Simplify prototyping of apps

[nkylstad]

Description

Current situation when developing apps is that developer must have data model ready BEFORE starting app development. All form fields must be connected up to a data model field for the form to render. In addition, all testing of a form and how it looks/feels must be done locally, making a disconnect between developing the form in the Studio Ux Editor, and actually testing and updating. This results in a lot of prototyping having do be done by manually changing the config files.

This issue aims to address this, and to give an overview of which specific issues need to be solved in order to improve the app developer experience when it comes to rapid and simple prototyping.

In scope

• Preview of forms in studio Basic preview in Altinn Studio while working in Designer #1353
• Rendering forms in apps without set data model - this could also be solved by the next point
  • f.ex. by using helper fields concept for any field without dataModelBinding
• Generation of data model directly from UI schema Integrated data modeling support from component configuration #10474 This is a separate epic and will be followed up there.

Out of scope

Oher tasks that are related/would improve the app developer experience

• App validation in Studio
  • Hard validations in the UI-editor (to stop or guide a app developers making stupid mistakes) #1841
  • Missing texts/config

Additional Information

For rendering forms in apps without a set/predefined data model, there are a few options.

• Treat all fields without data model binding as helper fields, with no explicit data model for helper fields
• Treat all fields without data model binding as helper fields, and generate a separate data model for helper fields
• Autogenerate data model based on UI model, and use this all the way (or replace with permanent model once it is defined)
• Complete separation of UI model and data model. Mapping of data from UI model to data model f.ex. on submit, or when application owner fetches the data.

Tasks

• Render forms without pre-defined data model
  • Support for shadow fields in app form app-frontend-react#744 OR
  • Support seperate presentation model & data model app-lib-dotnet#560 OR
  • Basic preview Basic preview in Altinn Studio while working in Designer #1353 which renders form without need for data model
• Basic preview in Altinn Studio while working in Designer #1353
• Generate data model (JSONSchema, C#, XSD) directly from UI schema Dynamisk informasjonsmodell #1904

[FinnurO]

Link to Altinn 2 TUL feature:
https://altinn.github.io/docs/tul/tjenestetyper/ny/#skjemadesign-i-infopath

[nkylstad]

This is really more of a roadmap issue, and most of the issues with prototyping of apps are solved by the basic preview that has been implemented in Studio. This allows users to create and view their forms before having to start working with the data model, which was the background for this issue.

Closing this issue.