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# Custom tools

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Avo makes it easy to add custom tools and pages to your dashboard.

# Generate tools

bin/rails generate avo:tool dashboard will generate the necessary files to show the new custom tool.

▶ bin/rails generate avo:tool dashboard
      create  app/views/avo/sidebar/items/_dashboard.html.erb
      insert  app/controllers/avo/tools_controller.rb
      create  app/views/avo/tools/dashboard.html.erb
       route  namespace :avo do
  get "dashboard", to: "tools#dashboard"
end

# Controller

If this is your first custom tool, a new ToolsController will be generated for you. Within this controller, Avo created a new method.

class Avo::ToolsController < Avo::ApplicationController
  def dashboard
  end
end

You can keep this action in this controller or move it to another controller and organize it differently.

# Route


 
 
 






Rails.application.routes.draw do
  namespace :avo do
    get "dashboard", to: "tools#dashboard"
  end

  authenticate :user, ->(user) { user.admin? } do
    mount Avo::Engine => Avo.configuration.root_path
  end
end

The route generated is wrapped inside a namespace with the Avo.configuration.root_path name. You may move it inside your authentication block next to the Avo mounting call.

The _dashboard.html.erb partial will be added to the app/views/avo/sidebar/items directory. All the files in this directory will be loaded by Avo and displayed in the sidebar. They are displayed in alphabetical order so you may change their name to reorder the items.

# Customize the sidebar

If you want to further customize the sidebar partial you can eject it and update it to your liking. We're planning on creating a better sidebar customization experience later this year.

# Add assets

When creating custom tools or fields, you might want to import assets (javascript and stylesheets files). You can do that so easily from v1.3. Please follow this guide to bring your assets with your asset pipeline.

# Using helpers from your app

You'll probably want to use some of your helpers in your custom tools. In order to have them available inside your custom controllers that inherit from Avo's ApplicationController you need to include them using the helper method.



 
 
 




 






# app/helpers/home_helper.rb
module HomeHelper
  def custom_helper
    'hey from custom helper'
  end
end

# app/controllers/avo/tools_controller.rb
class Avo::ToolsController < Avo::ApplicationController
  helper HomeHelper

  def dashboard
    @page_title = "Dashboard"
  end
end












 






# app/views/avo/tools/dashboard.html.erb
<div class="flex flex-col">
  <%= render Avo::PanelComponent.new title: 'Dashboard', display_breadcrumbs: true do |c| %>
    <% c.tools do %>
      <div class="text-sm italic">This is the panels tools section.</div>
    <% end %>

    <% c.body do %>
      <div class="flex flex-col justify-between py-6 min-h-24">
        <div class="px-6 space-y-4">
          <h3>What a nice new tool 👋</h3>

          <%= custom_helper %>
        </div>
      </div>
    <% end %>
  <% end %>
</div>

# Using path helpers

Because you're in a Rails engine you will have to prepend the engine object to the path.

# For Avo paths

Instead of writing resources_posts_path(1) you have to write avo.resources_posts_path(1).

# For the main app paths

When you want to reference paths from your main app, instead of writing posts_path(1) you have to write main_app.posts_path.

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