Documentation

Trust dialog

When you add a Marketplace module that contains a Studio Pro extension (download from Marketplace, or App Explorer → Import module package), Studio Pro shows a trust prompt. You enable/trust the extension there so The Boring Tool can load.

If you decline, the module is still added, but the extension does not load and no The Boring Tool menus appear.

[PENDING — details coming soon] Exact dialog wording coming soon.

Contributors / local build only (not for end users)

Developers building from source copy the build into the app’s extensions/TheBoringTool folder, enable Extension Development in Preferences, restart Studio Pro, and press F4 (Synchronize App Directory) after rebuilds. That path is for contributors—not the supported install for app builders.

TBT Validation Expression

• Readable type name: TBT Validation Expression
• What it is: A reusable validation rule template (expression + message + params) that Validation… / DTO… can apply to attributes.
• Typical fields: label, documentation, applies-to value types (String, Integer, Long, Decimal, DateTime, Boolean), server-only flag, default-for-attribute-name hints, parameters (name, type, required, optional operator options), expression (may use $Value, $ParamName, {Param.operator}), message (may use {AttributeName}, {ParamName}).
• How to use: Create/edit documents in App Explorer. In Validation… or DTO…, pick expressions from the catalog for attributes. Saving Validation/DTO inlines the configured expression into generated Decision logic (attribute microflows / nanoflows).
• Notes: Built-in string rules under the TheBoringTool module may still appear beside expressions. Library microflows in that module are not regenerated by the extension.

Format reference — field keys, tokens, JSON, and examples

TBT Attribute Preset

• Readable type name: TBT Attribute Preset
• What it is: A catalog entry for a common attribute (name, type, length/default/required, optional calculated, tags, default-for-entities, aliases).
• Where catalog lives: The extension seeds built-in presets under module TheBoringTool → AttributePresets. App/module presets with the same name override TheBoringTool defaults (app/local wins).
• How to use: Edit presets via their document editor (similar form style to Validation Expressions). On an entity, The Boring Tool → Attributes opens a keyboard-friendly picker over the merged catalog; choosing a preset emits a real attribute on the entity (skip if the name already exists). Calculated presets emit a calculated attribute wired to a stub microflow CAL_{Entity}_{Attribute} under Model/{Entity}/Private for you to fill in.

Format reference — field keys, tokens, JSON, and examples

About dialog

Opened from About. Shows product/about text. Footer: Documentation (external URL) and Close.

Settings dialog

Opened from Settings (modal). For each generator family (model CRUD, events, validation, DTO/mappers, etc.):

• On/off switch
• Folder path template
• Name template

Save applies to later Generate / Validation / DTO runs. Defaults match the shipping hardcodes.

Generate… dialog

1. Right-click entity → The Boring Tool → Generate….
2. Choose which patterns to create (enabled ones only).
3. Confirm / generate.

Generators (UI names). Each pattern is its own section under Generators.

Existing microflows with the same name are skipped.

Validation… dialog

1. Right-click entity → Validation….
2. Select attributes and attach rules / TBT Validation Expression documents (with param values).
3. Save rewrites the plan and generates/updates microflows.

Typical output:

• Per-attribute validation microflows {Entity}_Validation_{Attribute} in Model/{Entity}/Validations/. Commit_Validation goes in Model/{Entity}/.
• Rules come from TBT Validation Expression documents.

Requires the TheBoringTool companion module.

DTO… dialog

1. Right-click entity → DTO….
2. Work with stacked DTO “situation” cards (default one {Entity}DTO; add more as needed). Each card: name, attribute pick list, validation rows (same idea as Validation).
3. Save creates/updates NPEs and mappers.

Typical output:

• A non-persistable DTO entity per situation
• Mapper microflows {Dto}_ToDTO and {Dto}_ToModel (object params; 1:1 attribute mapping). Later attribute add/remove rewrites both Change Object member lists in place.
• Client-side nanoflow validations where configured

Folder convention follows Settings (commonly under UI/DTO/{DtoName}/). Requires the TheBoringTool companion module.

Attributes picker

1. Right-click entity → Attributes.
2. Search/select from the attribute-preset catalog (keyboard-friendly).
3. Confirm — emits attributes (and calculated stubs when the preset says so). Skips names that already exist.

Adds attributes from TBT Attribute Preset documents. Calculated presets add a CAL_{Entity}_{Attribute} microflow stub in Model/{Entity}/Private. Requires the TheBoringTool companion module.

Validation Expression editor / Attribute Preset editor

Opened by opening the custom document in App Explorer. Form editors for the fields described under Custom documents. Save writes the document blob Studio Pro stores with the app.

Create

Creates microflow {Entity}_Create in Model/{Entity}/. The microflow creates a new uncommitted object.

Get

Creates microflow {Entity}_Get in Model/{Entity}/. Retrieve-only microflow (database, first object only), with one parameter per selected attribute. It returns an object of the entity, or empty when nothing is found. No error, no create.

GetBy

Creates microflow {Entity}_GetBy_{Attribute} in Model/{Entity}/. One parameter for one chosen attribute. It retrieves from the database (first object only) and returns an object of the entity, or empty when nothing is found.

GetCreate

Creates microflow {Entity}_GetCreate in Model/{Entity}/. One parameter per selected attribute. It calls {Entity}_Get with them (TBT generates Get too if missing). If the result is not empty it returns it. Otherwise it creates a new object with those attribute values set and returns that. GetCreate does not commit.

Commit

Creates microflow {Entity}_Commit in Model/{Entity}/. The parameter is one object of the entity (named {Entity}). It returns nothing. It commits with events on, refresh in client off, and error handling Rollback.

CommitList

Creates microflow {Entity}_CommitList in Model/{Entity}/. The parameter is a list ({Entity}List). It returns nothing. It commits with events on, refresh in client off, and error handling Rollback.

Delete

Creates microflow {Entity}_Delete in Model/{Entity}/. One object parameter. It returns nothing. It deletes with refresh in client off and error handling Rollback.

DeleteList

Creates microflow {Entity}_DeleteList in Model/{Entity}/. The parameter is a list ({Entity}List). It returns nothing. It deletes with refresh in client off and error handling Rollback.

Before Create

Creates microflow BCR_{Entity} in Model/{Entity}/Events/. Stub microflow with no parameters, no activities, and an end event returning Boolean true. TBT attaches it to the entity's event handler (moment Before, event Create) with 'pass event object' off. If the microflow already exists, TBT only attaches it.

After Create

Creates microflow ACR_{Entity} in Model/{Entity}/Events/. Stub microflow with no parameters, no activities, and an end event returning Boolean true. TBT attaches it to the entity's event handler (moment After, event Create) with 'pass event object' off. If the microflow already exists, TBT only attaches it.

Before Commit

Creates microflow BCO_{Entity} in Model/{Entity}/Events/. Stub microflow with no parameters, no activities, and an end event returning Boolean true. TBT attaches it to the entity's event handler (moment Before, event Commit) with 'pass event object' off. If the microflow already exists, TBT only attaches it.

After Commit

Creates microflow ACO_{Entity} in Model/{Entity}/Events/. Stub microflow with no parameters, no activities, and an end event returning Boolean true. TBT attaches it to the entity's event handler (moment After, event Commit) with 'pass event object' off. If the microflow already exists, TBT only attaches it.

Before Delete

Creates microflow BDE_{Entity} in Model/{Entity}/Events/. Stub microflow with no parameters, no activities, and an end event returning Boolean true. TBT attaches it to the entity's event handler (moment Before, event Delete) with 'pass event object' off. If the microflow already exists, TBT only attaches it.

After Delete

Creates microflow ADE_{Entity} in Model/{Entity}/Events/. Stub microflow with no parameters, no activities, and an end event returning Boolean true. TBT attaches it to the entity's event handler (moment After, event Delete) with 'pass event object' off. If the microflow already exists, TBT only attaches it.

Before Rollback

Creates microflow BRO_{Entity} in Model/{Entity}/Events/. Stub microflow with no parameters, no activities, and an end event returning Boolean true. TBT attaches it to the entity's event handler (moment Before, event Rollback) with 'pass event object' off. If the microflow already exists, TBT only attaches it.

After Rollback

Creates microflow ARO_{Entity} in Model/{Entity}/Events/. Stub microflow with no parameters, no activities, and an end event returning Boolean true. TBT attaches it to the entity's event handler (moment After, event Rollback) with 'pass event object' off. If the microflow already exists, TBT only attaches it.

Commit_Validation

Commit_Validation goes in Model/{Entity}/.

Per-attribute validation

Per-attribute validation microflows go in Model/{Entity}/Validations/ as {Entity}_Validation_{Attribute}.

Calculated attribute stubs

Calculated attribute stubs go in Model/{Entity}/Private as CAL_{Entity}_{Attribute}.