mdk-gateway-plugin

Files (3)

• SKILL.md
• controller-patterns.md · references/
• plugin-authoring.md · references/

SKILL.md (first lines)

# Build the routes of an MDK app

The Gateway serves HTTP routes from **apps**. An app is a small Node package with an `mdk-app.yaml` manifest
and a route table (`mdk-plugin.json`, in `plugin/` or the package root); `mdk run` runs each app in its own
process and the Gateway forwards each request to it. Each route is a controller that queries Workers through
the app's own `@tetherto/mdk-client`, built once from `require('@tetherto/mdk-gateway/plugin')`.

Apps are the **server half** of any "show me X from my devices" request.
If the UI needs data that no existing route returns, build the app's route
first, then hand off to `mdk-ui-component`. Creating the package itself (manifest,
permissions, layout) is the [`mdk-create-app`](../mdk-create-app/SKILL.md) skill; this
skill owns the route table and controllers.

## When to use this skill

| Situation                                             | Action                     |
| ----------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------- |
| UI / chart needs a metric and no Gateway route exists | Add a route here first     |
| Aggregate / rollup / site summary" across devices     | Add a route                |
| Endpoint already exists (check `mdk.yaml` → `spec.apps`, or `mdk status`) | Skip — go straight to `mdk-ui-component` |
| Need a new device protocol                            | Wrong skill — use `mdk-worker-plugin` |

## Workflow

### 1. site capability discovery (mandatory)

Do **not** invent channel names, units, or device brands. Ground every field
in an installed Worker contract.

**Resolve each Worker's contract from `mdk.yaml` → `spec.workers[].package`:**

| `package` value                               | Contract path                                                                       |
| --------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Local path (`./workers/<name>`, `../…`)       | `<package>/mdk-contract.json` (or legacy `<package>/plugin/mdk-contract.json`)      |
| npm name (`@tetherto/mdk-worker-avalon`, …)   | `node_modules/<package>/mdk-contract.json` (or legacy `…/plugin/mdk-contract.json`) |

Also scan `workers/*/mdk-contract.json` and `workers/*/plugin/mdk-contract.json` for any local scaffolds not yet
listed in `mdk.yaml`. If an npm package is listed but missing under
`node_modules/`, run `npm install` first — do not invent the contract.

Then:

1. Open each resolved `mdk-contract.json`.
2. Read `capabilities.telemetry[]` / `commands[]` — note `name`, `type`, `unit`.
3. Read `metadata.brand` / `deviceFamily` / `provider` for how to recognize
   the device family at runtime.
4. Confirm the Kernel actually has the Worker online (`mdk run worker <name>`
   or `mdk status`) before assuming data flows.

`getCapabilities` returns the capability list only — not full contract
metadata (no `brand`/`provider`) — so the fingerprint you match against at
runtime is the telemetry/command **name set**, derived from the contract you
just read, not a hard-coded device list.

### 2. Scaffold the app

```bash
mdk create app <app-name>
```

Scaffolds and registers in one step (manifest rules: [`mdk-create-app`](../mdk-create-app/SKILL.md)):

```
apps/<app-name>/
├── package.json          # name: <app-name> (or @org/<app-name> with --org)
├── mdk-app.yaml          # id, version (= package.json), displayName, permissions, config defaults
└── plugin/
    ├── mdk-plugin.json   # routes + OpenAPI-ish response schema
    ├── lib/client.js     # the app's MDK client
    └── controllers/
        └── summary.js    # async (req) => payload
```

It also links the package into the project's root `package.json` (root `npm install`,
skip with `--no-install`) and appends it under `mdk.yaml` →
`spec.apps` (skip with `--no-stack-entry`) — no manual
`package.json` linking step. Check it with `mdk validate app <app-name>`.

### 3. Author `mdk-plugin.json`

Every route needs:

- `id` — stable dotted id (`<domain>.<metric>`, e.g. `fleet.summary`)
- `handler` — relative path to the controller
- `http.method` + `http.path` — the UI will `fetch` this path
- `http.responses.200.content.application/json.schema` — real response shape
- `description`, `constraints`, `examples`, `errors`, `safety`

Path convention: `/api/<domain>/<resource>` (e.g. `/api/fleet/summary`). The Gateway serves it under
`/apps/<app-name>` (so `/apps/<app-name>/api/fleet/summary`) unless the app's `spec.apps` entry sets
`mount`; never write the `/apps/<app-name>` prefix into the route table yourself.

Full field notes: [`references/plugin-authoring.md`](./references/plugin-authoring.md).

### 4. Implement the controller

Build the client once per app, in a `lib/client.js` every controller requires — the
scaffold's `plugin/lib/client.js` is this exact pattern
(`createMdkClient(config)` over `require('@tetherto/mdk-gateway/plugin')`).

```js
'use strict'

const mdkClient = require('../lib/client')

module.exports = async function myRoute (req) {
  // mdkClient methods return the bare payload — never read `.payload`
  const workersResp = await mdkClient.listWorkers()
  const workers = (workersResp && workersResp.workers) || []
  // … filter devices, pullTelemetry, shape response …
  return { /* matches mdk-plugin.json schema */ }
}
```

Typical [fan-out pattern](./references/controller-patterns.md):

1. `listWorkers()` → collect `deviceIds`.
2. `getCapabilities(deviceId)` → keep devices matching the contract fingerprint.
3. `pullTelemetry(deviceId, 'metrics')` → read `metrics.<channel>`.

From tetherto/mdk, Apache-2.0.

More from tetherto/mdk