(docs): Adding the new Live Service Templates page. Making sure to ma…

…ke the necessary changes to the Platform Console page.

docs/how-to/live-service-templates.md

@@ -0,0 +1,148 @@
+---
+title: Live Service Templates
+description: Learn about Amplication's Live Service Templates feature for creating and managing standardized service templates.
+sidebar_label: Live Service Templates
+slug: /live-service-templates
+---
+
+# Live Service Templates
+
+Live Service Templates let your team define, manage, and maintain standardized templates for backend services. This feature enhances consistency across your projects and streamlines the process of creating new services.
+
+:::note
+The Live Service Templates feature is currently in beta.
+:::
+
+## Overview
+
+Live Service Templates introduce several key components:
+
+1. **Service Templates**: Pre-configured service blueprints that serve as a foundation for creating new services.
+2. **Template-based Services**: New services created from existing templates, inheriting all settings and configurations.
+3. **Template Management**: Tools for creating, editing, and maintaining service templates.
+
+## Create a Service Template
+
+Navigate to the [Platform Console](/platform-console) dashboard. Click on "Create Template".
+
+The Service Template Creation Wizard will guide you through the process of setting up your template.
+
+1. **Select Technologies**: Choose the name and back-end framework for your template.
+
+![Live Service Template Name and Stack](./assets/live-service-templates/name-and-stack.png)
+
+2. **Choose APIs**: Select which APIs to include (REST API, GraphQL API, or both). Also, decide whether to generate an Admin UI for your templated service.
+
+:::note
+GraphQL API and Admin UI are currently not available with the .NET generator.
+:::
+
+![Live Service Template Select APIs](./assets/live-service-templates/apis.png)
+
+3. **Database Selection**: Choose the database type for your template (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, MS SQL Server).
+
+![Live Service Template Database Selection](./assets/live-service-templates/database.png)
+
+After completing these steps, your new service template will be created and added to the Platform Console.
+
+![Amplication Create New Template](./assets/live-service-templates/complete.png)
+
+## Manage Service Templates
+
+### Viewing Templates
+
+To view and manage your templates:
+
+1. Go to the Platform Console dashboard.
+2. You'll see a list of all your service templates, each with its specific icon and type.
+
+![Amplication Platform Console](./assets/amplication-platform-console.png)
+
+### Editing Templates
+
+To edit a template:
+
+1. Click on the template name in the Platform Console dashboard.
+2. This will take you to the Service Template Overview page.
+
+On this page, you can:
+
+- View and edit the template name and description
+- See the associated technology stack
+- Manage installed plugins
+- Access template settings
+
+![Service Template Dashboard](./assets/live-service-templates/service-template-dashboard.png)
+
+### Template Settings
+
+The Settings tab for service templates provides various configuration options:
+
+1. **General**: Update the template name and description.
+2. **APIs and Admin**: Toggle different API types (REST, GraphQL) and Admin UI.
+3. **Base Directories**: Set the root directory for code placement when using the sync with Git feature. You can use `{{SERVICE_NAME}}` as a placeholder for the service name.
+4. **Authentication Entity**: Choose the authentication entity for your template.
+5. **Code Generator Version**: Select a specific version or use the latest.
+
+:::note
+You can of course update your **Base Directories**, but our recommendation is keeping the placholder.
+:::
+
+![Service Template Dashboard](./assets/live-service-templates/settings.png)
+
+### Managing Plugins
+
+To manage plugins for your template:
+
+1. Go to the Plugins section of your service template.
+2. You can view all available plugins, installed plugins, or private plugins.
+3. To install a new plugin, select it from the available options and click "Install".
+
+:::note
+To learn more about specifics about Plugin Management, visit the [Plugins page](/getting-started/plugins/).
+:::
+
+## Creating Services from Templates
+
+To create a new service based on a template:
+
+1. Go to your workspace and click on the Services button for your project.
+2. Click "Add Resource".
+3. Select "Service from Template".
+4. Choose the desired template from the dropdown menu.
+5. Provide a name for your new service.
+6. Click "Create" to generate the new service based on the selected template.
+
+![Amplication Create Services From Template](./assets/create-service-from-template.png)
+
+The new service will inherit all settings and plugins from the template. You can view these inherited configurations in the Pending Changes sidebar.
+
+## Update Service Templates
+
+When you update a service template:
+
+1. Make the desired changes (e.g., add new plugins, modify settings).
+2. In the Platform Changes sidebar, provide a description of your changes.
+3. Click "Publish New Version".
+
+These changes will be stored within Amplication but not synced to your Git repository.
+
+![Amplication Platform Changes](./assets/platform-changes.png)
+
+## Propagate Template Changes to Services
+
+After updating a template, you can apply these changes to existing services:
+
+1. Go to the service created from the template.
+2. You'll see the available updates in the Pending Changes sidebar.
+3. Review the changes and click "Generate Code" to apply them.
+
+This process will create a new commit with the updated configurations.
+
+## Next Steps
+
+Now that you have all the information you need to set up individiual template syou can start creating a collection of templates to standarize your organization's best practices.
+
+:::tip
+For any questions or issues related to Live Service Templates, please contact our support team or share your feedback in our [GitHub discussions](https://github.com/amplication/amplication/discussions).
+:::

docs/how-to/platform-console.md

@@ -1,99 +1,57 @@
 ---
 title: Platform Console
-description: Learn about Amplication's Platform Console, including templates and private plugins for standardizing service creation and management.
+description: Learn about Amplication's Platform Console, a hub for managing platform-wide features and configurations.
 sidebar_label: Platform Console
 slug: /platform-console
 ---
 
-The **Platform Console** is a powerful new feature in Amplication that allows your team to define, manage, and maintain standardized templates and private plugins for their backend services.
+# Platform Console
+
+The **Platform Console** is a powerful feature in Amplication that provides a centralized hub for managing platform-wide features and configurations. It allows your team to oversee and maintain standardized practices across your projects.
 
 :::note
-The Platform Console features, including the usage of templates and creation of services based on templates, are **currently in beta**.
+Some Platform Console features are currently in beta.
 :::
 
 ## Overview
 
-The Platform Console introduces two main components:
+The Platform Console introduces several key components:
 
-1. **Platform Console Templates**: Pre-configured service templates that serve as a blueprint for creating new services.
+1. [**Live Service Templates**](/live-service-templates): Pre-configured service templates that serve as a blueprint for creating new services.
 2. **Private Plugins**: Custom plugins visible only to your organization that can be added to templates or services to extend functionality and/or keep your organization's best practices and standards.
 
-These components are managed through a new dashboard interface, separate from the existing services view.
+These components are managed through a dedicated Platform Console dashboard, separate from the existing services view.
 
 ![Amplication Platform Console](./assets/amplication-platform-console.png)
 
 ## Benefits
 
-- **Standardization**: Ensure all services follow organizational best practices and configurations.
-- **Customization**: Create and use private plugins to tailor services to your organization's specific needs.
-- **Efficiency**: Quickly create new services based on pre-defined templates.
+- **Standardization**: Ensure all services follow organizational best practices and configurations with [Live Service Templates](/live-service-templates).
+- **Efficiency**: Quickly create new services based on your templates.
+- **Customization**: Create and use Private Plugins to tailor services to your organization's specific needs.
 - **Smooth Maintenance**: Update multiple services from a single location. When you update a template, all services using that template can automatically get a PR with the required changes.
 - **Technical Debt Prevention**: Implement organization-wide best practices across all services through templates and private plugins, creating a scalable architecture that resists the accumulation of technical debt as your project grows.
 
-## Platform Console Templates
-
-Platform Console Templates allow you to create a single source of truth for your services' architecture. These templates can include:
-
-- Pre-configured settings
-- Standard plugins
-- Custom private plugins
-
-### Creating a Template
-
-To create a new template:
+## Platform Console Features
 
-1. Navigate to the Platform Console dashboard.
-2. Click on "Create Template".
-3. Provide a name for your template (e.g., "Node.js with PostgreSQL").
-4. Select the desired components (e.g., Admin UI, GraphQL API, REST API).
-5. Choose a database (e.g., PostgreSQL).
-6. Click "Create" to finalize the template.
+### Live Service Templates
 
-![Amplication Create New Template](./assets/template-name-and-stack.png)
+Live Service Templates is a powerful feature that allows you to create, manage, and use standardized templates for your backend services. Key aspects include:
 
-### Managing Templates
+- **Template Creation**: Define reusable service blueprints with pre-configured settings and plugins.
+- **Service Generation**: Quickly create new services based on your defined templates.
+- **Template Management**: Edit and update templates, with the ability to propagate changes to services.
 
-Managing and updating templates is very similar to updating individual services. You have access to the same settings and most of the options available for services, including:
-
-- Viewing all templates in the Platform Console dashboard.
-- Adding or removing plugins, including custom plugins.
-- Renaming templates and updating their descriptions.
-
-To edit a template:
-
-1. Navigate to the Settings tab to update the configuration or the Plugins tab to install and update plugins.
-2. Make your desired changes.
-3. All changes are saved automatically.
-
-<!-- :::note
-When you update a template, **all services using that template will be updated in your next build**, ensuring consistency across your infrastructure.
-:::
--->
+For detailed information on creating and using Live Service Templates, please refer to our [Live Service Templates](/live-service-templates) documentation.
 
-### Using Templates
+### Private Plugins
 
-To create a new service based on a template:
-
-1. Click on the "Add Resource" button.
-2. Select "Service from Template" from the available options.
-3. In the modal that appears, choose a specific service template.
-4. Provide a name for your new service.
-5. Click "Create" to generate the new service based on the selected template.
-
-This process ensures that the new service inherits all the pre-configured settings and plugins defined in the template.
-
-![Amplication Create Services From Template](./assets/create-service-from-template.png)
-
-## Private Plugins
-
-Private plugins allow you to create custom functionality specific to your organization's needs. These can be added to templates or directly to services.
+Private plugins allow you to create custom functionality specific to your organization's needs. These can be added to services or used in templates.
 
 :::note
 Creating and managing private plugins requires an Enterprise plan.
 :::
 
-### Creating a Private Plugin
-
 To create a private plugin:
 
 1. In the Platform Console dashboard, navigate to the "Private Plugins" section.
@@ -102,21 +60,20 @@ To create a private plugin:
 
 ## Platform Changes Sidebar
 
-The Platform Console introduces a new **_Platform_ Changes** sidebar that replaces the **_Pending_ Changes** sidebar. It's only visible when you're viewing the Platform Console.
+The Platform Console introduces a new **Platform Changes** sidebar that shows changes made to platform-wide settings and configurations. This is separate from the **Pending Changes** sidebar, which shows service-level changes.
 
-"Platform Changes" shows changes made to templates and private plugins, while "Pending Changes" still shows service-level changes.
+![Amplication Platform Changes](./assets/platform-changes.png)
 
 :::note
-Platform changes are separate from service-level changes. Make sure to review and commit platform changes separately from service changes.
+Platform changes are _separate_ from service-level changes and are not commited to your git repo. Make sure to review and commit platform changes separately from service changes.
 :::
 
-![Amplication Create Services From Template](./assets/platform-changes.png)
-
 ## Conclusion
 
-The Platform Console feature is designed to enhance the maintainability of your backend services, ensure organizational standardization, reduce technical debt, and streamline collaboration between platform and development teams.
+The Platform Console is designed to enhance the maintainability of your backend services, ensure organizational standardization, reduce technical debt, and streamline collaboration between platform and development teams.
+
 As this feature is currently in beta, we encourage you to explore its capabilities and share your feedback to help us further improve and refine it.
 
 :::tip
 For any questions or issues related to the Platform Console, please contact us or write your feedback on our [GitHub discussion](https://github.com/amplication/amplication/discussions/8979).
-:::
+:::

sidebars.js

@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ const sidebars = {
       },
       items: [
         "getting-started/generated-app",
+        "how-to/live-service-templates",
         "getting-started/service-building-new-versions",
         "getting-started/view-generated-code",
         "how-to/add-custom-code",