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Extending the App

This document provides guidance on how to extend the Nautobot IGP Models app with additional functionality.

Contributing Guidelines

Extending the application is welcome! However, it is best to open an issue first to ensure that a pull request would be accepted and makes sense in terms of features and design direction.

Adding New IGP Protocols

To add support for a new IGP protocol (e.g., EIGRP, RIP, BGP):

  1. Create Protocol Configuration Model: Add a new model inheriting from PrimaryModel that includes:
  2. A foreign key to IGPRoutingInstance
  3. Protocol-specific configuration fields

  4. Appropriate validators and constraints

  5. Create Interface Configuration Model: Add a corresponding interface configuration model with:

  6. Foreign key to your protocol configuration model
  7. Foreign key to Interface model

  8. Interface-level protocol settings

  9. Add API Components:

  10. Serializer in api/serializers.py
  11. ViewSet in api/views.py

  12. URL patterns in api/urls.py

  13. Add UI Components:

  14. Form class in forms.py
  15. Filter class in filters.py
  16. Table class in tables.py
  17. Views in views.py

  18. Templates in templates/nautobot_igp_models/

  19. Update Navigation: Add navigation menu items in navigation.py

  20. Write Tests: Add comprehensive test coverage:

  21. Model tests
  22. Form tests
  23. Filter tests
  24. API tests
  25. View tests

Extending Existing Models

If you need to add fields to existing models:

  1. Update the model in models.py
  2. Create a migration: nautobot-server makemigrations nautobot_igp_models
  3. Update forms, filters, and serializers accordingly
  4. Add tests for the new functionality
  5. Update documentation

Adding Custom Validation

Custom validation can be added at multiple levels:

  • Model Level: Override the clean() method in your model
  • Form Level: Add validation in form's clean() or clean_<fieldname>() methods
  • Serializer Level: Add validation in serializer's validate() or validate_<fieldname>() methods

Adding Management Commands

To add custom management commands:

  1. Create a new file in nautobot_igp_models/management/commands/
  2. Inherit from BaseCommand
  3. Implement the handle() method
  4. Document the command usage

Integration Points

The app provides several integration points:

  • Signals: The app emits Django signals on model changes that can be used for integration
  • REST API: All models are exposed via REST API for external integrations
  • GraphQL: Models can be accessed via Nautobot's GraphQL interface
  • Custom Scripts/Jobs: Create Nautobot Jobs that interact with IGP models

Best Practices

  • Follow the existing code style and patterns
  • Write comprehensive tests for all new functionality
  • Update documentation for user-facing changes
  • Use type hints where appropriate
  • Validate data at multiple levels (model, form, serializer)
  • Consider backwards compatibility when making changes