Make it easier to add block list data

Currently there is this example from documentation to add data programmatically to Block List: https://our.umbraco.com/documentation/getting-started/backoffice/property-editors/built-in-property-editors/Block-List-Editor/#creating-blocklist-programmatically

However it seems like a lot of code to add data to the default Block List editor, and when working with ModelsBuilder, I think this can be done smarter.

The documentation also shows this, but doesn't the Umbraco core contain this base class, that we can re-use instead?

using Newtonsoft.Json;
using System.Collections.Generic;
//this class is used to mock the correct JSON structure when the object is serialized
public class Blocklist
{
    public BlockListUdi layout { get; set; }
    public List<Dictionary<string, string>> contentData { get; set; }
    public List<Dictionary<string, string>> settingsData { get; set; }
}
//this is a subclass which corresponds to the "Umbraco.BlockList" section in JSON
public class BlockListUdi
{
    //we mock the Umbraco.BlockList name with JsonPropertyAttribute to match the requested JSON structure
    [JsonProperty("Umbraco.BlockList")]
    public List<Dictionary<string, string>> contentUdi { get; set; }
    //we do not serialize settingsUdi
    [JsonIgnore]
    public List<Dictionary<string, string>> settingsUdi { get; set; }
    public BlockListUdi(List<Dictionary<string, string>> items, List<Dictionary<string, string>> settings)
    {
        this.contentUdi = items;
        this.settingsUdi = settings;
    }
}

For example when working with ModelsBuilder and having a "Block Link" with Name and Url properties:

private BlockList BuildBlockListLinksModel(List<LinkItem> links, IContentType linkType)
{
    BlockList blocklist = new BlockList();

    var dictionaryUdi = new List<Dictionary<string, string>>();
    var settingUdi = new List<Dictionary<string, string>>();

    var linksList = new List<Dictionary<string, string>>();
    var settingsList = new List<Dictionary<string, string>>();

    foreach (var link in links)
    {
        GuidUdi contentUdi = new GuidUdi("element", Guid.NewGuid());
        //GuidUdi settingsUdi = new GuidUdi("element", Guid.NewGuid());

        linksList.Add(new Dictionary<string, string>
        {
            {"contentTypeKey", linkType.Key.ToString()},
            {"udi", contentUdi.ToString()},
            {"title", link.Name},
            {"link", link.Url}
        });

        dictionaryUdi.Add(new Dictionary<string, string>
        {
            { "contentUdi", contentUdi.ToString() },
            //{ "settingsUdi", settingsUdi.ToString() }
        });
    }

    blocklist.Layout = new BlockListUdi(dictionaryUdi, settingUdi);
    blocklist.ContentData = linksList;
    blocklist.SettingsData = settingsList;

    return blocklist;
}

var contentTypes = _contentTypeService.GetAll();
var linkElementType = contentTypes.FirstOrDefault(n => n.Alias == ContentModels.BlockLink.ModelTypeAlias);
if (linkElementType != null)
{
     // Links
     var linksModel = BuildBlockListLinksModel(model.Links, linkElementType);
     var linksValue = model.Links.Count > 0 ? JsonConvert.SerializeObject(linksModel) : null;
     node.SetValue("links", linksValue);
}

var result = _contentService.SaveAndPublish(node);
if (result.Success)
{
      TempData["Success"] = true;
}

Btw. I noticed here SaveAndPublish() failed if linksModel didn't contain contentData (not sure if this is expected), but set this to null instead seems to work.

I wonder if we could have some utility methods / extensions when working with the standard Block List, e.g:

var blockListItemModel = BuildBlockListModel<T>(...)
var blockListItemsModel = BuildBlockListModel<List<T>>(...)

var blockListModel = GetBlockListModel();
var updatedModel = blockListModel.Append<T>();
var json = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(updatedModel);

node.SetValue("propertyAlias", json);

umbraco / Umbraco-CMS

Make it easier to add block list data #10071