by Joche Ojeda | Oct 16, 2025 | Events, Oqtane
OK, I’m still blocked from GitHub Copilot, so I still have more things to write about.
In this article, the topic that we’re going to see is the event system of Oqtane.For example, usually in most systems you want to hook up something when the application starts.
In XAF from Developer Express, which is my specialty (I mean, that’s the framework I really know well),
you have the DB Updater, which you can use to set up some initial data.
In Oqtane, you have the Module Manager, but there are also other types of events that you might need —
for example, when the user is created or when the user signs in for the first time.
So again, using the method that I explained in my previous article — the “OK, I have a doubt” method —
I basically let the guide of Copilot hike over my installation folder or even the Oqtane source code itself, and try to figure out how to do it.
That’s how I ended up using event subscribers.
In one of my prototypes, what I needed to do was detect when the user is created and then create some records in a different system
using that user’s information. So I’ll show an example of that type of subscriber, and I’ll actually share the
Oqtane Event Handling Guide here, which explains how you can hook up to system events.
I’m sure there are more events available, but this is what I’ve found so far and what I’ve tested.
I guess I’ll make a video about all these articles at some point, but right now, I’m kind of vibing with other systems.
Whenever I get blocked, I write something about my research with Oqtane.
Oqtane Event Handling Guide
Comprehensive guide to capturing and responding to system events in Oqtane
This guide explains how to handle events in Oqtane, particularly focusing on user authentication events (login, logout, creation)
and other system events. Learn to build modules that respond to framework events and create custom event-driven functionality.
Version: 1.0.0
Last Updated: October 3, 2025
Oqtane Version: 6.0+
Framework: .NET 9.0
1. Overview of Oqtane Event System
Oqtane uses a centralized event system based on the SyncManager that broadcasts events throughout the application when entities change.
This enables loose coupling between components and allows modules to respond to framework events without tight integration.
Key Components
- SyncManager — Central event hub that broadcasts entity changes
- SyncEvent — Event data containing entity information and action type
- IEventSubscriber — Interface for objects that want to receive events
- EventDistributorHostedService — Background service that distributes events to subscribers
Entity Changes → SyncManager → EventDistributorHostedService → IEventSubscriber Implementations
↓
SyncEvent Created → Distributed to All Event Subscribers
2. Event Types and Actions
SyncEvent Model
public class SyncEvent : EventArgs
{
public int TenantId { get; set; }
public int SiteId { get; set; }
public string EntityName { get; set; }
public int EntityId { get; set; }
public string Action { get; set; }
public DateTime ModifiedOn { get; set; }
}
Available Actions
public class SyncEventActions
{
public const string Refresh = "Refresh";
public const string Reload = "Reload";
public const string Create = "Create";
public const string Update = "Update";
public const string Delete = "Delete";
}
Common Entity Names
public class EntityNames
{
public const string User = "User";
public const string Site = "Site";
public const string Page = "Page";
public const string Module = "Module";
public const string File = "File";
public const string Folder = "Folder";
public const string Notification = "Notification";
}
3. Creating Event Subscribers
To handle events, implement IEventSubscriber and filter for the entities and actions you care about.
Subscribers are automatically discovered by Oqtane and injected with dependencies.
public class UserActivityEventSubscriber : IEventSubscriber
{
private readonly ILogger<UserActivityEventSubscriber> _logger;
public UserActivityEventSubscriber(ILogger<UserActivityEventSubscriber> logger)
{
_logger = logger;
}
public void EntityChanged(SyncEvent syncEvent)
{
if (syncEvent.EntityName != EntityNames.User)
return;
switch (syncEvent.Action)
{
case SyncEventActions.Create:
_logger.LogInformation("User created: {UserId}", syncEvent.EntityId);
break;
case "Login":
_logger.LogInformation("User logged in: {UserId}", syncEvent.EntityId);
break;
}
}
}
4. User Authentication Events
Login, logout, and registration trigger SyncEvent notifications that you can capture to send notifications,
track user activity, or integrate with external systems.
public class LoginActivityTracker : IEventSubscriber
{
private readonly ILogger<LoginActivityTracker> _logger;
public LoginActivityTracker(ILogger<LoginActivityTracker> logger)
{
_logger = logger;
}
public void EntityChanged(SyncEvent syncEvent)
{
if (syncEvent.EntityName == EntityNames.User && syncEvent.Action == "Login")
{
_logger.LogInformation("User {UserId} logged in at {Time}", syncEvent.EntityId, syncEvent.ModifiedOn);
}
}
}
5. System Entity Events
Besides user events, you can track changes in entities like Pages, Files, and Modules.
public class PageAuditTracker : IEventSubscriber
{
private readonly ILogger<PageAuditTracker> _logger;
public PageAuditTracker(ILogger<PageAuditTracker> logger)
{
_logger = logger;
}
public void EntityChanged(SyncEvent syncEvent)
{
if (syncEvent.EntityName == EntityNames.Page && syncEvent.Action == SyncEventActions.Create)
{
_logger.LogInformation("Page created: {PageId}", syncEvent.EntityId);
}
}
}
6. Custom Module Events
You can create custom events in your own modules using ISyncManager.
public class BlogManager
{
private readonly ISyncManager _syncManager;
public BlogManager(ISyncManager syncManager)
{
_syncManager = syncManager;
}
public void PublishBlog(int blogId)
{
_syncManager.AddSyncEvent(
new Alias { TenantId = 1, SiteId = 1 },
"Blog",
blogId,
"Published"
);
}
}
7. Best Practices
- Filter early — Always check the entity and action before processing.
- Handle exceptions — Never throw unhandled exceptions inside
EntityChanged.
- Log properly — Use structured logging with context placeholders.
- Keep it simple — Extract complex logic to testable services.
public void EntityChanged(SyncEvent syncEvent)
{
try
{
if (syncEvent.EntityName == EntityNames.User && syncEvent.Action == "Login")
{
_logger.LogInformation("User {UserId} logged in", syncEvent.EntityId);
}
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
_logger.LogError(ex, "Error processing event {Action}", syncEvent.Action);
}
}
8. Summary
Oqtane’s event system provides a clean, decoupled way to respond to system changes.
It’s perfect for audit logs, notifications, custom workflows, and integrations.
- Automatic discovery of subscribers
- Centralized event distribution
- Supports custom and system events
- Integrates naturally with dependency injection
by Joche Ojeda | Oct 16, 2025 | Oqtane
OK, I’ve been wanting to write this article for a few days now, but I’ve been vibing a lot — writing tons of prototypes and working on my Oqtane research. This morning I got blocked by GitHub Copilot because I hit the rate limit, so I can’t use it for a few hours. I figured that’s a sign to take a break and write some articles instead.
Actually, I’m not really “writing” — I’m using the Windows dictation feature (Windows key + H). So right now, I’m just having coffee and talking to my computer. I’m still in El Salvador with my family, and it’s like 5:00 AM here. My mom probably thinks I’ve gone crazy because I’ve been talking to my computer a lot lately. Even when I’m coding, I use dictation instead of typing, because sometimes it’s just easier to express yourself when you talk. When you type, you tend to shorten things, but when you talk, you can go on forever, right?
Anyway, this article is about Oqtane, specifically something that’s been super useful for me — how to set up a silent installation. Usually, when you download the Oqtane source or use the templates to create a new project or solution, and then run the server project, you’ll see the setup wizard first. That’s where you configure the database, email, host password, default theme, and all that.
Since I’ve been doing tons of prototypes, I’ve seen that setup screen thousands of times per day. So I downloaded the Oqtane source and started digging through it — using Copilot to generate guides whenever I got stuck. Honestly, the best way to learn is always by looking at the source code. I learned that the hard way years ago with XAF from DevExpress — there was no documentation back then, so I had to figure everything out manually and even assemble the projects myself because they weren’t in one solution. With Oqtane, it’s way simpler: everything’s in one place, just a few main projects.
Now, when I run into a problem, I just open the source code and tell Copilot, “OK, this is what I want to do. Help me figure it out.” Sometimes it goes completely wrong (as all AI tools do), but sometimes it nails it and produces a really good guide.
So the guide below was generated with Copilot, and it’s been super useful. I’ve been using it a lot lately, and I think it’ll save you a ton of time if you’re doing automated deployment with Oqtane.
I don’t want to take more of your time, so here it goes — I hope it helps you as much as it helped me.
Oqtane Installation Configuration Guide
This guide explains the configuration options available in the appsettings.json file under the Installation section for automated installation and default site settings.
Overview
The Installation section in appsettings.json controls the automated installation process and default settings for new sites in Oqtane. These settings are particularly useful for:
- Automated installations – Deploy Oqtane without manual configuration
- Development environments – Quickly spin up new instances
- Multi-tenant deployments – Standardize new site creation
- CI/CD pipelines – Automate deployment processes
Configuration Structure
{
"Installation": {
"DefaultAlias": "",
"HostPassword": "",
"HostEmail": "",
"SiteTemplate": "",
"DefaultTheme": "",
"DefaultContainer": ""
}
}
| Key |
Purpose |
Required |
DefaultAlias |
Initial site URL(s) |
✅ |
HostPassword |
Super admin password |
✅ |
HostEmail |
Super admin email |
✅ |
SiteTemplate |
Initial site structure |
Optional |
DefaultTheme |
Site appearance |
Optional |
DefaultContainer |
Module wrapper style |
Optional |
SiteTemplate
A Site Template defines the initial structure and content of a new site, including pages, modules, folders, and navigation.
"SiteTemplate": "Oqtane.Infrastructure.SiteTemplates.DefaultSiteTemplate, Oqtane.Server"
Default options:
- DefaultSiteTemplate – Home, Privacy, example content
- EmptySiteTemplate – Minimal, clean slate
- AdminSiteTemplate – Internal use
If empty, Oqtane uses the default template automatically.
DefaultTheme
A Theme controls the visual appearance and layout of your site (page structure, navigation, header/footer, and styling).
"DefaultTheme": "Oqtane.Themes.OqtaneTheme.Default, Oqtane.Client"
Built-in themes:
- Oqtane Theme (default) – clean and responsive
- Blazor Theme – Blazor-branded styling
- Bootswatch variants – Cerulean, Cosmo, Darkly, Flatly, Lux, etc.
- Corporate Theme – business layout
If left blank, it defaults to the Oqtane Theme.
DefaultContainer
A Container is the wrapper around each module, controlling how titles, buttons, and borders look.
"DefaultContainer": "Oqtane.Themes.OqtaneTheme.Container, Oqtane.Client"
Common containers:
- OqtaneTheme.Container – standard and responsive
- AdminContainer – management modules
- Theme-specific containers – match the chosen theme
Defaults automatically if left empty.
Example Configurations
Minimal Configuration
{
"Installation": {
"DefaultAlias": "localhost",
"HostPassword": "YourSecurePassword123!",
"HostEmail": "admin@example.com"
}
}
Custom Theme and Container
{
"Installation": {
"DefaultAlias": "localhost",
"HostPassword": "YourSecurePassword123!",
"HostEmail": "admin@example.com",
"SiteTemplate": "Oqtane.Infrastructure.SiteTemplates.DefaultSiteTemplate, Oqtane.Server",
"DefaultTheme": "Oqtane.Theme.Bootswatch.Flatly.Default, Oqtane.Theme.Bootswatch.Oqtane",
"DefaultContainer": "Oqtane.Theme.Bootswatch.Flatly.Container, Oqtane.Theme.Bootswatch.Oqtane"
}
}
Troubleshooting
- Settings ignored during installation: Ensure all required fields are filled (
DefaultAlias, HostPassword, HostEmail).
- Theme not found: Check assembly reference and type name.
- Container displays incorrectly: Use a container matching your theme.
- Site template creates no pages: Ensure your template returns valid page definitions.
Logs can be found in Logs/oqtane-log-YYYYMMDD.txt.
Best Practices
- Match your theme and container.
- Leave defaults empty unless customization is needed.
- Test in development first.
- Document any custom templates or themes.
- Use environment-specific appsettings (e.g.
appsettings.Development.json).
Summary
The Installation configuration in appsettings.json lets you fully automate your Oqtane setup.
- SiteTemplate: defines structure
- DefaultTheme: defines appearance
- DefaultContainer: defines module layout
Empty values use defaults, and you can override them for automation, branding, or custom scenarios.
by Joche Ojeda | Mar 2, 2025 | PowerShell, WebServers, Windows Os
In one of our meetings with Javier, we were discussing how many servers we have in the office. In the end, it turned out that we have a lot of servers, both Windows and Linux. So we decided to take a look and see what is running on each of the servers. A lot of those servers are actually test servers used to test deployments or to show something to a customer. A few of them were just full of examples or basically nothing, so I decided to format them and rebuild the installation.
I decided to start with the Windows server, so this post is going to be about the tools that I use to set up the Windows 2016 server.
There were a few tasks that I needed to accomplish that I usually do using the UI, and most of them are a pain in the ****. There is no other way to describe it, so I decided to create scripts instead so I can replicate it easily between servers.
Disable Internet Explorer Enhanced Security
The first task that I do when I set up a Windows Server is to disable Internet Explorer Enhanced Security. If you have used that type of security before, basically it means that you need to allow or whitelist every URL in the page that you’re browsing and the related pages in the page that you’re browsing. So it’s like 100 clicks per page. To remove the enhanced security, you need to go to the Windows features and turn it off there and then restart. So I created a script that does that for me. In one click, I can just disable the security so I can use Internet Explorer to actually download something newer like Microsoft Edge.
Disable internet explorer Enhanced Security
Set Up Web Server Role
The next step after disabling the enhanced security is to set up the Web Server role in Windows Server. This doesn’t come out of the box; you have to actually add the role to the server. For that, I will use another script, and the script will also install Web Deploy, which is the functionality that allows you to do remote deploying into an IIS server.
Setup Web Server Role
Fix Web Deploy Permissions (Optional)
Now here is an extra step. This step is optional. For some reason, in some of the servers, even though you have a clean installation, there will be a problem setting up the Web Deploy functionality. It’s a permission problem basically. So there is a script to fix that. You have to run the first script that installs the Web Server and the remote Web Deploy functionality. This is optional; you should use it only in case your Web Deploy doesn’t work.
Fix web deploy permissions
Set Up SQL Server Express
The next step for setting up the server is to set up SQL Server Express, and I have a script for that. I will paste it here, but for some reason, the script always fails in the way that you download and try to deploy it on the server. What happens is that the process always gets busy and the files get locked. So I will have to come back to that one later, but I will post the script here just to remember it.
SqlServer Express install
Enable Remote SQL Server Access (Optional)
OK, the next script is also optional. In our test servers, we usually allow remote access to the SQL Server database because we need to either restore a backup or create a database. For this, we need to do two things: open the firewall port for the database and also enable TCP connection from the outside. So here is a script for that too.
Enable Remote SQL Server Access
So that will be it for this post. Let me know which script you would like to have to automate your server setup.
by Joche Ojeda | Feb 24, 2025 | Linux, Postgres, SyncFrameworkV2, Ubuntu, WSL
After a problematic Windows update on my Surface computer that prevented me from compiling .NET applications, I spent days trying various fixes without success. Eventually, I had to format my computer and start fresh. This meant setting up everything again – Visual Studio, testing databases, and all the other development tools.To make future setups easier, I created a collection of WSL 2 scripts that automate the installation of tools I frequently use, like PostgreSQL and MySQL for testing purposes. While these scripts contain some practices that wouldn’t be recommended for production (like hardcoded passwords), they’re specifically designed for testing environments. The passwords used are already present in the sync framework source code, so there’s no additional security risk.I decided to share these scripts not as a perfect solution, but as a starting point for others who might need to set up similar testing environments. You can use them as inspiration for your own scripts or modify the default passwords to match your needs.
Note that these are specifically for testing purposes – particularly for working with the sync framework – and the hardcoded credentials should never be used in a production environment.
https://github.com/egarim/MyWslScripts
LDAP Scripts
MyWslScripts/ldap-setup.sh at master · egarim/MyWslScripts
MyWslScripts/add-ldap-user.sh at master · egarim/MyWslScripts
MySQL
MyWslScripts/install_mysql.sh at master · egarim/MyWslScripts
Postgres
MyWslScripts/install_postgres.sh at master · egarim/MyWslScripts
Redis
MyWslScripts/redis-install.sh at master · egarim/MyWslScripts
Let me know if you’d like me to share the actual scripts in a follow-up post!
by Joche Ojeda | Jan 14, 2025 | C#, dotnet, MetaProgramming, Reflection
The Beginning of a Digital Sorcerer
Every master of the dark arts has an origin story, and mine begins in the ancient realm of MS-DOS 6.1. What started as simple experimentation with BAT files would eventually lead me down a path to discovering one of programming’s most powerful arts: metaprogramming.
I still remember the day my older brother Oscar introduced me to the mystical DIR command. He was three years ahead of me in school, already initiated into the computer classes that would begin in “tercer ciclo” (7th through 9th grade) in El Salvador. This simple command, capable of revealing the contents of directories, was my first spell in what would become a lifelong pursuit of programming magic.
My childhood hobbies – playing video games, guitar, and piano (a family tradition, given my father’s musical lineage) – faded into the background as I discovered the enchanting world of DOS commands. The discovery that files ending in .exe were executable spells and .com files were commands that accepted parameters opened up a new realm of possibilities.
Armed with EDIT.COM, a primitive but powerful text editor, I began experimenting with every file I could find. The real breakthrough came when I discovered AUTOEXEC.BAT, a mystical scroll that controlled the DOS startup ritual. This was my first encounter with automated script execution, though I didn’t know it at the time.
The Path of Many Languages
My journey through the programming arts led me through many schools of magic: Turbo Pascal, C++, Fox Pro (more of an application framework than a pure language), Delphi, VB6, VBA, VB.NET, and finally, my true calling: C#.
During my university years, I co-founded my first company with my cousin “Carlitos,” supported by my uncle Carlos Melgar, who had been like a father to me. While we had some coding experience, our ambition to create our own ERP system led us to expand our circle. This is where I met Abel, one of two programmers we recruited who were dating my cousins at the time. Abel, coming from a Delphi background, introduced me to a concept that would change my understanding of programming forever: reflection.
Understanding the Dark Arts of Metaprogramming
What Abel revealed to me that day was just the beginning of my journey into metaprogramming, a form of magic that allows code to examine and modify itself at runtime. In the .NET realm, this sorcery primarily manifests through reflection, a power that would have seemed impossible in my DOS days.
Let me share with you the secrets I’ve learned along this path:
The Power of Reflection: Your First Spell
// A basic spell of introspection
Type stringType = typeof(string);
MethodInfo[] methods = stringType.GetMethods();
foreach (var method in methods)
{
Console.WriteLine($"Discovered spell: {method.Name}");
}
This simple incantation allows your code to examine itself, revealing the methods hidden within any type. But this is just the beginning.
Conjuring Objects from the Void
As your powers grow, you’ll learn to create objects dynamically:
public class ObjectConjurer
{
public T SummonAndEnchant<T>(Dictionary<string, object> properties) where T : new()
{
T instance = new T();
Type type = typeof(T);
foreach (var property in properties)
{
PropertyInfo prop = type.GetProperty(property.Key);
if (prop != null && prop.CanWrite)
{
prop.SetValue(instance, property.Value);
}
}
return instance;
}
}
Advanced Rituals: Expression Trees
Expression<Func<int, bool>> ageCheck = age => age >= 18;
var parameter = Expression.Parameter(typeof(int), "age");
var constant = Expression.Constant(18, typeof(int));
var comparison = Expression.GreaterThanOrEqual(parameter, constant);
var lambda = Expression.Lambda<Func<int, bool>>(comparison, parameter);
The Price of Power: Security and Performance
Like any powerful magic, these arts come with risks and costs. Through my journey, I learned the importance of protective wards:
Guarding Against Dark Forces
// A protective ward for your reflective operations
[SecurityPermission(SecurityAction.Demand, ControlEvidence = true)]
public class SecretKeeper
{
private readonly string _arcaneSecret = "xyz";
public string RevealSecret(string authToken)
{
if (ValidateToken(authToken))
return _arcaneSecret;
throw new ForbiddenMagicException("Unauthorized attempt to access secrets");
}
}
The Cost of Power
| Ritual Type |
Energy Cost (ms) |
Mana Usage |
| Direct Cast |
1 |
Baseline |
| Reflection |
10-20 |
2x-3x |
| Cached Cast |
2-3 |
1.5x |
| Compiled |
1.2-1.5 |
1.2x |
To mitigate these costs, I learned to cache my spells:
public class SpellCache
{
private static readonly ConcurrentDictionary<string, MethodInfo> SpellBook
= new ConcurrentDictionary<string, MethodInfo>();
public static MethodInfo GetSpell(Type type, string spellName)
{
string key = $"{type.FullName}.{spellName}";
return SpellBook.GetOrAdd(key, _ => type.GetMethod(spellName));
}
}
Practical Applications in the Modern Age
Today, these dark arts power many of our most powerful frameworks:
- Entity Framework uses reflection for its magical object-relational mapping
- Dependency Injection containers use it to automatically wire up our applications
- Serialization libraries use it to transform objects into different forms
- Unit testing frameworks use it to create test doubles and verify behavior
Wisdom for the Aspiring Sorcerer
From my journey from DOS batch files to the heights of .NET metaprogramming, I’ve gathered these pieces of wisdom:
- Cache your incantations whenever possible
- Guard your secrets with proper wards
- Measure the cost of your rituals
- Use direct casting when available
- Document your dark arts thoroughly
Conclusion
Looking back at my journey from those first DOS commands to mastering the dark arts of metaprogramming, I’m reminded that every programmer’s path is unique. That young boy who first typed DIR in MS-DOS could never have imagined where that path would lead. Today, as I work with advanced concepts like reflection and metaprogramming in .NET, I’m reminded that our field is one of continuous learning and evolution.
The dark arts of metaprogramming may be powerful, but like any tool, their true value lies in knowing when and how to use them effectively. Remember, while the ability to make code write itself might seem like sorcery, the real magic lies in understanding the fundamentals and growing from them. Whether you’re starting with basic commands like I did or diving straight into advanced concepts, every step of the journey contributes to your growth as a developer.
And who knows? Maybe one day you’ll find yourself teaching these dark arts to the next generation of digital sorcerers.