Building UI

The entity system ships several composable surfaces for displaying entity data. This guide covers the layout taxonomy, the workspace shapes (singleton / list / grouped), the slot-based StandardRouteBuilder, the EntityCustomRoute extension points, and the helper widgets (EntityCardBuilder, SectionCard, EntityProvider).

Layout Taxonomy

Every entity declares its layouts in one place — EntityConfiguration.layouts:

dart

class EntityLayouts<T extends EntityBase> {
  final List<CollectionLayout<T>>     list;
  final List<EntityLayout<T>>         details;
  final List<EntityItemLayout<T>>     items;
  final List<EntityComparisonLayout<T>> comparisons;
  final EntityLayout<T>?              summary;
  final AggregateLayout<T>?           dashboard;
  final List<AggregateLayout<T>>      analytics;
}

Slot	What it renders
`list`	Tables, grids, mobile compact rows — any view that takes a list of entities
`details`	Tabs on the detail page (Overview, Audit, Versions, Workflow, …)
`items`	Single-entity rendering primitives (version detail card, sidebar tile, palette preview). Looked up by identifier via `getItem(id)`; framework provides a `'default'` field/value table when none registered
`comparisons`	Multi-entity rendering primitives (audit delta, future trend matrix). Looked up via `getComparison(id)`
`summary`	Optional summary card shown above the detail tabs
`dashboard`	Optional aggregate dashboard at `/<prefix>/dashboard`
`analytics`	Aggregate views (charts, heatmaps, trends)

Layouts marked with an Authorize policy are filtered automatically before render via EntityLayouts.filterByPermission.

dart

final layouts = EntityLayouts<Course>(
  list: [courseTable, courseGrid],
  details: [courseDetailsTab, EntityVersionLayout<Course>(/* ... */)],
  summary: const CourseSummaryCard(),
  dashboard: const CourseDashboard(),
);

Workspace Shapes

A workspace is the top-level shell that hosts an entity surface — the master/detail layout, header, dock, and lifecycle wiring. The framework ships three canonical shapes, all built on the same WorkspaceTemplate foundation. Capability mixins compose the behavior; you don't build new shells from scratch.

Shape	Use case	Key class
List (default)	Master-detail entity surfaces (Areas, Equipment, Activities, …)	`EntityWorkspace<T>`
Singleton	Single-instance entities (Settings, P&D Module Config)	`SingletonEntityWorkspace<T>`
Grouped	Tabbed shells hosting multiple child workspaces (Inbox)	`GroupedEntityWorkspace`

List shape — `EntityWorkspace<T>`

EntityWorkspace<T> is a cdx_panes.Workspace with header / body / dock slots driven by EntityWorkspaceConfig. It owns the EntityListController<T> and the dock controller, syncs URL ↔ selection ↔ panel mode, and dispatches lifecycle callbacks. StandardRouteBuilder<T> returns this shell by default; consumers do not normally instantiate it directly.

dart

EntityWorkspace<Course>(
  config: const EntityWorkspaceConfig(),
  panel: navigationShell,           // detail content for the docked panel
  selectionMode: EntitySelectionMode.navigate,
  baseFilter: someAlwaysAppliedFilter, // optional
  onAfterMutation: (ctx, event) {
    /* Cross-entity refresh, analytics, … */
  },
);

Composition (mixins, all with the same State):

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class _EntityWorkspaceState<T extends EntityBase>
    extends WorkspaceTemplateState<EntityWorkspace<T>, T>
    with
        WithRouterAwareness<EntityWorkspace<T>, T>,
        WithListController<EntityWorkspace<T>, T>,
        WithDetail<T>,
        WithDraftIsolation<EntityWorkspace<T>, T>,
        WithBatchActions<EntityWorkspace<T>, T> { /* ... */ }

Each mixin owns one capability. New shapes pick the mixins they need and compose through WorkspaceTemplate; reserve EntityShellLayout / MasterDetailScaffold for the existing standard shell path.

Singleton shape — `SingletonEntityWorkspace<T>`

For app-wide settings or any entity that exists as a single instance: no list, no row selection, no detail dock. The body is the active route's content.

URL convention:

/<base> → summary detail layout
/<base>/edit → editor
/<base>/<tab> → that tab's detail layout

dart

SingletonEntityWorkspace<Settings>(
  navigationShell: shellRouteChild,
  onAfterMutation: (ctx, event) { /* ... */ },
)

Grouped shape — `GroupedEntityWorkspace`

A tabbed shell whose tabs are independent child workspaces. Canonical use case: the Inbox, with tabs like My Approvals, My Investigations, each hosting its own filtered EntityWorkspace<T>.

dart

GroupedEntityWorkspace(
  config: GroupedEntityWorkspaceConfig(
    basePath: '/lms/inbox',
    tabs: [approvalsTab, investigationsTab, breakdownsTab],
  ),
)

The body is an IndexedStack so switching tabs preserves each child's scroll position, sort, filter, and selection.

StandardRouteBuilder — Slot-Based Customization

StandardRouteBuilder<T> assembles the route tree for a single entity (list / dashboard / new / detail tabs / edit / custom routes). It exposes its work as slots. Override buildSingleRoute(slot, config) or buildMultipleRoutes(slot, config) and dispatch on the slot constant — unknown slots fall through to super.

Slot constants (always reference the constant, never the string literal):

Slot	Returns	Notes
`createRoute`	single GoRoute	`null` when no editor
`editRoute`	single GoRoute	`null` when no editor
`dashboardRoute`	single GoRoute	`null` when no dashboard layout
`viewTabsRoute`	list of GoRoutes	One per detail tab; empty when no detail layouts
`customRoutesSlot`	list of GoRoutes	Built from the constructor's `customRoutes`
`singletonMainRoute`	single GoRoute	Used when `isSingleton: true`
`singletonEditRoute`	single GoRoute	Used when `isSingleton: true` and editor present
`singletonTabsRoute`	list of GoRoutes	Used when `isSingleton: true`

Replace just the create route

dart

class ActivityRouteBuilder extends StandardRouteBuilder<Activity> {
  @override
  GoRoute? buildSingleRoute(String slot, EntityConfiguration<Activity> config) {
    if (slot == StandardRouteBuilder.createRoute) {
      return GoRoute(
        path: 'new',
        pageBuilder: (context, state) => DialogPage(
          child: ActivityCreationWizard(/* ... */),
        ),
      );
    }
    return super.buildSingleRoute(slot, config);
  }
}

Read-only entity (no create / edit)

dart

class ReadOnlyRouteBuilder<T extends EntityBase>
    extends StandardRouteBuilder<T> {
  @override
  GoRoute? buildSingleRoute(String slot, EntityConfiguration<T> config) {
    if (slot == StandardRouteBuilder.createRoute ||
        slot == StandardRouteBuilder.editRoute) {
      return null;
    }
    return super.buildSingleRoute(slot, config);
  }
}

Replace the shell

When the workspace shape needs to change (e.g. mounting a custom dock layout), override buildShellLayout instead of rebuilding the route tree. EntityWorkspaceRouteBuilder<T> does exactly this — same slot helpers, different shell.

EntityCustomRoute

EntityCustomRoute adds extra routes alongside the standard tab + edit routes. Two scopes:

Constructor	URL	Builder	Use case
`EntityCustomRoute(path: 'preview', ...)`	`<prefix>/:id/preview`	`(context, entityId)`	Per-entity sub-pages — preview, related view
`EntityCustomRoute.topLevel(path: 'kanban', ...)`	`<prefix>/kanban`	`(context)`	Collection-level pages — kanban, calendar

display controls the page wrapper:

`CustomRouteDisplay`	Desktop	Mobile
`fullWidth`	`NoTransitionPage` (full-page)	`ModalSheetPage`
`dialog`	`DialogPage` (CDX `DialogShell`)	`ModalSheetPage`

dart

StandardRouteBuilder<LogTemplate>(
  customRoutes: [
    EntityCustomRoute(
      path: 'preview',
      title: 'Preview',
      icon: FluentIcons.eye_24_regular,
      display: CustomRouteDisplay.dialog,
      builder: (context, entityId) => PreviewContent(entityId: entityId),
    ),
    EntityCustomRoute.topLevel(
      path: 'kanban',
      title: 'Kanban Board',
      icon: FluentIcons.board_24_regular,
      display: CustomRouteDisplay.fullWidth,
      builder: (context) => const ActivityKanbanPage(),
    ),
  ],
);

Dialog routes are push-only — direct URL entry redirects to the parent (per-entity) or to / (top-level). Push them via:

dart

EntityNavigation.showCustom<LogTemplate>(context, entityId, 'preview');
// or
context.push(path, extra: const {'pushed': true});

EntityProvider

EntityProvider<T> is the inherited widget that exposes the entity configuration, the list controller, and the lifecycle hooks to descendants. Workspaces mount it; consumers read from it.

dart

final config     = EntityProvider.configOf<Course>(context);
final metadata   = EntityProvider.metadataOf<Course>(context);
final api        = EntityProvider.apiOf<Course>(context);
final controller = EntityProvider.listControllerOf<Course>(context);

// Nullable variants
final maybeCfg = EntityProvider.maybeConfigOf<Course>(context);
final maybeCtrl = EntityProvider.maybeListControllerOf<Course>(context);

Accessor	Returns
`configOf<T>()`	`EntityConfiguration<T>`
`metadataOf<T>()`	`EntityMetadata`
`apiOf<T>()`	`EntityApi<T>`
`listControllerOf<T>()`	`EntityListController<T>`
`buildersOf<T>()`	`RouteComponentBuilders<T>?`
`hooksOf<T>()`	`RouteLifecycleHooks<T>?`

EntityListView

EntityListView<T> is the master widget rendered inside the list workspace. It owns search, filters, layout switching, selection, batch actions, pagination, and the drafts toggle.

The default list surface uses entity-system layouts backed by CDX UI view packages: Data Tables, Kanban Boards, Tree Views, and Calendar Views. Use entity layouts when the surface is part of an entity workspace; import the CDX UI view packages directly when building a standalone tool.

dart

EntityListView<Course>(
  listLayouts: courseConfig.layouts.list,
  showFilters: true,
  showHeader: true,
)

Parameter	Purpose
`listLayouts`	Available list layouts (table, grid, …)
`selectedEntity`	Override for the selected entity
`onSelectionChanged`	Single-selection callback
`onMultiSelectionChanged`	Multi-selection callback (batch actions)
`showSidePanel`	Embed a docked detail panel
`panelMode`	`view` or `edit`
`showFilters` / `showHeader`	UI toggles

Mobile breakpoint behavior: the workspace replaces the side panel with a bottom sheet automatically.

EntityView

EntityView<T> is a generic data-state widget for any future / stream / cached query.

Cached query stream (most common)

dart

EntityView<List<Course>>(
  query: controller.queryStream,
  emptyWidget: const CourseEmptyState(),
  onRetry: controller.refreshList,
  builder: (context, courses) => CourseTable(courses: courses),
)

The query stream emits QueryStatus<T>:

QueryLoading (initial) → loading widget
QueryLoading (refetch with cached data) → content + progress bar
QuerySuccess → content
QueryError (with cached data) → stale content + error banner
QueryError (no cached data) → error widget

One-shot future

dart

EntityView<Course>(
  future: courseApi.getOne('course-123'),
  builder: (context, course) => CourseDetail(course: course),
)

Constructor

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const EntityView({
  Future<T>? future,
  Stream<T>? stream,
  T? data,
  Stream<QueryStatus<T>>? query,
  required Widget Function(BuildContext, T) builder,
  Widget? loadingWidget,
  Widget Function(BuildContext, Object?)? errorBuilder,
  Widget? emptyWidget,
  VoidCallback? onRetry,
  bool Function(T data)? isEmpty,
  bool showEntityContext = true,
  bool showCreate = true,
  bool showRetry = true,
});

Exactly one of future, stream, data, or query must be provided. For non-list types, supply isEmpty so the widget can route to the empty state correctly.

SectionCard and EntityCardBuilder

Detail tabs assemble their content from SectionCard — the canonical card primitive used throughout the entity surfaces.

SectionCard

Three construction modes:

dart

// 1. Arbitrary child
SectionCard(
  icon: FluentIcons.info_24_regular,
  title: 'Notes',
  child: Text(course.notes),
);

// 2. Field/value pairs (formatter-driven)
SectionCard.fields(
  icon: FluentIcons.book_24_regular,
  title: 'Course Details',
  fields: {
    'Level': course.level,
    'Status': SectionField(
      value: course.status,
      isHighlighted: true,
    ),
    'Instructor': SectionField.widget(
      EntityLink.of<Trainer>(course.instructorId),
    ),
  },
);

// 3. Stateful (loading / error / empty / content)
SectionCard.stateful(
  icon: FluentIcons.history_24_regular,
  title: 'Versions',
  state: state,
  contentBuilder: (versions) => VersionList(versions: versions),
);

Field rendering routes through FieldFormatter.instance, so dates, durations, references, and enums all get consistent formatting.

EntityCardBuilder

Pre-canned SectionCard variants for the universal cards every entity needs:

dart

EntityCardBuilder.basicInfo(
  fields: {'Name': course.name, 'Level': course.level},
);

EntityCardBuilder.auditInfo(
  createdAt: course.createdAt,
  updatedAt: course.updatedAt,
  versionNumber: course.versionNumber,
);

EntityCardBuilder.statusInfo(statusFields: {
  'Active': course.isActive,
  'Status': course.status,
});

Use these instead of hand-rolling the same card layout across every entity.

Detail Tabs

Detail tabs are EntityLayout<T> instances:

dart

class CourseOverviewTab extends EntityLayout<Course> {
  const CourseOverviewTab()
      : super(
          schemaType: 'course.layout.overview',
          identifier: 'overview',
          title: 'Overview',
          icon: FluentIcons.book_24_regular,
        );

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context, Course course) {
    return SingleChildScrollView(
      padding: const EdgeInsets.all(16),
      child: Column(
        spacing: 16,
        crossAxisAlignment: CrossAxisAlignment.start,
        children: [
          EntityCardBuilder.basicInfo(fields: {
            'Name': course.name,
            'Level': course.level,
            'Duration': '${course.durationMinutes} min',
          }),
          EntityCardBuilder.auditInfo(
            createdAt: course.createdAt,
            updatedAt: course.updatedAt,
            versionNumber: course.versionNumber,
          ),
        ],
      ),
    );
  }
}

Each detail tab gets a route under the entity's :id — /<prefix>/:id/<tab-id>. Bare /<prefix>/:id redirects to the first tab.

Embedded Workspaces

visibility: const {} in the entity annotation tells the plugin to skip auto-routing; the host shell mounts the entity workspace itself via getConfig<T>().buildRoutes(). Use this for entities that live inside a parent workspace (Settings, Inbox tabs).

There must be one canonical EntityConfiguration per embedded entity, registered at the embedded URL. Don't register the same entity twice with different paths.

Helper Widgets

Widget	Purpose
`EntityProvider<T>`	Inherited config + controller
`EntityListView<T>`	Full list surface
`EntityView<T>`	Generic data-state widget
`EntityDetailView<T>`	Renders a single entity through a detail layout
`EntityLink.of<T>(id)`	Renders a referenced entity's name with cache-driven resolution
`ActiveStatusDot`	Tiny indicator for `isActive`
`EntityPanelHeader`	Standard chrome above the detail dock
`EntityFilterUrlSync<T>`	Mirrors filter / search / sort to the URL

Always check this list before writing a custom widget — the recurring drift in this codebase is reinventing one of these.

Never hardcode entity URLs. Resolve them through the entity config:

dart

final route = vyuh.entity?.getConfig<Course>()?.route;
if (route != null) {
  context.go(route.view(courseId));
  context.go(route.create(queryParameters: {'level': 'beginner'}));
  context.go(route.list(drafts: true, queryParameters: {'select': id}));
}

For per-entity custom routes:

dart

EntityNavigation.showCustom<Course>(context, courseId, 'preview');

Next Steps

Forms and Editors — single- and multi-part editors
Search and Filters — the filter UI rendered inside EntityListView
CDX UI View Packages — tables, kanban boards, tree views, and calendar views used by entity UI
Drafts and Versioning — the drafts toggle and version tabs
Custom Services — services consumed by detail tabs and cards

Building UI ​

Layout Taxonomy ​

Workspace Shapes ​

List shape — EntityWorkspace<T> ​

Singleton shape — SingletonEntityWorkspace<T> ​

Grouped shape — GroupedEntityWorkspace ​

StandardRouteBuilder — Slot-Based Customization ​

Replace just the create route ​

Read-only entity (no create / edit) ​

Replace the shell ​

EntityCustomRoute ​

EntityProvider ​

EntityListView ​

EntityView ​

Cached query stream (most common) ​

One-shot future ​

Constructor ​

SectionCard and EntityCardBuilder ​

SectionCard ​

EntityCardBuilder ​

Detail Tabs ​

Embedded Workspaces ​

Helper Widgets ​

Navigation From Code ​

Next Steps ​

Building UI

Layout Taxonomy

Workspace Shapes

List shape — `EntityWorkspace<T>`

Singleton shape — `SingletonEntityWorkspace<T>`

Grouped shape — `GroupedEntityWorkspace`

StandardRouteBuilder — Slot-Based Customization

Replace just the create route

Read-only entity (no create / edit)

Replace the shell

EntityCustomRoute

EntityProvider

EntityListView

EntityView

Cached query stream (most common)

One-shot future

Constructor

SectionCard and EntityCardBuilder

SectionCard

EntityCardBuilder

Detail Tabs

Embedded Workspaces

Helper Widgets

Navigation From Code

Next Steps