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Module Structure ​

PoshUI follows a standardized directory and file structure across all its modules. This organization ensures maintainability and allows the shared executable to interact with each module consistently.

Directory Layout ​

Each module (e.g., PoshUI.Wizard) is organized as follows:

text
PoshUI.<ModuleName>/
├── PoshUI.<ModuleName>.psd1    # Module manifest
├── PoshUI.<ModuleName>.psm1    # Module script loader
├── Classes/                    # PowerShell class definitions
│   └── UIDefinition.ps1        # Core UI object for the module
├── Public/                     # Exported functions (Cmdlets)
│   ├── Core/                   # New-*, Show-* functions
│   ├── Steps/                  # Add-UIStep function
│   └── Controls/               # Add-UI* control functions
├── Private/                    # Internal helper functions
│   ├── Security/               # New-SecureTempFile, etc.
│   ├── StateManagement/        # Initialize-UIContext, etc.
│   └── Serialize-UIDefinition.ps1

Component Roles ​

1. Module Manifest (.psd1) ​

Defines the module version, dependencies, and exports. All PoshUI modules target PowerShell 5.1 and .NET Framework 4.8.

2. Classes/ ​

Contains the UIDefinition and UIStep class extensions specific to that module. For example, the Wizard module's UIDefinition class is hardcoded with Template = 'Wizard'.

3. Public/ ​

This directory contains the user-facing cmdlets. They are organized into logical subfolders:

  • Core: The primary functions used to start and end a UI session.
  • Steps: Functions for adding navigation pages.
  • Controls: The specialized input and display components.

4. Private/ ​

Contains functions that are used internally by the module but not exposed to the user. This includes the serialization logic and security frameworks.

State Management ​

Each module maintains its own isolated state using a script-scoped variable:

  • Wizard: $script:CurrentWizard
  • Dashboard: $script:CurrentDashboard (aliased to $script:CurrentWizard internally for engine compatibility)
  • Workflow: $script:CurrentWorkflow

This isolation ensures that you can work with multiple module types in the same PowerShell session without data leakage or conflicts.

Adding New Functions ​

If you are contributing to PoshUI, always place new cmdlets in the Public/Controls directory and ensure they follow the Add-UI<Name> naming convention.

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