app-sdk-concepts

name	app-sdk-concepts
license	Apache-2.0
description	Use when starting any grafana-app-sdk work — scaffolding a Grafana app, initializing a Grafana App Platform app, picking a deployment mode (standalone operator / grafana/apps / frontend-only), wiring app-specific config, or onboarding to the SDK. Covers `grafana-app-sdk` CLI install, `project init` per deployment mode, project layout, the schema-centric workflow (CUE kinds → generated code → reconciler/admission logic), and `SpecificConfig` for env-driven app configuration. Use even if the user just says "make a new app", "Grafana app platform", "kinds and watchers", "operator scaffold", or asks about `apps/` inside the Grafana repo, without naming the SDK explicitly.

Grafana App SDK Concepts

The grafana-app-sdk is a CLI + Go library for building schema-centric apps on the Grafana App Platform. Apps define resources via CUE schemas ("kinds"), generate Go + TypeScript code, and implement business logic via admission control and reconcilers.

Prerequisites

go install github.com/grafana/grafana-app-sdk/cmd/grafana-app-sdk@latest
grafana-app-sdk version   # verify

Common Workflows

Scaffold a standalone operator app

# 1. Init the project (use the Go module path)
grafana-app-sdk project init github.com/example/my-app

# 2. Add operator scaffolding — ASK THE USER FIRST.
#    They may prefer to write app.App by hand.
grafana-app-sdk project component add operator

# 3. Verify scaffolded layout
ls pkg/app pkg/watchers cmd/operator
# Expected: app.go, watchers/<kind>.go, main.go

Common failure: forgetting go install updates the binary — verify with grafana-app-sdk version before init.

Scaffold a grafana/apps-style app (inside grafana/grafana)

Only available inside the Grafana repo (or fork) — the init command detects apps/ and pkg/registry/apps/ at the repo root.

mkdir -p apps/my-app && cd apps/my-app
grafana-app-sdk project init github.com/grafana/grafana/apps/my-app

# Keep ONLY: kinds/ pkg/ go.mod go.sum — delete everything else.
cp apps/example/Makefile       apps/my-app/Makefile
cp apps/example/kinds/config.cue apps/my-app/kinds/config.cue   # overwrite
go work use ./apps/my-app

Then register the app inside Grafana (pkg/registry/apps/apps.go + register.go). Full walkthrough in references/deployment-modes.md.

End-to-end development loop

1. project init               → module, Makefile, kinds/
2. project kind add MyKind    → CUE kind scaffold
3. Edit kinds/*.cue           → schemas, validation, versions
4. grafana-app-sdk generate   → Go types, clients, TS types, AppManifest, CRDs
5. Implement logic            → fill in reconciler / admission stubs
6. (optional) project component add frontend

Always rerun generate after every CUE change — generated code is the API your reconciler sees.

Deployment modes (one-line table)

Mode	When to pick	Where it runs
Standalone operator	Outside Grafana repo, want your own binary	Kubernetes operator with its own webhook server
grafana/apps	Inside github.com/grafana/grafana (or fork)	In-process inside Grafana's API server
Frontend-only	UI-only app, no Go logic needed	No backend — TS types only

Full per-mode init, runtime, and wiring detail in references/deployment-modes.md.

References

• references/deployment-modes.md — per-mode init, runtime semantics, grafana/apps registration walkthrough
• references/project-structure.md — standalone project layout, what's hand-edited vs generated
• references/cli-reference.md — every grafana-app-sdk subcommand with flags
• references/specific-config.md — app.Config.SpecificConfig pattern for feature-flag-driven app config
• references/local-development.md — Tilt + k3d local dev loop
• references/local-config.md — local/config.yaml reference

Resources

• grafana-app-sdk repo
• App Platform docs