Server-Side API Overview

• Aug 01, 2019
• 6 minutes to read

The Web Dashboard comprises client and server parts:

• The client part supplies end-users with a user interface for designing a dashboard and interacting with it.
• The server part handles client data requests and provides various backend capabilities such as accessing data, storing dashboards, etc.

The Web Dashboard requires configuring various server-side options before first use. These include preparing a dashboard storage, registering predefined data sources, etc. Each platform (Web Forms, MVC, .NET Core) has a different approach to utilizing a server-side API.

If you use the ASP.NET MVC Dashboard extension, select one of the following approaches:

• The ASP.NET MVC Dashboard uses an API exposed by the DashboardConfigurator class. In this case, the DashboardConfigurator.Default object provides access to shared server-side settings (data source settings, data connections, etc.).
• You can create and initialize separate DashboardConfigurator instances within an application to provide different server-side settings. For instance, you can use separate settings for different views. To learn more, see the example below.

The MVCxDashboard uses the DashboardExtensionSettings class to configure the specific extension’s settings.

Example

This example shows how to use separate DashboardConfigurator instances within an ASP.NET MVC Dashboard application to provide different server-side settings. In this example, the Sales and Marketing views use different dashboard storage and different data connections.

Note

A complete sample project is available at https://github.com/DevExpress-Examples/aspnet-mvc-dashboard-how-to-use-separate-server-side-settings-for-different-views-t464543.

HomeController.cs

using System.Web.Mvc;

namespace MVCDashboard_ServerSideAPI.Controllers {
    public class HomeController : Controller {
        public ActionResult Index() {
            return View();
        }

        public ActionResult SalesDashboards() {
            return View("SalesView");
        }
        public ActionResult MarketingDashboards() {
            return View("MarketingView");
        }
    }
}

MarketingView.cshtml (C#)

@{
    ViewBag.Title = "Marketing";
}

<div id="#WebDashboard2" style="position: absolute; left: 0; right: 0; top:0; bottom:0;">
    @Html.DevExpress().Dashboard(settings => {
    settings.Name = "WebDashboard2";
    settings.ControllerName = "MarketingDashboard";
    settings.AllowCreateNewDashboard = false;
    settings.Width = Unit.Percentage(100);
    settings.Height = Unit.Percentage(100);
}).GetHtml()
</div>

DashboardConfig.cs

using DevExpress.DashboardWeb.Mvc;
using System.Web.Routing;

public class DashboardConfig {
    public static void RegisterService(RouteCollection routes) {
        routes.MapDashboardRoute("MarketingDashboard", "MarketingDashboard", new[] { "MvcDashboard_ServerSideApi" } );
        routes.MapDashboardRoute("SalesDashboard", "SalesDashboard", new[] { "MvcDashboard_ServerSideApi" });
    }
}

Index.cshtml (C#)

@{
    ViewBag.Title = "Welcome";
}

@Html.DevExpress().Menu(settings => {
    settings.Name = "Menu";
    settings.AllowSelectItem = false;
    settings.Orientation = System.Web.UI.WebControls.Orientation.Horizontal;

    settings.Items.Add(item => {
        item.Text = "Sales Dashboards";
        item.Image.Url = "~/Images/SalesImage.png";
        item.NavigateUrl = DevExpressHelper.GetUrl(new { Controller = "Home", Action = "SalesDashboards" });
    });
    settings.Items.Add(item => {
        item.Text = "Marketing Dashboards";
        item.Image.Url = "~/Images/MarketingImage.png";
        item.NavigateUrl = DevExpressHelper.GetUrl(new { Controller = "Home", Action = "MarketingDashboards" });
    });
}).GetHtml()

SalesView.cshtml (C#)

@{
    ViewBag.Title = "Sales";
}

<div id="#WebDashboard1" style="position: absolute; left: 0; right: 0; top:0; bottom:0;">
    @Html.DevExpress().Dashboard(settings => {
    settings.Name = "WebDashboard1";
    settings.ControllerName = "SalesDashboard";
    settings.AllowCreateNewDashboard = false;
    settings.Width = Unit.Percentage(100);
    settings.Height = Unit.Percentage(100);
}).GetHtml()
</div>

_Layout.cshtml (C#)

<!DOCTYPE html>

<html>
<head>
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width" />
    <title>@ViewBag.Title</title>
    @Html.DevExpress().GetStyleSheets(
        new StyleSheet { ExtensionSuite = ExtensionSuite.Editors },
        new StyleSheet { ExtensionSuite = ExtensionSuite.Dashboard }
    )
    @Html.DevExpress().GetScripts(
        new Script { ExtensionSuite = ExtensionSuite.Editors },
        new Script { ExtensionSuite = ExtensionSuite.Dashboard }
    )
</head>
<body>
    <div>
        @RenderBody()
    </div>
</body>
</html>

Global.asax.cs

using System;
using System.Web.Hosting;
using System.Web.Mvc;
using System.Web.Routing;
using DevExpress.DashboardWeb;
using DevExpress.DashboardWeb.Mvc;
using DevExpress.DataAccess.ConnectionParameters;
using DevExpress.Web;

namespace MvcDashboard_ServerSideApi {
    public class MvcApplication : System.Web.HttpApplication {
        protected void Application_Start() {
            DashboardConfig.RegisterService(RouteTable.Routes);
            RouteConfig.RegisterRoutes(RouteTable.Routes);
            ASPxWebControl.CallbackError += Application_Error;
            ControllerBuilder.Current.SetControllerFactory(typeof(CustomControllerFactory));
        }

        protected void Application_Error(object sender, EventArgs e) {
            Exception exception = System.Web.HttpContext.Current.Server.GetLastError();
        }
    }

    public class CustomControllerFactory : DefaultControllerFactory {
        public override IController CreateController(RequestContext requestContext, string controllerName) {
            if (controllerName == "SalesDashboard") {
                DashboardConfigurator salesConfigurator = new DashboardConfigurator();
                salesConfigurator.SetDashboardStorage(new DashboardFileStorage(@"~/App_Data/Sales"));
                salesConfigurator.ConfigureDataConnection += (s, e) => {
                    string databasePath = HostingEnvironment.MapPath("~/App_Data/nwind.mdb");
                    if (e.ConnectionName == "Northwind connection")
                        e.ConnectionParameters = new Access97ConnectionParameters(databasePath, "", "");
                };
                return new DashboardController(salesConfigurator);
            }
            else if (controllerName == "MarketingDashboard") {
                DashboardConfigurator marketingConfigurator = new DashboardConfigurator();
                marketingConfigurator.SetDashboardStorage(new DashboardFileStorage(@"~/App_Data/Marketing"));
                marketingConfigurator.ConfigureDataConnection += (s, e) => {
                    string connectionString = @"provider=MSOLAP;
                                  data source=https://demos.devexpress.com/Services/OLAP/msmdpump.dll;
                                  initial catalog=Adventure Works DW Standard Edition;
                                  cube name=Adventure Works;";
                    if (e.ConnectionName == "Adventure Works connection")
                        e.ConnectionParameters = new OlapConnectionParameters(connectionString);
                };
                return new DashboardController(marketingConfigurator);
            }
            else {
                return base.CreateController(requestContext, controllerName);
            }
        }

        public override void ReleaseController(IController controller) {
            IDisposable dispose = controller as IDisposable;
            if (dispose != null) {
                dispose.Dispose();
            }
        }
    }
}

HomeController.vb

Imports System.Web.Mvc

Namespace MVCDashboard_ServerSideAPI.Controllers
    Public Class HomeController
        Inherits Controller

        Public Function Index() As ActionResult
            Return View()
        End Function

        Public Function SalesDashboards() As ActionResult
            Return View("SalesView")
        End Function
        Public Function MarketingDashboards() As ActionResult
            Return View("MarketingView")
        End Function
    End Class
End Namespace

Index.cshtml (VB.NET)

@{
    ViewBag.Title = "Welcome";
}

@Html.DevExpress().Menu(settings => {
    settings.Name = "Menu";
    settings.AllowSelectItem = false;
    settings.Orientation = System.Web.UI.WebControls.Orientation.Horizontal;

    settings.Items.Add(item => {
        item.Text = "Sales Dashboards";
        item.Image.Url = "~/Images/SalesImage.png";
        item.NavigateUrl = DevExpressHelper.GetUrl(new { Controller = "Home", Action = "SalesDashboards" });
    });
    settings.Items.Add(item => {
        item.Text = "Marketing Dashboards";
        item.Image.Url = "~/Images/MarketingImage.png";
        item.NavigateUrl = DevExpressHelper.GetUrl(new { Controller = "Home", Action = "MarketingDashboards" });
    });
}).GetHtml()

Global.asax.vb

Imports System
Imports System.Web.Hosting
Imports System.Web.Mvc
Imports System.Web.Routing
Imports DevExpress.DashboardWeb
Imports DevExpress.DashboardWeb.Mvc
Imports DevExpress.DataAccess.ConnectionParameters
Imports DevExpress.Web

Namespace MVCDashboard_ServerSideAPI
    Public Class MvcApplication
        Inherits System.Web.HttpApplication

        Protected Sub Application_Start()
            DashboardConfig.RegisterService(RouteTable.Routes)
            RouteConfig.RegisterRoutes(RouteTable.Routes)
            AddHandler ASPxWebControl.CallbackError, AddressOf Application_Error
            ControllerBuilder.Current.SetControllerFactory(GetType(CustomControllerFactory))
        End Sub

        Protected Sub Application_Error(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
            Dim exception As Exception = System.Web.HttpContext.Current.Server.GetLastError()
        End Sub
    End Class

    Public Class CustomControllerFactory
        Inherits DefaultControllerFactory

        Public Overrides Function CreateController(ByVal requestContext As RequestContext,
                                                   ByVal controllerName As String) As IController
            If controllerName = "SalesDashboard" Then
                Dim salesConfigurator As New DashboardConfigurator()
                salesConfigurator.SetDashboardStorage(New DashboardFileStorage("~/App_Data/Sales"))
                AddHandler salesConfigurator.ConfigureDataConnection, Sub(s, e)
                                                                          Dim databasePath As String = HostingEnvironment.MapPath("~/App_Data/nwind.mdb")
                                                                          If e.ConnectionName = "Northwind connection" Then
                                                                              e.ConnectionParameters = New Access97ConnectionParameters(databasePath, "", "")
                                                                          End If
                                                                      End Sub
                Return New DashboardController(salesConfigurator)
            ElseIf controllerName = "MarketingDashboard" Then
                Dim marketingConfigurator As New DashboardConfigurator()
                marketingConfigurator.SetDashboardStorage(New DashboardFileStorage("~/App_Data/Marketing"))
                AddHandler marketingConfigurator.ConfigureDataConnection, Sub(s, e)
                                                                              Dim connectionString As String = "provider=MSOLAP;" _
                                                                                          & ControlChars.CrLf &
                                                                                          "data source=http://demos.devexpress.com/Services/OLAP/msmdpump.dll;" _
                                                                                          & ControlChars.CrLf &
                                                                                          "initial catalog=Adventure Works DW Standard Edition;" _
                                                                                          & ControlChars.CrLf &
                                                                                          "cube name=Adventure Works;"
                                                                              If e.ConnectionName = "Adventure Works connection" Then
                                                                                  e.ConnectionParameters = New OlapConnectionParameters(connectionString)
                                                                              End If
                                                                          End Sub
                Return New DashboardController(marketingConfigurator)
            Else
                Return MyBase.CreateController(requestContext, controllerName)
            End If
        End Function

        Public Overrides Sub ReleaseController(ByVal controller As IController)

            Dim dispose_Renamed As IDisposable = TryCast(controller, IDisposable)
            If dispose_Renamed IsNot Nothing Then
                dispose_Renamed.Dispose()
            End If
        End Sub
    End Class
End Namespace

SalesView.cshtml (VB.NET)

@{
    ViewBag.Title = "Sales";
}

<div id="#WebDashboard1" style="position: absolute; left: 0; right: 0; top:0; bottom:0;">
    @Html.DevExpress().Dashboard(settings => {
    settings.Name = "WebDashboard1";
    settings.ControllerName = "SalesDashboard";
    settings.AllowCreateNewDashboard = false;
    settings.Width = Unit.Percentage(100);
    settings.Height = Unit.Percentage(100);
}).GetHtml()
</div>

MarketingView.cshtml (VB.NET)

@{
    ViewBag.Title = "Marketing";
}

<div id="#WebDashboard2" style="position: absolute; left: 0; right: 0; top:0; bottom:0;">
    @Html.DevExpress().Dashboard(settings => {
    settings.Name = "WebDashboard2";
    settings.ControllerName = "MarketingDashboard";
    settings.AllowCreateNewDashboard = false;
    settings.Width = Unit.Percentage(100);
    settings.Height = Unit.Percentage(100);
}).GetHtml()
</div>

_Layout.cshtml (VB.NET)

<!DOCTYPE html>

<html>
<head>
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width" />
    <title>@ViewBag.Title</title>
    @Html.DevExpress().GetStyleSheets(
        new StyleSheet { ExtensionSuite = ExtensionSuite.Editors },
        new StyleSheet { ExtensionSuite = ExtensionSuite.Dashboard }
    )
    @Html.DevExpress().GetScripts(
        new Script { ExtensionSuite = ExtensionSuite.Editors },
        new Script { ExtensionSuite = ExtensionSuite.Dashboard }
    )
</head>
<body>
    <div>
        @RenderBody()
    </div>
</body>
</html>

DashboardConfig.vb

Imports System.Web.Routing
Imports DevExpress.DashboardWeb.Mvc

Public Class DashboardConfig
    Public Shared Sub RegisterService(ByVal routes As RouteCollection)
        routes.MapDashboardRoute("MarketingDashboard", "MarketingDashboard", {"MVCDashboard_ServerSideAPI"})
        routes.MapDashboardRoute("SalesDashboard", "SalesDashboard", {"MVCDashboard_ServerSideAPI"})
    End Sub
End Class