Templates for IoT edge Modules

[Sdelausnay]

The current template is IoT Edge modules is very limited would be good if we could have one with some more best practices like

• Run the code as a background worker
• Improve dependency injection
• Implement proper shutdown of the module
• Have logging out of the box (with log level setting) instead of the Console.write
• Standardize how to handle Module Twin properties
• Find a way to implement secrets better

Microsoft has implement some of these things, but not published as Nuget Package https://github.com/Azure/iotedge/tree/main/edge-util/src/Microsoft.Azure.Devices.Edge.Util

[fgheysels]

This might indeed be interesting.

In the past, I've started creating a library that cover most of these things. It is found here I can clean it up, and then donate it to Arcus.

[stijnmoreels]

Thx @Sdelausnay for the suggestion! We will look how the next steps would be here, but feel free to jump in if you want to take things up yourself.

[stijnmoreels]

Working on something for background jobs so we can register and test easy ModuleClient implementations, plus shutdown based on this library you started.

[fgheysels]

@Sdelausnay : are you looking for a template which can be used from VS.NET, and generates the basic C# class for a iotedge module with best practices applied ?

Like, when you have an iotedge project in VS.NET, and you want to create a new module:

And in the above screen you have an option like 'Arcus IoT Edge Module', which generates the necessary code files in where we already implement some best practices ?

Is that what you're looking for ?

I think it would already be a good starting point if we can migrate the lib I've written to Arcus, and then have a look if we can create a template for IoT Edge modules and integrate that in VS.NET

[fgheysels]

As I was further investigating this, I learned that the VS.NET tools for IoT Edge modules are being deprecated / put in maintenance mode.

https://github.com/microsoft/vs-azure-iot-edge-docs/issues/42

CLI templates seem to be the way forward, so I'll take a look at that.

[fgheysels]

I've started creating a basic template for iotedge modules on my own github account. Once everything is a bit more mature, I can transfer it to Arcus. https://github.com/fgheysels/Fg.IoTEdge.Template

[rido-min]

The dotnet template to create IoT Edge Modules has been updated with most of the suggestions: dotnet6, background-worker, ILogger, etc..

https://github.com/Azure/dotnet-template-azure-iot-edge-module