Build a To-do Example Extension Using C#

Last modified: November 17, 2025

Introduction

This document describes how to build a simple to-do list extension for Studio Pro.

The extension allows you to add new to-do items to a list, which integrate with Studio Pro's main menu. You will also create a user interface for the extension using a dockable pane and web content.

This document covers the following topics:

Creating and configuring an extension project in Studio Pro
Building a web-based user interface
Storing data in a local JSON file
Interacting with the Mendix metamodel
Hosting the UI within the Studio Pro IDE

Prerequisites

Ensure the following tools are installed on your local development environment before starting:

Microsoft Visual Studio 2022 (or equivalent, such as Visual Studio Code or JetBrains Rider); this example assumes you are using Microsoft Visual Studio 2022
Studio Pro version 10.6 or above

Creating the Project and Configuring the Extension

Create the Project

Create a new project to ensure your extension is loaded correctly in Studio Pro. Follow the steps below:

Open Visual Studio and create a new project.
Select the Class Library project template and click Next.
Name the project Mendix.ToDoExtension.
Choose a location to store your extension, then click Next.
Set the Framework to .NET 8.0 (Long Term Support).
Click Create.

Install the Extensions API NuGet Package

In Visual Studio, go to Tools > NuGet Package Manager > Manage NuGet Packages for Solution.
On the Browse tab, search for Mendix ExtensionsAPI.
Select the NuGet package and click Install.

Add the `manifest.json` File

You now have a class library that can be loaded as an extension by Studio Pro. However, it still needs to determine how to load the assemblies of your class library. Studio Pro reads a special file called manifest.json, which instructs it on which assemblies to load into each execution context.

In Visual Studio, open the Solution Explorer by clicking View > Solution Explorer.
Right-click in the Solution Explorer and add a new file called manifest.json.
Right-click in the Solution Explorer and select Properties.
Set the Copy to Output Directory property to Copy always to ensure the file is included in your extensions output files.
Replace the contents of your manifest.json file with the following code:
```
{
  "mx_extensions": [ "ToDoExtension.dll" ],
  "mx_build_extensions": [ ]
}
```
Within the manifest.json file, you specify which assemblies Studio Pro needs to load for the different contexts your extension needs to provide. If your extension only needs access to design time features and requires a user interface, you can add it to the mx_extensions option. However, if your extension needs access to runtime information or needs to translate design time concepts into runtime concepts, add it to mx_build_extensions.

This instructs Studio Pro to load Mendix.ToDoExtension.dll, whenever it loads Studio Pro extensions for your app. Adjust your local project names as needed.

Build extensions specified in mx_build_extensions will not have access to any user interfaces. Attempting to link to user interface libraries will fail. Similarly, extensions loaded from mx_extensions cannot access any runtime features and are strictly design time only.
Delete the Class1.cs file, as it is not needed.

Add a Dockable Pane for the UI

Add a new file named ToDoListDockablePaneExtension.cs.

Replace the contents of the file with the following code:

using System.ComponentModel.Composition;
using Mendix.StudioPro.ExtensionsAPI.Services;
using Mendix.StudioPro.ExtensionsAPI.UI.DockablePane;

namespace Mendix.ToDoExtension;

[Export(typeof(DockablePaneExtension))]
public class ToDoListDockablePaneExtension : DockablePaneExtension
{
    private readonly ILogService _logService;
    public const string PaneId = "ToDoList";

    [ImportingConstructor]
    public ToDoListDockablePaneExtension(ILogService logService)
    {
        _logService = logService;
    }

    public override string Id => PaneId;

    public override DockablePaneViewModelBase Open()
    {
        return new ToDoListDockablePaneViewModel(WebServerBaseUrl, () => CurrentApp, _logService) { Title = "To Do List" };
    }
}

You will see an error around the ToDoListDockablePaneViewModel—this is expected.

Key Features

There are a few notable features in the code above:

Export attribute:
```
[Export(typeof(DockablePaneExtension))]
```
Studio Pro uses this attribute to identify which extension type to inject this class into. If you do not specify this attribute, Studio Pro will not load your extension type. The extension descends from DockablePaneExtension. Studio Pro uses abstract classes to enforce behavior for your extensions.
```
public class ToDoListDockablePaneExtension : DockablePaneExtension
```
ImportingConstructor attribute

This attribute must be added to the preferred constructor in order for your type to be loaded. Studio Pro uses this constructor when instantiating your extension class.

When instantiating your class, Studio Pro will attempt to perform dependency injection for any of the types that you define in the constructor.

ILogService

If you want to inject your own custom types, they will also need to be decorated with the Export attribute:

    [ImportingConstructor]
    public ToDoListDockablePaneExtension(ILogService logService)
    {
        _logService = logService;
    }

In this constructor, you request an instance of the ILogService, then save it in a private field:

    public override string Id => PaneId;

    public override DockablePaneViewModelBase Open()
    {
        return new ToDoListDockablePaneViewModel(WebServerBaseUrl, () => CurrentApp, _logService) { Title = "To Do List" };
    }

Override properties

Provide the following information to Studio Pro:
- Override the Id property
  - This property provides Studio Pro a way to uniquely identify your dockable pane extension
- Override the Open method
  - Within this method, you need to return a valid implementation of DockablePaneViewModelBase, which Studio Pro will use to render your pane's contents

Creating a View Model to Host Your View Data

Add a view model to store view data by following the steps below:

Add a new file to the solution named ToDoListDockablePaneViewModel.cs.

Replace the contents of the file with the following code:

using Mendix.StudioPro.ExtensionsAPI.Model;
using Mendix.StudioPro.ExtensionsAPI.Services;
using Mendix.StudioPro.ExtensionsAPI.UI.DockablePane;
using Mendix.StudioPro.ExtensionsAPI.UI.WebView;

namespace Mendix.ToDoExtension;

public class ToDoListDockablePaneViewModel : WebViewDockablePaneViewModel {

    private readonly Uri _baseUri;
    private readonly Func<IModel?> _getCurrentApp;
    private readonly ILogService _logService;

    public ToDoListDockablePaneViewModel(Uri baseUri, Func<IModel?> getCurrentApp, ILogService logService)
    {
        _baseUri = baseUri;
        _getCurrentApp = getCurrentApp;
        _logService = logService;
    }

    public override void InitWebView(IWebView webView)
    {
        webView.Address = new Uri(_baseUri, "index");

        webView.MessageReceived += (_, args) =>
        {
            var currentApp = _getCurrentApp();
            if (currentApp == null) return;

            if (args.Message == "AddToDo")
            {
                var toDoText = args.Data["toDoText"]?.GetValue<string>() ?? "New To Do";
                AddToDo(currentApp, toDoText);
                webView.PostMessage("RefreshToDos");
            }

            if (args.Message == "ChangeToDoStatus")
            {
                var toDoId = args.Data["id"]!.GetValue<string>();
                var newIsDone = args.Data["isDone"]!.GetValue<bool>();

                ChangeToDoStatus(currentApp, toDoId, newIsDone);
                webView.PostMessage("RefreshToDos");
            }

            if (args.Message == "ClearDone")
            {
                ClearDone(currentApp);
                webView.PostMessage("RefreshToDos");
            }
        };
    }

    private void AddToDo(IModel currentApp, string toDoText)
    {
        var toDoStorage = new ToDoStorage(currentApp, _logService);
        var toDoList = toDoStorage.LoadToDoList();
        toDoList.ToDos.Add(new ToDoModel(toDoText, false));
        toDoStorage.SaveToDoList(toDoList);
    }

    private void ChangeToDoStatus(IModel currentApp, string toDoId, bool newIsDone)
    {
        var toDoStorage = new ToDoStorage(currentApp, _logService);
        var toDoList = toDoStorage.LoadToDoList();
        var toDo = toDoList.ToDos.FirstOrDefault(x => x.Id == toDoId);
        if (toDo != null)
        {
            toDo.IsDone = newIsDone;
            toDoStorage.SaveToDoList(toDoList);
        }
    }

    private void ClearDone(IModel currentApp)
    {
        var toDoStorage = new ToDoStorage(currentApp, _logService);
        var toDoList = toDoStorage.LoadToDoList();
        toDoList.ToDos.RemoveAll(x => x.IsDone);
        toDoStorage.SaveToDoList(toDoList);
    }
}

If you serve your web content out of a wwwroot folder, make sure it is present as a part of the base path to your content; otherwise you can have issues making your extension macOS compatible.

Explanation

Instantiation and Constructor

Unlike the other extension class, this view model is not decorated with the export attribute. This means:

The extension is responsible for instantiating this class
You can specify any type of constructor you need

You must pass the following parameters:

baseUri – the base address for the web interface
getCurrentApp – a lambda expression to retrieve the current app instance
logService – an instance of the logging service

    public ToDoListDockablePaneViewModel(Uri baseUri, Func<IModel?> getCurrentApp, ILogService logService)
    {
        _baseUri = baseUri;
        _getCurrentApp = getCurrentApp;
        _logService = logService;
    }

You have already configured instantiation in the previous section.

Implementation

To host a web interface inside Studio Pro, the view model must implement InitWebView. This method receives an instance of IWebView, which represents your application's isolated webview.

Provide the webview with the following code so the data is rendered correctly:

    public override void InitWebView(IWebView webView)
    {
        webView.Address = new Uri(_baseUri, "index");

        webView.MessageReceived += (_, args) =>
        {
            var currentApp = _getCurrentApp();
            if (currentApp == null) return;

            if (args.Message == "AddToDo")
            {
                var toDoText = args.Data["toDoText"]?.GetValue<string>() ?? "New To Do";
                AddToDo(currentApp, toDoText);
                webView.PostMessage("RefreshToDos");
            }

            if (args.Message == "ChangeToDoStatus")
            {
                var toDoId = args.Data["id"]!.GetValue<string>();
                var newIsDone = args.Data["isDone"]!.GetValue<bool>();

                ChangeToDoStatus(currentApp, toDoId, newIsDone);
                webView.PostMessage("RefreshToDos");
            }

            if (args.Message == "ClearDone")
            {
                ClearDone(currentApp);
                webView.PostMessage("RefreshToDos");
            }
        };
    }

If you serve your web content out of a wwwroot folder, make sure it is present as a part of the base path to your content; otherwise you can have issues making your extension macOS compatible.

Webview Setup and Message Handling

Set the default address to new Uri(_baseUri, "index"). You will explore the origin of this index below in Setting up Communication Between the User Interface and Extension.

The MessageReceived event handler enables two-way communication between the webview and your extension logic. Studio Pro uses a message bus for the interaction.

Within the event handler, you define the logic for three message types:

AddToDo – adds a new to-do item
ChangeToDoStatus – updates the status of a to-do item
ClearDone – removes all completed items

    var currentApp = _getCurrentApp();
    if (currentApp == null) return;

    if (args.Message == "AddToDo")
    {
        var toDoText = args.Data["toDoText"]?.GetValue<string>() ?? "New To Do";
        AddToDo(currentApp, toDoText);
        webView.PostMessage("RefreshToDos");
    }

    if (args.Message == "ChangeToDoStatus")
    {
        var toDoId = args.Data["id"]!.GetValue<string>();
        var newIsDone = args.Data["isDone"]!.GetValue<bool>();

        ChangeToDoStatus(currentApp, toDoId, newIsDone);
        webView.PostMessage("RefreshToDos");
    }

    if (args.Message == "ClearDone")
    {
        ClearDone(currentApp);
        webView.PostMessage("RefreshToDos");
    }

Logic Methods

These methods perform the actual data manipulation based on the received messages:

    private void AddToDo(IModel currentApp, string toDoText)
    {
        var toDoStorage = new ToDoStorage(currentApp, _logService);
        var toDoList = toDoStorage.LoadToDoList();
        toDoList.ToDos.Add(new ToDoModel(toDoText, false));
        toDoStorage.SaveToDoList(toDoList);
    }

    private void ChangeToDoStatus(IModel currentApp, string toDoId, bool newIsDone)
    {
        var toDoStorage = new ToDoStorage(currentApp, _logService);
        var toDoList = toDoStorage.LoadToDoList();
        var toDo = toDoList.ToDos.FirstOrDefault(x => x.Id == toDoId);
        if (toDo != null)
        {
            toDo.IsDone = newIsDone;
            toDoStorage.SaveToDoList(toDoList);
        }
    }

    private void ClearDone(IModel currentApp)
    {
        var toDoStorage = new ToDoStorage(currentApp, _logService);
        var toDoList = toDoStorage.LoadToDoList();
        toDoList.ToDos.RemoveAll(x => x.IsDone);
        toDoStorage.SaveToDoList(toDoList);
    }

Creating a Model to Store the To-do Information

To store to-do data on disk, create model classes that represent individual items and the overall list.

Create the To-do Item Model

Add a new class file named ToDoModel.cs.

Replace the contents of the file with the following code:

using System.Text.Json.Serialization;

namespace Mendix.ToDoExtension;

public record ToDoModel
{
    [JsonConstructor]
    public ToDoModel(string id, string text, bool isDone)
    {
        Id = id;
        Text = text;
        IsDone = isDone;
    }

    public ToDoModel(string text, bool isDone)
        : this(Guid.NewGuid().ToString(), text, isDone)
    {
    }

    public string Id { get; set; }
    public string Text { get; set; }
    public bool IsDone { get; set; }
}

Create the To-do List Model

Add another class file named ToDoListModel.cs.

Replace the contents of this file with the following code:

using System.Text.Json.Serialization;

namespace Mendix.ToDoExtension;

public record ToDoListModel
{
    [JsonConstructor]
    public ToDoListModel(List<ToDoModel> toDos)
    {
        ToDos = toDos;
    }

    public List<ToDoModel> ToDos { get; }
}

Creating a Storage Handler to Store the Todo Information

With the models in place, create a storage handler that will manage reading and writing to disk.

Add the Storage Handler Class

Add a new class file named ToDoStorage.cs.

Replace the contents of the file with the following code:

using System.Text;
using System.Text.Json;
using Mendix.StudioPro.ExtensionsAPI.Model;
using Mendix.StudioPro.ExtensionsAPI.Services;

namespace Mendix.ToDoExtension;

public class ToDoStorage
{
    private readonly ILogService _logService;
    private readonly string _toDoFilePath;

    public ToDoStorage(IModel currentApp, ILogService logService)
    {
        _logService = logService;
        _toDoFilePath = Path.Join(currentApp.Root.DirectoryPath, "to-do-list.json");
    }

    public ToDoListModel LoadToDoList()
    {
        ToDoListModel? toDoList = null;

        try
        {
            toDoList = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<ToDoListModel>(File.ReadAllText(_toDoFilePath, Encoding.UTF8));
        }
        catch (Exception exception)
        {
            _logService.Error($"Error while loading To Dos from {_toDoFilePath}", exception);
        }

        return toDoList ?? new ToDoListModel(new[]
        {
            new ToDoModel("Buy milk", false),
            new ToDoModel("Fix house", false),
            new ToDoModel("Shave yak", true)
        }.ToList());
    }

    public void SaveToDoList(ToDoListModel toDoList)
    {
        var jsonText = JsonSerializer.Serialize(toDoList, new JsonSerializerOptions() { WriteIndented = true });
        File.WriteAllText(_toDoFilePath, jsonText, Encoding.UTF8);
    }
}

Explanation

The ToDoStorage class is responsible for storing the to-do information to disk. In order to store the file in the correct path, request the path from the CurrentApp instance:

    public ToDoStorage(IModel currentApp, ILogService logService)
    {
        _logService = logService;
        _toDoFilePath = Path.Join(currentApp.Root.DirectoryPath, "to-do-list.json");
    }

You also need to implement methods to load and save the to-do list:

    public ToDoListModel LoadToDoList()
    {
        ToDoListModel? toDoList = null;

        try
        {
            toDoList = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<ToDoListModel>(File.ReadAllText(_toDoFilePath, Encoding.UTF8));
        }
        catch (Exception exception)
        {
            _logService.Error($"Error while loading To Dos from {_toDoFilePath}", exception);
        }

        return toDoList ?? new ToDoListModel(new[]
        {
            new ToDoModel("Buy milk", false),
            new ToDoModel("Fix house", false),
            new ToDoModel("Shave yak", true)
        }.ToList());
    }

    public void SaveToDoList(ToDoListModel toDoList)
    {
        var jsonText = JsonSerializer.Serialize(toDoList, new JsonSerializerOptions() { WriteIndented = true });
        File.WriteAllText(_toDoFilePath, jsonText, Encoding.UTF8);
    }

Add a menu item to make the extension accessible from the Studio Pro toolbar.

Create a MenuExtension.
Add a new class file named ToDoListMenuExtension.cs.

Replace the contents of the file with the following code:

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.ComponentModel.Composition;
using Mendix.StudioPro.ExtensionsAPI.UI.DockablePane;
using Mendix.StudioPro.ExtensionsAPI.UI.Menu;
using Mendix.StudioPro.ExtensionsAPI.UI.Services;

namespace Mendix.ToDoExtension;

[Export(typeof(Mendix.StudioPro.ExtensionsAPI.UI.Menu.MenuExtension))]
public class ToDoListMenuBarExtension : MenuExtension
{
    private readonly IDockingWindowService _dockingWindowService;

    [ImportingConstructor]
    public ToDoListMenuBarExtension(IDockingWindowService dockingWindowService)
    {
        _dockingWindowService = dockingWindowService;
    }

    public override IEnumerable<MenuViewModel> GetMenus()
    {
        yield return new MenuViewModel("To Do List", () => _dockingWindowService.OpenPane(ToDoListDockablePaneExtension.PaneId));
    }
}

Adding a Web-based User Interface

Now that the logic is in place, add a user interface that Studio Pro can render as web content.

Add a new folder to the solution named wwwroot.
In the folder, add:
- index.html – an HTML page that contains the layout of the user interface
- main.js – A JavaScript file that contains the client-side logic
Open index.html.

Replace its contents with the following code:

<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <title>To Do List</title>
    <script src="https://cdn.tailwindcss.com"></script>
    <style type="text/tailwindcss">
      @tailwind base;
      @tailwind components;
      @tailwind utilities;

      @layer base {
        body {
          @apply m-6;
        }
        h1 {
          @apply text-2xl mt-6;
        }
        h2 {
          @apply text-xl mt-6;
        }
        input[type=checkbox] + label {
          @apply ml-2;
        }
        input[type=checkbox]:checked + label {
          text-decoration: line-through;
        }
        button {
          @apply text-blue-600 italic
        }
      }
    </style>
  </head>
  <body>
    <div><label for="addToDoInput">Add to do:</label> <input id="addToDoInput" type="text" placeholder="To do text" /> <button id="addToDoButton">Add</button></div>
    <h1>To Do</h1>
    <div id="todo"></div>
    <h1>Done</h1>
    <div id="done"></div>
    <button id="clearDoneButton">Clear</button>
    <script type="module" src="./main.js"></script>
  </body>
</html>

Open main.js.

Add the JavaScript logic by replacing the contents of the file with the following code:

function postMessage(message, data) {
  window.chrome.webview.postMessage({ message, data });
}

// Register message handler.
window.chrome.webview.addEventListener("message", handleMessage);
// Indicate that you are ready to receive messages.
postMessage("MessageListenerRegistered");

async function handleMessage(event) {
  const { message, data } = event.data;
  if (message === "RefreshToDos") {
      await refreshToDos();
  }
}

async function refreshToDos() {
    let todosResponse = await fetch("./todos");
    let todos = await todosResponse.json();

    let todoDiv = document.getElementById("todo");
    let doneDiv = document.getElementById("done");

    let todoItems = [];
    let doneItems = [];

    for (const todo of todos.ToDos) {
        let item = document.createElement("div");

        let checkbox = document.createElement("input");
        checkbox.type = "checkbox";
        checkbox.id = `todo-${todo.Id}`;
        checkbox.checked = todo.IsDone;
        checkbox.addEventListener("click", () => {
           postMessage("ChangeToDoStatus", { id: todo.Id, isDone: !todo.IsDone });
        });

        let label = document.createElement("label");
        label.htmlFor = checkbox.id;
        label.innerText = todo.Text;

        item.replaceChildren(checkbox, label);

        if (todo.IsDone) {
            doneItems.push(item);
        } else {
            todoItems.push(item);
        }
    }

    todoDiv.replaceChildren(...todoItems);
    doneDiv.replaceChildren(...doneItems);
}

async function addToDo(){
    let addToDoInput = document.getElementById("addToDoInput");
    const toDoText = addToDoInput.value;
    postMessage("AddToDo", { toDoText });
    addToDoInput.value = "";
}

document.getElementById("addToDoButton").addEventListener("click", addToDo);
document.getElementById("clearDoneButton").addEventListener("click", () => {
    postMessage("ClearDone");
});

await refreshToDos();

Explanation

This HTML page provides a simple interface styled with Tailwind CSS. The JavaScript file enables communication between your web view and extension logic.

JavaScript Setup

Add a helper function to simplify the call to the browser API:

function postMessage(message, data) {
  window.chrome.webview.postMessage({ message, data });
}

Initialize message handling and respond to incoming messages:

// Register message handler.
window.chrome.webview.addEventListener("message", handleMessage);
// Indicate that you are ready to receive messages.
postMessage("MessageListenerRegistered");

async function handleMessage(event) {
  const { message, data } = event.data;
  if (message === "RefreshToDos") {
      await refreshToDos();
  }
}

Set index.html and main.js to Copy always or Copy if newer in their Copy to Output Directory property. Otherwise, they will not be included in the build output.

Setting up Communication Between the User Interface and Extension

Link the extension C# logic with the JavaScript UI by adding a utility class for handling web responses.

Add a new filed named HttpListenerResponseUtils.cs.

Replace the contents of the file with the following:

using System.Net;
using System.Text;

namespace Mendix.ToDoExtension;

public static class HttpListenerResponseUtils
{
    public static async Task SendFileAndClose(this HttpListenerResponse response, string contentType, string filePath, CancellationToken ct)
    {
        response.AddDefaultHeaders(200);

        var fileContents = await File.ReadAllBytesAsync(filePath, ct);

        response.ContentType = contentType;
        response.ContentLength64 = fileContents.Length;

        await response.OutputStream.WriteAsync(fileContents, ct);

        response.Close();
    }

    public static void SendJsonAndClose(this HttpListenerResponse response, MemoryStream jsonStream)
    {
        response.AddDefaultHeaders(200);

        response.ContentType = "application/json";
        response.ContentEncoding = Encoding.UTF8;
        response.ContentLength64 = jsonStream.Length;

        jsonStream.WriteTo(response.OutputStream);

        response.Close();
    }

    public static void SendNoBodyAndClose(this HttpListenerResponse response, int statusCode)
    {
        response.AddDefaultHeaders(statusCode);

        response.Close();
    }

    static void AddDefaultHeaders(this HttpListenerResponse response, int statusCode)
    {
        response.StatusCode = statusCode;

        // Makes sure the web-code can receive responses
        response.AddHeader("Access-Control-Allow-Origin", "*");
    }
}

Explanation

Your web-based user interface is hosted inside Studio Pro in an isolated web container. This utility class simplifies communication between the extension and web view:

SendFileAndClose – send the contents of a file to the UI
SendJsonAndClose – Sends a JSON stream
SendNoBodyAndClose – Sends an empty response with a status code
AddDefaultHeaders – adds default HTTP headers to the requests

Adding a Web Server Extension

This extension type allows you to serve web content easily within Studio Pro.

Add a new file named ToDoListWebServerExtension.cs.

Replace the contents of the file with the following code:

using System.ComponentModel.Composition;
using System.Net;
using System.Text.Json;
using Mendix.StudioPro.ExtensionsAPI.Services;
using Mendix.StudioPro.ExtensionsAPI.UI.WebServer;

namespace Mendix.ToDoExtension;

[Export(typeof(WebServerExtension))]
public class ToDoListWebServerExtension : WebServerExtension
{
    private readonly IExtensionFileService _extensionFileService;
    private readonly ILogService _logService;

    [ImportingConstructor]
    public ToDoListWebServerExtension(IExtensionFileService extensionFileService, ILogService logService)
    {
        _extensionFileService = extensionFileService;
        _logService = logService;
    }

    public override void InitializeWebServer(IWebServer webServer)
    {
        webServer.AddRoute("index", ServeIndex);
        webServer.AddRoute("main.js", ServeMainJs);
        webServer.AddRoute("todos", ServeToDos);
    }

    private async Task ServeIndex(HttpListenerRequest request, HttpListenerResponse response, CancellationToken ct)
    {
        var indexFilePath = _extensionFileService.ResolvePath("wwwroot", "index.html");
        await response.SendFileAndClose("text/html", indexFilePath, ct);
    }

    private async Task ServeMainJs(HttpListenerRequest request, HttpListenerResponse response, CancellationToken ct)
    {
        var indexFilePath = _extensionFileService.ResolvePath("wwwroot", "main.js");
        await response.SendFileAndClose("text/javascript", indexFilePath, ct);
    }

    private async Task ServeToDos(HttpListenerRequest request, HttpListenerResponse response, CancellationToken ct)
    {
        if (CurrentApp == null)
        {
            response.SendNoBodyAndClose(404);
            return;
        }

        var toDoList = new ToDoStorage(CurrentApp, _logService).LoadToDoList();
        var jsonStream = new MemoryStream();
        await JsonSerializer.SerializeAsync(jsonStream, toDoList, cancellationToken: ct);

        response.SendJsonAndClose(jsonStream);
    }
}

Explanation

This class is the web container that allows Studio Pro to interact with your UI. It:

Inherits from WebServerExtension, which serves content to Studio Pro
Overrides InitializeWebServer, where you define three routes:
- ServeIndex
- ServeMainJs
- ServeToDos

These web routes are the locations where your UI can be accessed from.

Hosting the Extension in Studio Pro

With everything in place, follow the steps below to build and deploy your extension.

Build and Deploy

In Visual Studio, select Build > Build Solution.
Navigate to the Mendix app where your extension will be hosted.
Create a new folder named extensions.
Inside it, add a sub-folder named TodoExtension. Your path should look like this: [Mendix App]/extensions/MyTodoExtension/.
Copy the content from your Visual Studio project's bin/debug sub-folder into your app extension folder.
Run Studio Pro.

Enable Extension Development

Use a command-line flag to enable extensions:

Open the Studio Pro Installation folder.
From the command-line, run: .\studiopro.exe --enable-extension-development.

This will launch Studio Pro and load your extension. You can now access it from the View > Todo menu item.

Build a To-do Example Extension Using C#

Introduction

Prerequisites

Creating the Project and Configuring the Extension

Create the Project

Install the Extensions API NuGet Package

Add the `manifest.json` File

Add a Dockable Pane for the UI

Key Features

Creating a View Model to Host Your View Data

Explanation

Instantiation and Constructor

Implementation

Webview Setup and Message Handling

Logic Methods

Creating a Model to Store the To-do Information

Create the To-do Item Model

Create the To-do List Model

Creating a Storage Handler to Store the Todo Information

Add the Storage Handler Class

Explanation

Adding a Menu Item to Launch the Extension

Adding a Web-based User Interface

Explanation

JavaScript Setup

Setting up Communication Between the User Interface and Extension

Explanation

Adding a Web Server Extension

Explanation

Hosting the Extension in Studio Pro

Build and Deploy

Enable Extension Development

Feedback

Build a To-do Example Extension Using C#

Introduction

Prerequisites

Creating the Project and Configuring the Extension

Create the Project

Install the Extensions API NuGet Package

Add the manifest.json File

Add a Dockable Pane for the UI

Key Features

Creating a View Model to Host Your View Data

Explanation

Instantiation and Constructor

Implementation

Webview Setup and Message Handling

Logic Methods

Creating a Model to Store the To-do Information

Create the To-do Item Model

Create the To-do List Model

Creating a Storage Handler to Store the Todo Information

Add the Storage Handler Class

Explanation

Adding a Menu Item to Launch the Extension

Adding a Web-based User Interface

Explanation

JavaScript Setup

Setting up Communication Between the User Interface and Extension

Explanation

Adding a Web Server Extension

Explanation

Hosting the Extension in Studio Pro

Build and Deploy

Enable Extension Development

Feedback

Add the `manifest.json` File