
"<div style='text-align: center;'>Page <span class='pageNumber'></span></div>" // Footer
);
return IdevsContentResult.Create(pdfBytes, IdevsContentType.Pdf, "report.pdf");
}
}
UI Components
// Enhanced column attributes
public class OrderColumns
{
[DisplayName("Order ID"), ColumnWidth(ExtraLarge = 2)]
public string OrderId { get; set; }
[DisplayName("Customer"), FullColumnWidth]
public string CustomerName { get; set; }
[DisplayName("Order Date"), DisplayDateFormat, HalfWidth]
public DateTime OrderDate { get; set; }
[DisplayName("Amount"), DisplayNumberFormat("n2")]
public decimal Amount { get; set; }
[DisplayName("Status"), CheckboxFormatter(TrueText = "Completed", FalseText = "Pending")]
public bool IsCompleted { get; set; }
}
Service Registration with Attributes
Idevs.Net.CoreLib supports both legacy attributes and enhanced standard attributes for service registration:
Legacy Attributes (Backward Compatibility)
[ScopedRegistration]
public class OrderService : IOrderService
{
// Your service implementation
}
[SingletonRegiatration]
public class CacheService : ICacheService
{
// Singleton service
}
[TransientRegistration]
public class EmailService : IEmailService
{
// Transient service
}
Standard Attributes (Enhanced Features)
// Basic usage - auto-discovers I{ClassName} interface
[Scoped]
public class OrderService : IOrderService
{
// Scoped service implementation
}
// Explicit service type specification
[Singleton(ServiceType = typeof(ICacheService))]
public class CacheService : ICacheService, IDisposable
{
// Singleton service with explicit interface
}
// Named registrations (Autofac only)
[Transient(ServiceKey = "smtp")]
public class SmtpEmailService : IEmailService
{
// SMTP email implementation
}
[Transient(ServiceKey = "sendgrid")]
public class SendGridEmailService : IEmailService
{
// SendGrid email implementation
}
// Self-registration without interface
[Scoped(AllowSelfRegistration = true)]
public class UtilityService
{
public void DoWork() { }
}
Attribute Comparison
Feature
Legacy Attributes
Standard Attributes
Interface Discovery
I{ClassName} only
I{ClassName} + any interface + self-registration
Service Keys
Not supported
Supported (Autofac only)
Explicit Service Type
Not supported
Supported
Self-registration
Not supported
Supported
Backward Compatibility
✅
✅ (both work together)
Static Service Resolution
For scenarios where dependency injection is not feasible (e.g., static methods, legacy code integration), you can use the StaticServiceLocator:
// Initialize in your Program.cs (automatic with Autofac)
var app = builder.Build();
app.UseIdevsStaticServiceLocator(); // Automatically detects Autofac or traditional DI
// Use in static methods or legacy code
public static class LegacyHelper
{
public static void ProcessData()
{
// Resolve services statically
var excelExporter = StaticServiceLocator.Resolve<IIdevsExcelExporter>();
var pdfExporter = StaticServiceLocator.Resolve<IIdevsPdfExporter>();
// Use try resolve for optional services
var optionalService = StaticServiceLocator.TryResolve<IOptionalService>();
if (optionalService != null)
{
// Use the service
}
// Use scoped resolution for per-request services
using var scope = StaticServiceLocator.CreateScope();
var scopedService = scope.ServiceProvider.GetService<IScopedService>();
}
public static void ProcessDataWithCaching()
{
// Cache singleton services for better performance
var cachedService = StaticServiceLocator.ResolveSingleton<IMySingletonService>();
}
}
Important: Use StaticServiceLocator sparingly and prefer proper dependency injection whenever possible.
Configuration Options
Excel Export Customization
// Custom theme
var request = new IdevsExportRequest
{
TableTheme = TableTheme.TableStyleMedium15,
CompanyName = "My Company",
ReportName = "Sales Report",
PageSize = new PageSize(PageSizes.A4, PageOrientations.Landscape)
};
PDF Export Options
// Custom page settings in your CSS
@page {
size: A4;
margin: 1in;
}
// Or use PuppeteerSharp options directly
var pdfOptions = new PdfOptions
{
Format = PaperFormat.A4,
MarginOptions = new MarginOptions
{
Top = "1in",
Right = "1in",
Bottom = "1in",
Left = "1in"
},
PreferCSSPageSize = true
};
Troubleshooting
PDF Export Issues
Problem: PDF generation fails with "Chrome not found" error
Solution: Ensure Chrome is downloaded:
// Check if Chrome is available
if (!ChromeHelper.IsChromeDownloaded())
{
ChromeHelper.DownloadChrome();
}
Problem: PDF export hangs or times out
Solution: Ensure your HTML doesn't have external dependencies that can't be loaded:
<!-- Use inline CSS instead of external links -->
<style>
/* Your styles here */
</style>
Excel Export Issues
Problem: Column formatting not applied
Solution: Use proper format attributes:
[DisplayNumberFormat("#,##0.00")] // For numbers
[DisplayDateFormat] // For dates (dd/MM/yyyy)
[DisplayPercentage] // For percentages
Problem: Large datasets cause memory issues
Solution: Process data in chunks or use streaming:
// Process in smaller batches
const int batchSize = 10000;
for (int i = 0; i < totalRecords; i += batchSize)
{
var batch = GetDataBatch(i, batchSize);
// Process batch
}
Migration Guide
From v0.1.x to v0.2.0 (Current)
Autofac Integration (Recommended)
Update to Autofac: Replace service collection registration with Autofac:
// Old way (v0.1.x)
var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
builder.Services.AddIdevsCorelibServices();
// New way (v0.2.0) - Recommended
var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
builder.UseIdevsAutofac();
Legacy Support: If you cannot use Autofac, the old way still works:
// Still supported for backward compatibility
builder.Services.AddIdevsCorelibServices();
// Note: RegisterServices() is now obsolete
// builder.Services.RegisterServices(); // Remove this line
Benefits of Autofac Integration
Better Performance: Autofac provides superior dependency resolution performance
Advanced Features: Support for decorators, interceptors, and advanced lifetime scopes
Module System: Organized service registration through modules
Attribute-Based Registration: Automatic service discovery and registration
From v0.0.x to v0.1.x
Service Registration: Replace manual service registration with AddIdevsCorelibServices():
// Old way
services.AddScoped<IViewPageRenderer, ViewPageRenderer>();
services.AddScoped<IIdevsPdfExporter, IdevsPdfExporter>();
services.AddScoped<IIdevsExcelExporter, IdevsExcelExporter>();
// New way
services.AddIdevsCorelibServices();
Chrome Setup: Add Chrome download to startup:
// Add this to Program.cs
ChromeHelper.DownloadChrome();
Static Service Provider: Migrate to StaticServiceLocator (recommended):
// Old way (still works but obsolete)
StaticServiceProvider.Provider = app.ApplicationServices;
var service = StaticServiceProvider.GetService<IMyService>();
// New way (recommended)
var app = builder.Build();
app.UseIdevsStaticServiceLocator(); // Automatic initialization
var service = StaticServiceLocator.Resolve<IMyService>();
// Or manual initialization
// StaticServiceLocator.Initialize(app.Services);
StaticServiceLocator Benefits
Autofac Support: Works seamlessly with both Autofac and traditional DI
Thread Safety: Improved thread-safe operations
Better Error Handling: More descriptive error messages
Scoped Resolution: Support for creating service scopes
Performance: Caching options for singleton services
Backward Compatibility: Automatic fallback when using StaticServiceProvider
Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.
License
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
