Using Single Show for unique resources

Sometimes you will need to configure a "unique" resource that does not fit into a List / Show schema, like for instance an account, or a configuration item. To handle this kind of "unique" resource, Sharp provides a way to build Single Shows.

Write the class

Instead of extending SharpShow, our SingleShow implementation should extend Code16\Sharp\Show\SharpSingleShow. We still have to implement buildShowFields(FieldsContainer $showFields) and buildShowLayout(ShowLayout $showLayout) to declare the fields presenting the instance, an optionally buildShowConfig(), but the find() method is different:

• findSingle(): array, without any parameter because in a single case the functional code has to determine the instance on its side (based on the current user, for instance).

class ProfileSingleShow extends SharpSingleShow
{
   // [...]

    public function findSingle(): array
    {
        return $this->transform(auth()->user());
    }
}

Single Show declaration

We must declare in the entity class that we want to use a Single Show:

class ProfileEntity extends SharpEntity
{
    protected bool $isSingle = true;
    protected string $label = 'My profile';
    protected ?string $show = ProfileSingleShow::class;
    protected ?string $form = ProfileSingleForm::class;
}

Notice the $isSingle property, which indicates that this entity does not have an Entity List.

Single Commands

Declared Commands must also be implemented as single. Like for Shows, this only means extending a more specific abstract class: Code16\Sharp\EntityList\Commands\SingleInstanceCommand. The two differences with regular InstanceCommand are:

• executeSingle(array $data = []): array, which does not take any $instanceId is parameter
• authorize(): bool, in case you need to define a specific authorization, instead of authorizeFor($instanceId).

Single EntityState

Same for EntityState: in a SingleShow case, you must implement EntityState as a Code16\Sharp\EntityList\Commands\SingleEntityState, which differs a bit:

• updateSingleState(string $stateId)
• authorize(): bool

What if you need a Form?

Well, that's a SingleForm then.