lvt-add-view

name	lvt-add-view
description	Add a view-only handler to an existing LiveTemplate app without database integration - perfect for static pages, dashboards, and UI-only components
category	core
version	1.0.0
keywords	["lvt","livetemplate","lt"]

lvt:add-view

Adds a view-only handler to an existing LiveTemplate application. Unlike resources, views don't interact with the database - they're pure UI components perfect for static pages, dashboards, landing pages, or any content that doesn't need CRUD operations.

🎯 ACTIVATION RULES

Context Detection

This skill typically runs in existing LiveTemplate projects (.lvtrc exists).

✅ Context Established By:

1. Project context - .lvtrc exists (most common scenario)
2. Agent context - User is working with lvt-assistant agent
3. Keyword context - User mentions "lvt", "livetemplate", or "lt"

Keyword matching (case-insensitive): lvt, livetemplate, lt

Trigger Patterns

With Context: ✅ Generic prompts related to this skill's purpose

Without Context (needs keywords): ✅ Must mention "lvt", "livetemplate", or "lt" ❌ Generic requests without keywords

---

User Prompts

This skill should activate when the user requests to add a view-only handler:

Explicit prompts:

• "Add a [name] view to my app"
• "Create a view for [purpose]"
• "Generate a [name] page"
• "I need a static [name] page"

Implicit prompts:

• "Add a dashboard"
• "Create an about page"
• "I want a landing page"
• "Make a contact page"
• "Add a home page"

Examples:

• "Add a dashboard view"
• "Create an about page for my app"
• "I need a landing page"
• "Generate a contact view"
• "Make a stats dashboard"

Context Awareness

Before executing this skill, verify:

1. In Project Directory:

   • Check for .lvtrc file (confirms it's an lvt project)
   • Check for go.mod (confirms it's a Go project)
   • Check for app/ directory

2. Dependencies Available:

   • lvt binary is installed and accessible
   • Project was created with lvt new

3. Not Already Exists:

   • Check if view directory already exists in app/[viewname]/
   • Warn user if view name conflicts

Checklist

• Step 1: Verify we're in an lvt project directory

  • Check for .lvtrc file
  • Check for go.mod file
  • Check for app/ directory
  • If missing, inform user they need to create an app first (use lvt:new-app skill)

• Step 2: Validate prerequisites

  • Verify lvt command is available
  • Check current directory is project root

• Step 3: Extract view details from user request

  • View name (e.g., "dashboard", "about", "contact", "landing")
  • Purpose/description (helps understand what content to include)

• Step 4: Normalize view name

  • Convert to lowercase for directory/package name
  • Ensure it's a valid Go identifier (alphanumeric + underscore, no spaces)
  • Common names: dashboard, about, contact, landing, privacy, terms, faq, help

• Step 5: Check for naming conflicts

  • Check if app/[viewname]/ already exists
  • If exists, ask user if they want to:
    • Overwrite existing view (warning: will lose customizations)
    • Choose a different name
    • Cancel operation

• Step 6: Build and run the lvt gen view command

  • Format: lvt gen view <name>
  • Example: lvt gen view dashboard

• Step 7: Verify view generation succeeded

  • Check for success message from lvt
  • Verify files created:
    • app/<view>/<view>.go (handler)
    • app/<view>/<view>.tmpl (template)
    • app/<view>/<view>_test.go (test)
  • Verify files updated:
    • cmd/<app>/main.go or main.go (route injected)
    • app/home/home.tmpl (view registered on home page)

• Step 8: Run go mod tidy

  • Ensure all dependencies are up to date
  • Verify no errors

• Step 9: Verify app builds successfully

  • For multi/single kits: go build ./cmd/<app>
  • For simple kit: go build
  • If build fails, diagnose and fix issues

• Step 10: Provide user with success summary

  • List files created
  • List files updated
  • Show the generated route
  • Suggest customization steps (edit handler, edit template)
  • Provide next steps (run app, test view)

View Use Cases

Help users understand when to use views vs resources:

Use Views For:

• Static pages (about, contact, privacy, terms)
• Dashboards (displaying aggregated data without CRUD)
• Landing pages (marketing, feature showcases)
• Help/FAQ pages
• Custom UI components (charts, reports, analytics)
• Pages that read from API but don't use database

Use Resources For:

• CRUD operations (users, posts, products)
• Data management (create, read, update, delete)
• Database-backed features

Error Handling

If view directory already exists:

1. Warn user about potential data loss
2. Ask for confirmation before proceeding
3. Suggest using a different name

If not in an lvt project:

1. Check for .lvtrc file
2. If missing, inform user they need to create an app first
3. Suggest using lvt:new-app skill

If view name is invalid:

1. Check for Go identifier validity (alphanumeric + underscore, no spaces)
2. Suggest corrections if needed
3. Avoid names that conflict with Go keywords

If build fails after generation:

1. Run go mod tidy again
2. Check for import errors
3. Check route injection didn't break main.go syntax

Customization Guidance

After generating a view, guide users on common customizations:

Handler Customization (app/<view>/<view>.go):

• Add data to pass to template
• Fetch data from external APIs
• Add query parameters handling
• Add form handling (if needed)
• Add middleware (auth, logging, etc.)

Template Customization (app/<view>/<view>.tmpl):

• Update page title and content
• Add custom HTML/CSS
• Use CSS framework utilities (Tailwind, Bulma, Pico)
• Add interactive elements
• Include components from other views

Test Customization (app/<view>/<view>_test.go):

• Add E2E tests for specific functionality
• Test WebSocket interactions
• Test form submissions
• Verify page content

Success Response

After successful view generation, provide:

✅ View '[name]' generated successfully!

📁 Files created:
  - app/[view]/[view].go
  - app/[view]/[view].tmpl
  - app/[view]/[view]_test.go

📝 Files updated:
  - cmd/[app]/main.go (route: /[view])
  - app/home/home.tmpl (view link added)

✅ App builds successfully

🚀 Next steps:
  1. Customize content: app/[view]/[view].tmpl
  2. Add logic: app/[view]/[view].go
  3. Start your app: lvt serve (or go run main.go)
  4. Visit: http://localhost:8080/[view]
  5. Run tests: go test ./app/[view]

Common User Scenarios

Scenario 1: Dashboard page

• User: "Add a dashboard view"
• Generates: dashboard handler, template, test
• Route: /dashboard
• Purpose: Display analytics, charts, summaries

Scenario 2: About page

• User: "Create an about page"
• Generates: about handler, template, test
• Route: /about
• Purpose: Static company/app information

Scenario 3: Landing page

• User: "I need a landing page"
• Generates: landing handler, template, test
• Route: /landing
• Purpose: Marketing, feature showcase

Scenario 4: Custom UI component

• User: "Make a stats view that shows real-time metrics"
• Generates: stats handler, template, test
• Route: /stats
• Purpose: Real-time data display (WebSocket-powered)

Validation Criteria

View generation is successful if:

1. ✅ All files created without errors
2. ✅ Route injected correctly in main.go
3. ✅ View registered on home page
4. ✅ go build succeeds
5. ✅ No compilation errors
6. ✅ App can be started and view accessed

Notes

• View names are automatically lowercase for routes and packages
• Views don't have database migrations or sqlc queries
• Views use Handler() not Handler(queries)
• Views can still be interactive using WebSocket (LiveTemplate's reactivity)
• Views are perfect for pages that don't need persistent storage
• Multiple views can be added to the same app
• Views can include forms that POST to resources