Different directory structure

[fedemengo-genuino]

I was wondering if it's possible to setup an adonis project to use a different directory structure, specifically I'd prefer to have my files in the following way

.
├── src/
  ├── User/
    ├── Controllers
    ├── Exception
    ├── Middleware
    ├── Models
    └── Validators
  ├── Post/
    ├── Controllers
    ├── Exception
    ├── Middleware
    ├── Models
    └── Validators
├── start/
  ├── app.js
  ├── kernel.js
  └── routes.js
├── test/
├── ace
├── server.js
└── package.json

So basically I'd like to have controllers/validators/middleware/etc grouped by the entity they are managing

Package version

Lucid 6.2.1 with Adonis 4.1.0

Node.js and npm version

v15.11.0 and 7.6.3

[RomainLanz]

Hey @fedemengo-genuino! 👋

Yes! You can move your Controllers, Exceptions, Listeners, Models, etc. to any folders your want!

However, since you are not using the default architecture, you will need to specify where to find your files.

For example, you will need to specify the namespace of your controller instead of only typing their name.

Route.group(() => {
  // Will load `App/User/Controller/UsersController.ts`
  Route.get('/', 'UsersController.index')
}).namespace('App/User/Controllers')

📚 Route's Controller Namespace

[Agilulfo1820]

Hey @RomainLanz what if I would like to do the same with the routes? Instead of having all my routes in the route file, I would like to have a specific file for the admin routes, one for the member routes, one for guests, and so on. Should be simple to do but had some problem on figuring out how to do it.

[RomainLanz]

AdonisJS is only JavaScript/TypeScript after all!

So create your file anywhere you want, and load them inside your main route file.

Let say you have those files:

start/routes/admin.ts
start/routes/members.ts
start/routes/guest.ts

Then you can import them in your main file:

// start/routes.ts
import './routes/admin'
import './routes/members'
import './routes/guest'

Also, if you prefer to not have a main file, you can directly add your routes file inside the preload key of your .adonisjsrc.json file.

[fedemengo-genuino]

Is there anything special about App? Because I wanted to move out the app directory altogether, I created a new directory src at the same level of app

.
├── app/
├── src/
  ├── User/
    ├── Controllers
        └── UserController.js
    ├── Exception
    ├── Middleware
        └── SignUpMiddleware
    ├── Models
    ├── Validators
        └── SignUpValidator
├── start/
  ├── app.js
  ├── kernel.js
  └── routes.js
├── test/
├── ace
├── server.js
└── package.json

And I created a controller src/User/Controllers/UserController.js then I defined a new route as such

Route.group('User group', () => {
    Route.post('/user', 'Controllers/UserController.store')
}).prefix('/api/user/v1')
  .namespace('src/User/')

My idea is to use something like

Route.group('User group', () => {
    Route.post('/user', 'Controllers/UserController.store')
        .middleware('Middleware/SignUpMiddleware')    
        .validator('Validator/SignUpValidator')
}).prefix('/api/user/v1')
  .namespace('src/User/')

But just by putting the controller I get Cannot find module '/srv/app/app/Controllers/Http/src/User/Controllers/UserController'

I also tried adding

  "autoload": {
    "App": "./app",
    "Src": "./src"
  }

In package.json

[fedemengo-genuino]

@thetutlage Thanks for the help, but it says error: 'dump:rcfile' is not a registered command, I just want to point out the project is based on v4.1

[Agilulfo1820]

@thetutlage sorry for bugging you, but could you please assist us with this issue?

[thetutlage]

As stated the app is on 4.1, there are certain restrictions in place related to ace commands mainly.

You can create your controllers, models, event listeners anywhere in the app you want and it should work fine. However, the ace command have hardcoded paths and it cannot be changed.

The .adonisrc.json customizations works with v5 only.

---

Feel free to ask if any specific thing doesn't work

[fedemengo-genuino]

@thetutlage thanks for the answer, a specific example of something I tried to do is what I posted above

[thetutlage]

That shares your expected outcome for the entire project structure.

What I meant, if you face issues defining controllers in routes or models, then you should initiate a conversation for that particular thing

[dqgiang]

In my projects (both v4.1 and v5), I have similar setup with routes, controllers, validators, models, listeners, etc. grouped into modules. The loading of all those stuff can be done inside each module using the Service Provider. Check v4 docs (afaik, docs for this topic in v5 is missing but you can check example from lucid package).

With this approach, all you have to do to wire them to the app is declaring the provider in .adonisrc.json (or app.js if using v4.1):

"providers": [
    "./providers/AppProvider",
    "@adonisjs/core",
    "@adonisjs/lucid",
    "./modules/MyModule/providers/MyModuleProvider", //👈 Here 
  ],

Provider example (v4.1 will be similar):

// modules/MyModule/providers/MyModuleProvider.ts

import { ApplicationContract } from '@ioc:Adonis/Core/Application';

export default class MyModuleProvider {
  public static needsApplication = true;
  constructor(protected _app: ApplicationContract) {}

  private async _loadConfig() { /* Load from `config` directory */ } 
  private async _registerBindings() { /* Register ioc bindings */}

  public async register() {
    await this._loadConfig();
    await this._registerBindings();
  }

  private async _registerEvents() {
    await import('../start/events'); // Your module event subscription
  }

  private async _registerRoutes() {
    await import('../start/routes'); // Your module routes
  }

  public async _registerRules() {
    await import('../start/module-custom-validation-rules');
  }

  public async boot() {
    await this._registerEvents();
    await this._registerRules();
    await this._registerRoutes();
  }
// ...
}

You can even make custom commands, extending from the base make:* commands to generate files directly to folders in your module.

node ace mymake:controller ControllerName ModuleName

[fedemengo-genuino]

Thanks for the tips, I'll give it a shot

[junkeritechnepal]

adonis is great, except with this folder structuring and importing my classes ( controllers, services... import('#controllers/...) is error prone )