SharePoint Framework - Integrating Adaptive Cards With SPFx

Overview

 

SharePoint Framework (SPFx) based web parts support integration with various JavaScript frameworks and libraries. We can include the npm package in our solution to get started with the various functionalities offered by that npm package.

 

In this article, we will explore how we can use Adaptive Cards with SharePoint Framework client web parts.

 

Overview of Adaptive Cards

 

Adaptive Cards are a new way for the developers to exchange card content in a common and consistent way. Adaptive cards are a great fit for a Bot, however, they can be effectively used with SPFx to render the content. Read more about Adaptive Cards at https://adaptivecards.io/

 

Develop SharePoint Framework Web Part

 

Open the command prompt. Create a directory for SPFx solution.

md react-adaptive-cards-image-gallery

Navigate to the above-created directory.

cd react-adaptive-cards-image-gallery

Run Yeoman SharePoint Generator to create the solution.

yo @microsoft/sharepoint

The Yeoman generator will present you with the wizard by asking questions about the solution to be created.

 

  

Solution Name: Hit Enter to have a default name (react-adaptive-cards-image-gallery in this case) or type in any other name for your solution.

Selected choice: Hit Enter

 

Target for component: Here, we can select the target environment where we are planning to deploy the client webpart, i.e., SharePoint Online or SharePoint OnPremise (SharePoint 2016 onwards).

Selected choice: SharePoint Online only (latest)

 

Place of files: We may choose to use the same folder or create a subfolder for our solution.

Selected choice: Same folder

 

Deployment option: Selecting Y will allow the app to deployed instantly to all sites and to be accessible everywhere.

Selected choice: N (install on each site explicitly)

 

Type of client-side component to create: We can choose to create a client-side webpart or an extension. Choose the webpart option.

Selected choice: WebPart

 

Web part name: Hit Enter to select the default name or type in any other name.

Selected choice: AdaptiveCardsImageGallery

 

Web part description: Hit Enter to select the default description or type in any other value.

Selected choice: Image Gallery implemented with Adaptive Cards

 

Framework to use: Select any JavaScript framework to develop the component. Available choices are - No JavaScript Framework, React, and Knockout.

 

Selected choice: React

 

Now, the Yeoman generator will perform scaffolding process to generate the solution. The scaffolding process will take a significant amount of time. Once the scaffolding process is completed, lock-down the version of the project dependencies by running the below command.

npm shrinkwrap

In the command prompt, type the below command to open the solution in a code editor of your choice.

code .

NPM Packages

 

adaptivecards (https://www.npmjs.com/package/adaptivecards)

 

On the command prompt, run the below command to include the npm package.

npm install adaptivecards --save

SP PnP JS

 

On the command prompt, run the below command to install sp-pnp-js.

npm install sp-pnp-js --save

SharePoint Information Architecture

 

A SharePoint list (named "Adaptive Card Images") is provisioned to store the image information. The schema of the list is shown below.

• The "Image Link" column stores the URL of the image to be displayed in an adaptive card.
• The "Navigation URL" column represents the URL to navigate by clicking on an image in the adaptive card.
• The "Sort Order" column represents the order in which these images will be displayed in the adaptive card.

Define State

Add file IAdaptiveCardsImageGalleryState.ts under “\src\webparts\adaptiveCardsImageGallery\components\” folder.

export interface IAdaptiveCardsImageGalleryState {
    galleryItems: any[];
    isLoading: boolean;
    showErrorMessage: boolean;
}

Define Properties

Update IAdaptiveCardsImageGalleryProps.ts under “\src\webparts\adaptiveCardsImageGallery\components\” folder as below.

import { ServiceScope } from '@microsoft/sp-core-library';

export interface IAdaptiveCardsImageGalleryProps {
  serviceScope: ServiceScope;
  imageGalleryName: string;
  imagesToDisplay: number;
}

Define Service

Define a service to retrieve the information from SharePoint list.

import { ServiceKey, ServiceScope } from '@microsoft/sp-core-library';
import { PageContext } from '@microsoft/sp-page-context';
import { SPHttpClient, SPHttpClientResponse } from '@microsoft/sp-http';
import * as pnp from "sp-pnp-js";

export interface IImageGalleryService {
    getGalleryImages: (listName: string, rowLimit: number) => Promise<any[]>;
}

export class ImageGalleryService implements IImageGalleryService {
    public static readonly serviceKey: ServiceKey<IImageGalleryService> = ServiceKey.create<IImageGalleryService>('ImageGallery:ImageGalleryService', ImageGalleryService);
    private _pageContext: PageContext;

    constructor(serviceScope: ServiceScope) {
        serviceScope.whenFinished(() => {
            this._pageContext = serviceScope.consume(PageContext.serviceKey);
        });
    }

    public getGalleryImages(listName: string, rowLimit: number): Promise<any[]> {
        const xml = `<View>
                        <ViewFields>
                            <FieldRef Name='ID' />
                            <FieldRef Name='Title' />
                            <FieldRef Name='ImageLink' />
                            <FieldRef Name='NavigationURL' />
                        </ViewFields>
                        <Query>
                            <OrderBy>
                                <FieldRef Name='SortOrder' />
                            </OrderBy>
                        </Query>
                        <RowLimit>` + rowLimit + `</RowLimit>
                    </View>`;

        const q: any = {
            ViewXml: xml,
        };

        return this._ensureList(listName).then((list) => {
            if (list) {
                return pnp.sp.web.lists.getByTitle(listName).getItemsByCAMLQuery(q).then((items: any[]) => {
                    return Promise.resolve(items);
                });
            }
        });
    }

    private _ensureList(listName: string): Promise<pnp.List> {
        if (listName) {
            return pnp.sp.web.lists.ensure(listName).then((listEnsureResult) => Promise.resolve(listEnsureResult.list));
        }
    }
}

Code the WebPart

 

Open the main webpart AdaptiveCardsImageGallery.tsx under “\src\webparts\adaptiveCardsImageGallery\components\” and add the below imports.

import * as React from 'react';
import styles from './AdaptiveCardsImageGallery.module.scss';
import { IAdaptiveCardsImageGalleryProps } from './IAdaptiveCardsImageGalleryProps';
import { IAdaptiveCardsImageGalleryState } from './IAdaptiveCardsImageGalleryState';
import { escape } from '@microsoft/sp-lodash-subset';

import * as AdaptiveCards from "adaptivecards";
import { ImageGalleryService, IImageGalleryService } from '../services/ImageGalleryService';
import { ServiceScope, Environment, EnvironmentType } from '@microsoft/sp-core-library';
import { Spinner, SpinnerSize } from 'office-ui-fabric-react/lib/Spinner';

Define render method.

public render(): React.ReactElement<IAdaptiveCardsImageGalleryProps> {
    return (
      <div className={styles.adaptiveCardsImageGallery}>
        <div className={styles.container}>
          {this.state.isLoading && <Spinner className={styles.spinner} size={SpinnerSize.large} />}
          {!this.state.isLoading && <div ref={(n) => { n && n.appendChild(this.renderedCard) }} />}
        </div>
      </div>
    );
}

In the constructor, create an AdaptiveCard instance as below.

// Create an AdaptiveCard instance
var adaptiveCard = new AdaptiveCards.AdaptiveCard();

// Set its hostConfig property unless you want to use the default Host Config
// Host Config defines the style and behavior of a card
adaptiveCard.hostConfig = new AdaptiveCards.HostConfig({
       fontFamily: "Segoe UI, Helvetica Neue, sans-serif"
});

// Set the adaptive card's event handlers. onExecuteAction is invoked
// whenever an action is clicked in the card
adaptiveCard.onExecuteAction = function(action) {
        window.location.href = action.iconUrl;
};

// Parse the card
adaptiveCard.parse(this.card);

// Render the card to an HTML element
this.renderedCard = adaptiveCard.render();

Define the card as below.

this.card = {
        "$schema": "http://adaptivecards.io/schemas/adaptive-card.json",
        "type": "AdaptiveCard",
        "version": "1.0",
        "body": [
          {
            "type": "TextBlock",
            "text": "Adaptive Image Gallery",
            "size": "medium"
          },
          {
            "type": "ImageSet",
            "imageSize": "medium",
            "images": this.imagesJSON
          }
        ]
      };

Get the data from the service as below.

let serviceScope: ServiceScope;
serviceScope = this.props.serviceScope;

// Based on the type of environment, return the correct instance of the ImageGalleryServiceInstance interface
if (Environment.type == EnvironmentType.SharePoint || Environment.type == EnvironmentType.ClassicSharePoint) {
  // Mapping to be used when webpart runs in SharePoint.
  this.ImageGalleryServiceInstance = serviceScope.consume(ImageGalleryService.serviceKey);
}

this.ImageGalleryServiceInstance.getGalleryImages(this._galleryListName, this._noOfItems).then((galleryImages: any[]) => {
  galleryImages.forEach(adaptiveImage => {
    let image = {};
    image["type"] = "Image";
    image["url"] = adaptiveImage.ImageLink.Url;

    // Compose image action
    let imageAction = {};
    imageAction["title"] = adaptiveImage.NavigationURL.Description;
    imageAction["type"] = "Action.OpenUrl";
    imageAction["url"] = adaptiveImage.NavigationURL.Url;
    imageAction["iconUrl"] = adaptiveImage.NavigationURL.Url;

    image["selectAction"] = imageAction;
    this.imagesJSON.push(image);
  });

Run the SPFx WebPart

1. On the command prompt, type “gulp serve”.
2. Open SharePoint site.
3. Navigate to /_layouts/15/workbench.aspx.
4. Add the webpart to the page.
   
   
   
   
5. Edit the web part and update the Image Gallery along with the number of images to display properties.
   
   

Summary

 

Adaptive Cards are a new way for the developers to exchange card content in a common and consistent way. This example demonstrates the capability of using Adaptive Cards (https://adaptivecards.io/) with SharePoint Framework.