feat: Upgrade to new Front End in Hybrid mode#347
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This is phase 1 of a two phase migragtion chore: update dependencies in yarn.lock for Backstage packages - Added new versions for core-app-api, core-compat-api, core-components, frontend-app-api, frontend-defaults, frontend-plugin-api, plugin-catalog-common, plugin-catalog-react, plugin-permission-common, plugin-permission-react, and others. - Updated zod and zod-to-json-schema versions.
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Summary of ChangesHello @tfhartmann, I'm Gemini Code Assist1! I'm currently reviewing this pull request and will post my feedback shortly. In the meantime, here's a summary to help you and other reviewers quickly get up to speed! This pull request initiates the first phase of a two-phase migration to a new Backstage frontend architecture, specifically adopting a 'Hybrid mode'. The changes involve updating critical dependencies and refactoring the core application setup to integrate with the new frontend plugin API and compatibility layers. This foundational work enables a gradual transition to the modernized frontend, ensuring existing functionalities remain operational while new modular capabilities are introduced. Highlights
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Pull request overview
This PR implements phase 1 of a two-phase migration to upgrade the frontend architecture to Backstage's new frontend system in hybrid mode. The changes enable compatibility between the legacy and new frontend systems while maintaining existing functionality.
Changes:
- Migrated from
@backstage/app-defaultsto@backstage/frontend-defaultsfor frontend initialization - Introduced compatibility layer using
@backstage/core-compat-apito convert legacy app options and root components - Updated app initialization to use the new feature-based architecture with
createAppaccepting converted legacy features
Reviewed changes
Copilot reviewed 5 out of 6 changed files in this pull request and generated 4 comments.
Show a summary per file
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| backstage/packages/app/src/index.tsx | Updated to import and render the app as a pre-created root instead of a React component |
| backstage/packages/app/src/App.tsx | Refactored app initialization to use new frontend system with compatibility layer for legacy features |
| backstage/packages/app/src/App.test.tsx | Updated test to render the app root directly instead of as a React component |
| backstage/packages/app/package.json | Added dependencies for new frontend system and compatibility APIs |
| backstage/package.json | Added frontend-plugin-api dependency at root level |
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Code Review
This pull request begins the migration to the new Backstage frontend system in hybrid mode. The dependency updates in package.json files are appropriate for this migration. The main application file, App.tsx, is refactored to use the new frontend APIs and compatibility layers. While this is a good step forward, my review has identified a few significant issues. Most critically, the removal of the bindRoutes configuration could break navigation between plugins. Additionally, the InsightsSurveyLoader component has been removed, which may disable the user survey functionality. I've also noted some minor code quality improvements, such as removing unused imports and placeholder comments.
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backstage/packages/app/src/App.tsx (88-107)
The bindRoutes configuration has been removed. This block was responsible for connecting different plugins (e.g., linking the Catalog to the Scaffolder). Its removal without a clear replacement will likely break these cross-plugin navigation flows, leading to a degraded user experience. How is this external route binding handled in the new hybrid setup? The new frontend system uses an extension-based approach, but it's not apparent from this change if a replacement has been implemented.
backstage/packages/app/src/App.tsx (206)
The InsightsSurveyLoader component has been removed from the application's root. This component is likely responsible for displaying surveys to users as part of the Insights plugin. Was its removal intentional? If this is an oversight, it could lead to the loss of the survey feature. If it's intentional, it would be good to understand how this functionality is being replaced or if it's being deprecated.
backstage/packages/app/src/App.tsx (53)
The homePlugin is imported but not used within the file. To maintain code cleanliness and avoid potential confusion, this unused import should be removed.
backstage/packages/app/src/App.tsx (62)
The createFrontendModule function is imported but is not being used. It's best to remove unused imports to keep the code tidy.
backstage/packages/app/src/App.tsx (209)
This // ... comment appears to be a placeholder. If no additional features are intended to be added here at this time, it would be best to remove it to improve code clarity and avoid confusion for future developers.
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Pull request overview
Copilot reviewed 5 out of 6 changed files in this pull request and generated 2 comments.
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| @@ -85,26 +90,6 @@ const app = createApp({ | |||
| ), | |||
| }, | |||
| apis, | |||
| bindRoutes({ bind }) { | |||
| bind(catalogPlugin.externalRoutes, { | |||
| createComponent: scaffolderPlugin.routes.root, | |||
| viewTechDoc: techdocsPlugin.routes.docRoot, | |||
| createFromTemplate: scaffolderPlugin.routes.selectedTemplate, | |||
| }); | |||
| bind(apiDocsPlugin.externalRoutes, { | |||
| registerApi: catalogImportPlugin.routes.importPage, | |||
| }); | |||
| bind(scaffolderPlugin.externalRoutes, { | |||
| registerComponent: catalogImportPlugin.routes.importPage, | |||
| viewTechDoc: techdocsPlugin.routes.docRoot, | |||
| }); | |||
| bind(orgPlugin.externalRoutes, { | |||
| catalogIndex: catalogPlugin.routes.catalogIndex, | |||
| }); | |||
| bind(insightsPlugin.externalRoutes, { | |||
| searchPage: searchPlugin.routes.root, | |||
| }); | |||
| }, | |||
| }); | |||
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The bindRoutes configuration was removed during the migration, but these route bindings are essential for plugin interoperability. The new frontend architecture still requires route binding configuration. You should use createFrontendModule (which is already imported) to create a module that configures these bindings using the new API, or verify that these bindings are handled elsewhere in the migration.
| convertLegacyAppOptions, | ||
| convertLegacyAppRoot, | ||
| } from '@backstage/core-compat-api'; | ||
| import { createFrontendModule } from '@backstage/frontend-plugin-api'; |
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The createFrontendModule import is added but never used in the code. If this import was intended for creating route binding modules to replace the removed bindRoutes configuration, it should be utilized. Otherwise, remove this unused import.
| import { createFrontendModule } from '@backstage/frontend-plugin-api'; |
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This is phase 1 of a two phase migragtion
chore: update dependencies in yarn.lock for Backstage packages