Web Application Development Tutorial - Part 3: Creating, Updating and Deleting Books

About This Tutorial

In this tutorial series, you will build an ABP based web application named Acme.BookStore. This application is used to manage a list of books and their authors. It is developed using the following technologies:

Entity Framework Core as the ORM provider.
Blazor Server as the UI Framework.

This tutorial is organized as the following parts:

Part 1: Creating the server side
Part 2: The book list page
Part 3: Creating, updating and deleting books (this part)
Part 4: Integration tests
Part 5: Authorization
Part 6: Authors: Domain layer
Part 7: Authors: Database Integration
Part 8: Authors: Application Layer
Part 9: Authors: User Interface
Part 10: Book to Author Relation

Download the Source Code

This tutorial has multiple versions based on your UI and Database preferences. We've prepared a few combinations of the source code to be downloaded:

If you encounter the "filename too long" or "unzip" error on Windows, please see this guide.

Creating a New Book

In this section, you will learn how to create a new modal dialog form to create a new book. Since we've inherited from the AbpCrudPageBase, we only need to develop the view part.

Add a "New Button" Button

Open the Books.razor and replace the <CardHeader> section with the following code:

<CardHeader>
    <Row Class="justify-content-between">
        <Column ColumnSize="ColumnSize.IsAuto">
            <h2>@L["Books"]</h2>
        </Column>
        <Column ColumnSize="ColumnSize.IsAuto">
            <Button Color="Color.Primary"
                    Clicked="OpenCreateModalAsync">@L["NewBook"]</Button>
        </Column>
    </Row>
</CardHeader>

This will change the card header by adding a "New book" button to the right side:

Now, we can add a modal that will be opened when we click the button.

Book Creation Modal

Open the Books.razor and add the following code to the end of the page:

<Modal @ref="@CreateModal">
    <ModalBackdrop />
    <ModalContent IsCentered="true">
        <Form>
            <ModalHeader>
                <ModalTitle>@L["NewBook"]</ModalTitle>
                <CloseButton Clicked="CloseCreateModalAsync"/>
            </ModalHeader>
            <ModalBody>
                <Validations @ref="@CreateValidationsRef" Model="@NewEntity" ValidateOnLoad="false">
                    <Validation MessageLocalizer="@LH.Localize">
                        <Field>
                            <FieldLabel>@L["Name"]</FieldLabel>
                            <TextEdit @bind-Text="@NewEntity.Name">
                                <Feedback>
                                    <ValidationError/>
                                </Feedback>
                            </TextEdit>
                        </Field>
                    </Validation>
                    <Field>
                        <FieldLabel>@L["Type"]</FieldLabel>
                        <Select TValue="BookType" @bind-SelectedValue="@NewEntity.Type">
                            @foreach (int bookTypeValue in Enum.GetValues(typeof(BookType)))
                            {
                                <SelectItem TValue="BookType" Value="@((BookType) bookTypeValue)">
                                    @L[$"Enum:BookType.{bookTypeValue}"]
                                </SelectItem>
                            }
                        </Select>
                    </Field>
                    <Field>
                        <FieldLabel>@L["PublishDate"]</FieldLabel>
                        <DateEdit TValue="DateTime" @bind-Date="NewEntity.PublishDate"/>
                    </Field>
                    <Field>
                        <FieldLabel>@L["Price"]</FieldLabel>
                        <NumericEdit TValue="float" @bind-Value="NewEntity.Price"/>
                    </Field>
                </Validations>
            </ModalBody>
            <ModalFooter>
                <Button Color="Color.Secondary"
                        Clicked="CloseCreateModalAsync">@L["Cancel"]</Button>
                <Button Color="Color.Primary"
                        Type="@ButtonType.Submit"
                        PreventDefaultOnSubmit="true"
                        Clicked="CreateEntityAsync">@L["Save"]</Button>
            </ModalFooter>
        </Form>
    </ModalContent>
</Modal>

This code requires a service; Inject the AbpBlazorMessageLocalizerHelper<T> at the top of the file, just before the @inherits... line:

@inject AbpBlazorMessageLocalizerHelper<BookStoreResource> LH

The form implements validation and the AbpBlazorMessageLocalizerHelper is used to simply localize the validation messages.
The CreateModal object, CloseCreateModalAsync and CreateEntityAsync methods are defined by the base class. Check out the Blazorise documentation if you want to understand the Modal and the other components.

That's all. Run the application and try to add a new book:

Updating a Book

Editing a book is similar to creating a new book.

Actions Dropdown

Open the Books.razor and add the following DataGridEntityActionsColumn section inside the DataGridColumns as the first item:

<DataGridEntityActionsColumn TItem="BookDto" @ref="@EntityActionsColumn">
    <DisplayTemplate>
        <EntityActions TItem="BookDto" EntityActionsColumn="@EntityActionsColumn">
            <EntityAction TItem="BookDto"
                          Text="@L["Edit"]"
                          Clicked="() => OpenEditModalAsync(context)" />
        </EntityActions>
    </DisplayTemplate>
</DataGridEntityActionsColumn>

OpenEditModalAsync is defined in the base class which takes the entity (book) to edit.

The DataGridEntityActionsColumn component is used to show an "Actions" dropdown for each row in the DataGrid. The DataGridEntityActionsColumn shows a single button instead of a dropdown if there is only one available action inside it:

Edit Modal

We can now define a modal to edit the book. Add the following code to the end of the Books.razor page:

<Modal @ref="@EditModal">
    <ModalBackdrop />
    <ModalContent IsCentered="true">
        <Form>
            <ModalHeader>
                <ModalTitle>@EditingEntity.Name</ModalTitle>
                <CloseButton Clicked="CloseEditModalAsync"/>
            </ModalHeader>
            <ModalBody>
                <Validations @ref="@EditValidationsRef" Model="@NewEntity" ValidateOnLoad="false">
                    <Validation MessageLocalizer="@LH.Localize">
                        <Field>
                            <FieldLabel>@L["Name"]</FieldLabel>
                            <TextEdit @bind-Text="@EditingEntity.Name">
                                <Feedback>
                                    <ValidationError/>
                                </Feedback>
                            </TextEdit>
                        </Field>
                    </Validation>
                    <Field>
                        <FieldLabel>@L["Type"]</FieldLabel>
                        <Select TValue="BookType" @bind-SelectedValue="@EditingEntity.Type">
                            @foreach (int bookTypeValue in Enum.GetValues(typeof(BookType)))
                            {
                                <SelectItem TValue="BookType" Value="@((BookType) bookTypeValue)">
                                    @L[$"Enum:BookType.{bookTypeValue}"]
                                </SelectItem>
                            }
                        </Select>
                    </Field>
                    <Field>
                        <FieldLabel>@L["PublishDate"]</FieldLabel>
                        <DateEdit TValue="DateTime" @bind-Date="EditingEntity.PublishDate"/>
                    </Field>
                    <Field>
                        <FieldLabel>@L["Price"]</FieldLabel>
                        <NumericEdit TValue="float" @bind-Value="EditingEntity.Price"/>
                    </Field>
                </Validations>
            </ModalBody>
            <ModalFooter>
                <Button Color="Color.Secondary"
                        Clicked="CloseEditModalAsync">@L["Cancel"]</Button>
                <Button Color="Color.Primary"
                        Type="@ButtonType.Submit"
                        PreventDefaultOnSubmit="true"
                        Clicked="UpdateEntityAsync">@L["Save"]</Button>
            </ModalFooter>
        </Form>
    </ModalContent>
</Modal>

AutoMapper Configuration

The base AbpCrudPageBase uses the object to object mapping system to convert an incoming BookDto object to a CreateUpdateBookDto object. So, we need to define the mapping.

Open the BookStoreBlazorAutoMapperProfile inside the Acme.BookStore.Blazor project and change the content as the following:

using Acme.BookStore.Books;
using AutoMapper;

namespace Acme.BookStore.Blazor;

public class BookStoreBlazorAutoMapperProfile : Profile
{
    public BookStoreBlazorAutoMapperProfile()
    {
        CreateMap<BookDto, CreateUpdateBookDto>();
    }
}

We've just added the CreateMap<BookDto, CreateUpdateBookDto>(); line to define the mapping.

Test the Editing Modal

You can now run the application and try to edit a book.

Tip: Try to leave the Name field empty and submit the form to show the validation error message.

Deleting a Book

Open the Books.razor page and add the following EntityAction code under the "Edit" action inside EntityActions:

<EntityAction TItem="BookDto"
              Text="@L["Delete"]"
              Clicked="() => DeleteEntityAsync(context)"
              ConfirmationMessage="() => GetDeleteConfirmationMessage(context)" />

DeleteEntityAsync is defined in the base class that deletes the entity by performing a call to the server.
ConfirmationMessage is a callback to show a confirmation message before executing the action.
GetDeleteConfirmationMessage is defined in the base class. You can override this method (or pass another value to the ConfirmationMessage parameter) to customize the localization message.

The "Actions" button becomes a dropdown since it has two actions now:

Run the application and try to delete a book.

Full CRUD UI Code

Here's the complete code to create the book management CRUD page, that has been developed in the last two parts:

@page "/books"
@using Volo.Abp.Application.Dtos
@using Acme.BookStore.Books
@using Acme.BookStore.Localization
@using Microsoft.Extensions.Localization
@using Volo.Abp.AspNetCore.Components.Web
@inject IStringLocalizer<BookStoreResource> L
@inject AbpBlazorMessageLocalizerHelper<BookStoreResource> LH
@inherits AbpCrudPageBase<IBookAppService, BookDto, Guid, PagedAndSortedResultRequestDto, CreateUpdateBookDto>

<Card>
    <CardHeader>
        <Row Class="justify-content-between">
            <Column ColumnSize="ColumnSize.IsAuto">
                <h2>@L["Books"]</h2>
            </Column>
            <Column ColumnSize="ColumnSize.IsAuto">
                <Button Color="Color.Primary"
                        Clicked="OpenCreateModalAsync">@L["NewBook"]</Button>
            </Column>
        </Row>
    </CardHeader>
    <CardBody>
        <DataGrid TItem="BookDto"
                  Data="Entities"
                  ReadData="OnDataGridReadAsync"
                  CurrentPage="CurrentPage"
                  TotalItems="TotalCount"
                  ShowPager="true"
                  PageSize="PageSize">
            <DataGridColumns>
                <DataGridEntityActionsColumn TItem="BookDto" @ref="@EntityActionsColumn">
                    <DisplayTemplate>
                        <EntityActions TItem="BookDto" EntityActionsColumn="@EntityActionsColumn">
                            <EntityAction TItem="BookDto"
                                          Text="@L["Edit"]"
                                          Clicked="() => OpenEditModalAsync(context)" />
                            <EntityAction TItem="BookDto"
                                          Text="@L["Delete"]"
                                          Clicked="() => DeleteEntityAsync(context)"
                                          ConfirmationMessage="()=>GetDeleteConfirmationMessage(context)" />
                        </EntityActions>
                    </DisplayTemplate>
                </DataGridEntityActionsColumn>
                <DataGridColumn TItem="BookDto"
                                Field="@nameof(BookDto.Name)"
                                Caption="@L["Name"]"></DataGridColumn>
                <DataGridColumn TItem="BookDto"
                                Field="@nameof(BookDto.Type)"
                                Caption="@L["Type"]">
                    <DisplayTemplate>
                        @L[$"Enum:BookType.{context.Type}"]
                    </DisplayTemplate>
                </DataGridColumn>
                <DataGridColumn TItem="BookDto"
                                Field="@nameof(BookDto.PublishDate)"
                                Caption="@L["PublishDate"]">
                    <DisplayTemplate>
                        @context.PublishDate.ToShortDateString()
                    </DisplayTemplate>
                </DataGridColumn>
                <DataGridColumn TItem="BookDto"
                                Field="@nameof(BookDto.Price)"
                                Caption="@L["Price"]">
                </DataGridColumn>
                <DataGridColumn TItem="BookDto"
                                Field="@nameof(BookDto.CreationTime)"
                                Caption="@L["CreationTime"]">
                    <DisplayTemplate>
                        @context.CreationTime.ToLongDateString()
                    </DisplayTemplate>
                </DataGridColumn>
            </DataGridColumns>
        </DataGrid>
    </CardBody>
</Card>

<Modal @ref="@CreateModal">
    <ModalBackdrop />
    <ModalContent IsCentered="true">
        <Form>
            <ModalHeader>
                <ModalTitle>@L["NewBook"]</ModalTitle>
                <CloseButton Clicked="CloseCreateModalAsync"/>
            </ModalHeader>
            <ModalBody>
                <Validations @ref="@CreateValidationsRef" Model="@NewEntity" ValidateOnLoad="false">
                    <Validation MessageLocalizer="@LH.Localize">
                        <Field>
                            <FieldLabel>@L["Name"]</FieldLabel>
                            <TextEdit @bind-Text="@NewEntity.Name">
                                <Feedback>
                                    <ValidationError/>
                                </Feedback>
                            </TextEdit>
                        </Field>
                    </Validation>
                    <Field>
                        <FieldLabel>@L["Type"]</FieldLabel>
                        <Select TValue="BookType" @bind-SelectedValue="@NewEntity.Type">
                            @foreach (int bookTypeValue in Enum.GetValues(typeof(BookType)))
                            {
                                <SelectItem TValue="BookType" Value="@((BookType) bookTypeValue)">
                                    @L[$"Enum:BookType.{bookTypeValue}"]
                                </SelectItem>
                            }
                        </Select>
                    </Field>
                    <Field>
                        <FieldLabel>@L["PublishDate"]</FieldLabel>
                        <DateEdit TValue="DateTime" @bind-Date="NewEntity.PublishDate"/>
                    </Field>
                    <Field>
                        <FieldLabel>@L["Price"]</FieldLabel>
                        <NumericEdit TValue="float" @bind-Value="NewEntity.Price"/>
                    </Field>
                </Validations>
            </ModalBody>
            <ModalFooter>
                <Button Color="Color.Secondary"
                        Clicked="CloseCreateModalAsync">@L["Cancel"]</Button>
                <Button Color="Color.Primary"
                        Type="@ButtonType.Submit"
                        PreventDefaultOnSubmit="true"
                        Clicked="CreateEntityAsync">@L["Save"]</Button>
            </ModalFooter>
        </Form>
    </ModalContent>
</Modal>

<Modal @ref="@EditModal">
    <ModalBackdrop />
    <ModalContent IsCentered="true">
        <Form>
            <ModalHeader>
                <ModalTitle>@EditingEntity.Name</ModalTitle>
                <CloseButton Clicked="CloseEditModalAsync"/>
            </ModalHeader>
            <ModalBody>
                <Validations @ref="@EditValidationsRef" Model="@NewEntity" ValidateOnLoad="false">
                    <Validation MessageLocalizer="@LH.Localize">
                        <Field>
                            <FieldLabel>@L["Name"]</FieldLabel>
                            <TextEdit @bind-Text="@EditingEntity.Name">
                                <Feedback>
                                    <ValidationError/>
                                </Feedback>
                            </TextEdit>
                        </Field>
                    </Validation>
                    <Field>
                        <FieldLabel>@L["Type"]</FieldLabel>
                        <Select TValue="BookType" @bind-SelectedValue="@EditingEntity.Type">
                            @foreach (int bookTypeValue in Enum.GetValues(typeof(BookType)))
                            {
                                <SelectItem TValue="BookType" Value="@((BookType) bookTypeValue)">
                                    @L[$"Enum:BookType.{bookTypeValue}"]
                                </SelectItem>
                            }
                        </Select>
                    </Field>
                    <Field>
                        <FieldLabel>@L["PublishDate"]</FieldLabel>
                        <DateEdit TValue="DateTime" @bind-Date="EditingEntity.PublishDate"/>
                    </Field>
                    <Field>
                        <FieldLabel>@L["Price"]</FieldLabel>
                        <NumericEdit TValue="float" @bind-Value="EditingEntity.Price"/>
                    </Field>
                </Validations>
            </ModalBody>
            <ModalFooter>
                <Button Color="Color.Secondary"
                        Clicked="CloseEditModalAsync">@L["Cancel"]</Button>
                <Button Color="Color.Primary"
                        Type="@ButtonType.Submit"
                        PreventDefaultOnSubmit="true"
                        Clicked="UpdateEntityAsync">@L["Save"]</Button>
            </ModalFooter>
        </Form>
    </ModalContent>
</Modal>