HTML renderMethod display template for generating PDFs

[jchartrand]

The admin-dashboard should have a page or field(s) for specifying an html template to use with the renderMethod.

If an html template is specified then generated credentials should include the renderMethod property in the VC.

Some options:

1. The renderMethod could point at a URL from which to get the template.
2. The template could be directly provided in the renderMethod

Questions:

1. Should the html template be hosted by the admin-dashboard? That could make it convenient for projects to add new templates, but then there would have to be some guarantee that the dashboard continued running for the expected lifetime of the credentials.

2. Even if the dashboard provided template hosting, some projects would likely want to host the templates somewhere else (more durable) and so the admin-dashboard would have to have a field in the renderMethod screen for supplying the external URL

3. If the html template should be entirely provided in the renderMethod then maybe it shouldn't be a template but rather a fully populated html snippet?

4. Where should the code live for adding the renderMethod property to the VC? In the dashboard code? Or somewhere else since some projects won't use the dashboard, but might well want to use the renderMethod.

[alexfigtree]

Meeting for this scheduled for March 27, 2024.

[alexfigtree]

Questions/considerations, 3/27/24:

Should the html template be hosted by the admin-dashboard? That could make it convenient for projects to add new templates, but then there would have to be some guarantee that the dashboard continued running for the expected lifetime of the credentials.

Dmitri: Not currently embedding into QR code; suggests having larger credentials and deal with it later, James says if it's hosted/embedded somewhere else it's harder to modify.

James: standard templates could come out of the box (community collection of templates), then have dashboard auto link to it, or give users option of putting url into a field in the admin dashboard

Team agrees with James that ideally, we would offer both hosting our own templates, and taking lists out of GH pages, since it's not sustainable with potential read/write limits. Hosting on GH is also difficult for revocation(?). Could instead serve templates out of a db.

Dmitri: offer both UI and template: first try link, then fall back on embedded credential, but would still need somewhere to host credentials.

James: perhaps we need dedicated service for generating template, that also creates json and inserts render portion. Doing as a service would allow us to not use admin dashboard, live separately as npm module.

Kayode: That guidance on whether to embed or host should also be included in the deployment guide

@kayaelle: Would the DCC want to host 1) a list of community templates (host infrastructure), and 2) provide file space for each university to host templates (for each admin dashboard). What about providing hosting for status lists?

Pros: 1) makes it easier to get members up and running (defaults to status list in our storage area), 2) can outlast an institution that goes out of business (provides longer durability)
Cons: 1)Cost? 2)Is this a part of the DCC identity?

Following questions will depend on @kayaelle's response:

Even if the dashboard provided template hosting, some projects would likely want to host the templates somewhere else (more durable) and so the admin-dashboard would have to have a field in the renderMethod screen for supplying the external URL

If the html template should be entirely provided in the renderMethod then maybe it shouldn't be a template but rather a fully populated html snippet?

Where should the code live for adding the renderMethod property to the VC? In the dashboard code? Or somewhere else since some projects won't use the dashboard, but might well want to use the renderMethod. (minor implementation detail, depends on where we host)

[alexfigtree]

3/28/24: Holding off on answering this now until we get more feedback from members on whether or not this is needed. Follow up with Javier on where they would host these files, do they have specifics on where they see this working.

James: the option for a url where members can specify WHERE templates are hosted could work just as well, or leave that for when VC's are being created.

Kerri/Dmitri: Might consider not doing anything in the admin dashboard, but use existing template instead, so that it would be member's responsibility to keep templates in a public place.

James: recommends a previewer function to see templates, but DCC may need to host that as well.