10 tips for building better Umbraco websites

Who am I?

Paul Seal
Work for Moriyama
100% remote worker
I make Umbraco packages
codeshare.co.uk blog
YouTube channel
Umbraco MVP

Why this talk

Working at Moriyama for 1 year
Learned a lot of new things that I want to share
The old me would be interested to learn
I want to give you things to take away with you

Credit where it's due

Thanks to Marc Goodson for teaching me most of the stuff I've put in this talk.

Other credits:

Matt Hart
Nik Rimington
Kevin Jump

Built with Umbraco 8

I built this slide deck using Umbraco 8,

If you want to see the code or ask me how I built it come and see me later.

Play the game

If you can guess what the catchprase is from the animation which is revealed one block at a time with each tip, you can win one of 2 prizes...

6 Months free access to elmah.io Business

Error Tracking
Deployment Tracking
Uptime Monitoring

Thanks to Thomas Ardal from elmah.io for providing this fantastic prize!

1 year JetBrains License

ReSharper - Visual Studio extension for .NET developers
Rider - Standalone cross-platform .NET IDE

Thanks to JetBrains for providing this brilliant prize

How to win

The first 2 people to raise their hand and say the correct answer will win the prize.
The one who answers correctly first will get to choose which prize they want

Default Values

Improve editor experience

Different to Blueprints

What might you use it for?

Article date set to today by default
Pick the last uploaded image by default

Sending Content Model

    private void EditorModelEventManager_SendingContentModel(HttpActionExecutedContext sender,
        EditorModelEventArgs<ContentItemDisplay> e)
    {
        SetDefaultValue(e, new string[] { "article" }, "articleDate", DateTime.Now.AddDays(+1).Date);
        SetDefaultValue(e, new string[] { "article" }, "mainImage", GetLastImage());
    }

Set Default Value Method

private void SetDefaultValue(EditorModelEventArgs<ContentItemDisplay> e, 
    string[] docTypeAliases, string propertyAlias, object newValue)
{
    try
    {
        if (docTypeAliases.Contains(e.Model.ContentTypeAlias))
        {
            foreach (var variant in e.Model.Variants)
            {
                var props = variant.Tabs.SelectMany(t => t.Properties.Where(p => p.Alias.Equals(propertyAlias) 
                        && (p.Value == null || string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(p.Value.ToString()))));
                foreach (var prop in props)
                {
                    prop.Value = newValue;
                }
            }
        }
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        _logger.Error(GetType(), ex, "Error occurred setting default value");
    }
}

Get Last Image Method

private string GetLastImage()
{
    if (ExamineManager.Instance.TryGetIndex("ExternalIndex", out var index))
    {
        var searcher = index.GetSearcher();
        var results = searcher.CreateQuery("media").NodeTypeAlias("Image")
            .OrderByDescending(new SortableField("createDate")).Execute();
        var result = results.FirstOrDefault();
        if (result != null)
        {
            var mediaItem = _umbracoContextAccessor.UmbracoContext.Media.GetById(int.Parse(result.Id));
            if (mediaItem != null)
            {
                return $"umb://media/{mediaItem.Key.ToString().Replace("-", "")}";
            }
        }
    }
    return "";
}

Tree Icons

Which image doesn't have alt text?

How do we know?

What if there was a way to tell you visually what the values are?
By changing the colour of the icon?
By animating the icon?

Setting up the component

using Umbraco.Core;
using Umbraco.Core.Composing;
using Umbraco.Web;
using Umbraco.Web.Trees;

namespace Talk.Core.Composing
{

    [RuntimeLevel(MinLevel = RuntimeLevel.Run)]
    public class TreeNodeRenderingComposer : ComponentComposer<TreeNodeRenderingComponent>, IUserComposer
    {}

    public class TreeNodeRenderingComponent : IComponent
    {
        //component code on next slide
    }
}

public class TreeNodeRenderingComponent : IComponent
{
    private readonly IUmbracoContextAccessor _umbracoContextAccessor;

    public TreeNodeRenderingComponent(IUmbracoContextAccessor umbracoContextAccessor)
    {
        _umbracoContextAccessor = umbracoContextAccessor;
    }

    public void Initialize()
    {
        TreeControllerBase.TreeNodesRendering += TreeControllerBase_TreeNodesRendering;
    }

    public void Terminate()
    { }

    private void TreeControllerBase_TreeNodesRendering(TreeControllerBase sender, TreeNodesRenderingEventArgs e)
    {
        //tree nodes rendering logic on next slide
    }
}

Loop through the tree nodes

private void TreeControllerBase_TreeNodesRendering(TreeControllerBase sender, TreeNodesRenderingEventArgs e)
{
    if (sender.TreeAlias == "media")
    {
        foreach (var node in e.Nodes)
        {
            if (node.NodeType == "media")
            {
                if (int.TryParse(node.Id.ToString(), out var nodeId) && nodeId > 0)
                {
                    //logic on next slide
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Add a css class

var mediaItem = _umbracoContextAccessor.UmbracoContext.Media.GetById(nodeId);
if (mediaItem != null)
{
    if (mediaItem.ContentType.Alias != "Folder" && (!mediaItem.HasValue("altText") 
        || string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(mediaItem.Value<string>("altText"))))
    {
        node.CssClasses.Add("alt-text-missing");
    }
}
else
{
    //same as above, using the media service instead
}

Styling in the backoffice

Create an app plugin folder called CustomStyles with this package.manifest

{
  "css": [
    "~/App_Plugins/CustomStyles/css/customstyles.css"
  ]
}

Add the css

li.alt-text-missing i.umb-tree-icon {
    color: red;
    animation: infinite-spinning 2s infinite;
}

@keyframes infinite-spinning {
    from {
        transform: rotate(0deg);
    }
    to {
        transform: rotate(360deg);
    }
}

Stacked Content in v8

Using the Umbraco Grid

Create a Grid Partial called Stacked.cshtml

@inherits UmbracoViewPage<dynamic>

@if (Model != null && Model.sections != null)
{
    foreach (var section in Model.sections)
    {
        foreach (var row in section.rows)
        {
            @renderRow(row);
        }
    }
}

Streamline the Render Row helper

@helper renderRow(dynamic row)
{
    foreach (var area in row.areas)
    {
        foreach (var control in area.controls)
        {
            if (control != null && control.editor != null && control.editor.view != null)
            {
                <text>@Html.Partial("grid/editors/base", (object)control)</text>
            }
        }
    }
}

Render the stacked content

@Html.GetGridHtml(Model, "stackedContent", "Stacked")

Doc Type Grid Editor

Then it is just Doc Type Grid Editor from there.
Which is pretty similar to stacked content at this point.
Render the IPublishedElement in a partial view

Action Menu Items

Register the component

using AutoTranslate.Components;
using Umbraco.Core;
using Umbraco.Core.Composing;

namespace AutoTranslate.Composers
{
    [RuntimeLevel(MinLevel = RuntimeLevel.Run)]
    public class TreeMenuRenderingComposer : ComponentComposer<TreeMenuRenderingComponent>, IUserComposer
    { 
    }
}

Component

public class TreeMenuRenderingComponent : IComponent
{
    private readonly IUmbracoContextAccessor _umbracoContextAccessor;

    public TreeMenuRenderingComponent(IUmbracoContextAccessor umbracoContextAccessor)
    {
        _umbracoContextAccessor = umbracoContextAccessor;
    }

    public void Initialize()
    {
        TreeControllerBase.MenuRendering += TreeControllerBase_MenuRendering;
    }

    public void Terminate() {}

    private void TreeControllerBase_MenuRendering(TreeControllerBase sender, MenuRenderingEventArgs e)
    {
        //logic on next slide
    }
}

Menu Rendering Event

private void TreeControllerBase_MenuRendering(TreeControllerBase sender, MenuRenderingEventArgs e)
{
    if (sender.TreeAlias == "content")
    {
        var nodeId = e.NodeId;
        var contentItem = _umbracoContextAccessor.UmbracoContext.ContentCache.GetById(int.Parse(nodeId));

        if (contentItem != null)
        {
            var menuItem = new Umbraco.Web.Models.Trees.MenuItem("autoTranslate", "Auto Translate..");
            menuItem.Icon = "globe-inverted-europe-africa";
            menuItem.SeparatorBefore = true;
            menuItem.AdditionalData.Add("actionView", "/App_Plugins/AutoTranslate/autotranslate.content.html");
            var menuPosition = e.Menu.Items.Count - 1;
            e.Menu.Items.Insert(menuPosition, menuItem);
        }
    }
}

What else could you do?

Remove some of the default action menu items. Perhaps remove the delete option?
Add new functionality like 'Send to mailchimp' or 'Export as PDF'.
Like Content Apps, the opportunities are endless.

Doc Type Grid Editor

Create a CustomGridEditors App_Plugins Folder

Add a package manifest in it

Copy the one which comes with the DTGE package
Edit it for your custom grid editors

{
  "gridEditors": [
    {
      "name": "Image Link",
      "alias": "imageLink",
      "view": "/App_Plugins/DocTypeGridEditor/Views/doctypegrideditor.html",
      "render": "/App_Plugins/DocTypeGridEditor/Render/DocTypeGridEditor.cshtml",
      "icon": "icon-picture",
      "config": {
        "allowedDocTypes": [ "imageLink" ],
        "nameTemplate": "",
        "enablePreview": false,
        "largeDialog": true,
        "viewPath": "/Views/Partials/Grid/Editors/DocTypeGridEditor/",
        "previewViewPath": "/Views/Partials/Grid/Editors/DocTypeGridEditor/",
        "previewCssFilePath": "",
        "previewJsFilePath": ""
      }
    }
  ],
  "javascript": [
    "~/App_Plugins/DocTypeGridEditor/Js/doctypegrideditor.resources.js",
    "~/App_Plugins/DocTypeGridEditor/Js/doctypegrideditor.services.js",
    "~/App_Plugins/DocTypeGridEditor/Js/doctypegrideditor.controllers.js",
    "~/App_Plugins/DocTypeGridEditor/Js/doctypegrideditor.directives.js"
  ],
  "css": [
    "~/App_Plugins/DocTypeGridEditor/Css/doctypegrideditor.css"
  ]
}

Content App Permissions

Too many content apps can make it look messy

Permissions for Content Apps seems odd

Either locked down by Content App creator or open to all users

What if we controlled Content App Permissions by User Group?

Introducing

Our.Umbraco.ContentAppPermissions NuGet Package

Lets you control who can see which content app

private IEnumerable<ContentApp> GetAllowedContentApps(IUser user, IEnumerable<ContentApp> contentApps)
{
    // Read the app setting for restricting content apps
    var contentAppsRestrictedByGroups = 
            ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["ContentAppsRestrictedByGroup"]?.Split(',');

    if (contentAppsRestrictedByGroups != null)
    {
        // Loop through the content app settings to find the content app name and allowed group list
        foreach (var contentAppSetting in contentAppsRestrictedByGroups
            .Where(x => !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(x)))
        {
            var contentAppName = contentAppSetting.Split('[').FirstOrDefault();
            var allowedGroupList = GetAllowedGroupList(contentAppSetting);
            if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(contentAppName) && allowedGroupList != null)
            {
                // check if the user is in any of the allowed groups
                // if they are not, then remove the content app from the list
                contentApps = UserIsInAnyOfTheseGroups(user, allowedGroupList)
                    ? contentApps
                    : contentApps.Where(x => x.Name != contentAppName);
            }
        }
    }

    return contentApps;
}

We can do better than this

Dave Woestenborghs' Redirects Viewer

This would be ideal

IIS Builder

Creates a website in IIS for you

Assigns multiple domains for you

Creates valid local SSL certificates for you

Applies the certificates to the https bindings

Made by Matt Hart from Moriyama

Create the config file

{
  "IIS-Site-Name": "pub-chain-site",
  "App-Pool-Name": "pub-chain-site",
  "IIS-App-Pool-Dot-Net-Version": "v4.0",
  "bindings": ["the-red-lion.localtest.me", "the-crown.localtest.me"]
}

Save it in the root of your web project as iis-config.json.

Download the powershell file and also save it in the root of the web project

Run the ps1 with Powershell

https://github.com/mattou07/iis-builder

Outro

Credit where it's due

Thanks to Marc Goodson for teaching me most of the stuff I've put in this talk.

Other credits:

Matt Hart
Nik Rimington
Kevin Jump

Thanks to elmah.io and JetBrains for supplying the prizes

Paul Seal

{
    Twitter:    "@CodeSharePaul"
    Blog:       "codeshare.co.uk"
    YouTube:    "codeshare.co.uk/youtube"
    GitHub:     "github.com/prjseal"
    Company:    "moriyama.co.uk"
}