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Developing plugins
Imperative CLI Framework provides the capability build plug-ins that you integrate with imperative-based applications, such as Zowe CLI.
When you enable the plug-ins feature, consumers of your application can develop their own plug-ins or install third-party plugins. Plug-ins are enabled by default in new applications, but you can manually switch the feature on or off.
- Using the Plugin Management Facility (PMF)
- Enabling the Plugin Management Facility
- Managing and loading installed plug-ins
- Designing and developing plug-ins
- Implementing profiles
The following topics provide you with tip, best practices, and examples to help you design and develop plug-ins. However, before you read further, review the following tips and recommendations:
- We recommend that you develop plug-ins in TypeScript. Alternatively, you can develop plug-ins in JavaScript. Regardless of the language with which you develop plug-ins, the architecture that you define must be robust and plug-ins must be well structured.
- Every plug-in installed in an Imperative CLI Framework application increases the load time of your applications. Consider the size and complexity of your plug-ins during development to minimize load times.
The following requirements must be met for your plug-in to function after you install it to a base application:
- The plug-in must:
- Be an npm package.
- Define an imperative configuration property in package.json.
- Specify the main property of package.json.
- The configuration that you provide must:
- Be valid to Imperative CLI Framework.
- Define the properties that we list in Define Plug-in Configuration.
- The new plug-in command groups that you define must:
- Have unique command group names that do not exist in the base CLI application. This restriction includes command groups that were added previously by other plug-ins.
- Have a valid command tree structure.
Plug-ins require name, version, description, and main parameters to define the Node Package Manager (npm) package.
More information:
You define plug-in configurations in the same manner that you configure a CLI application.
You specify the following configuration properties for plug-ins:
-
name
:The name of a new command group.
-
definitions
:The command definitions (command tree) for the plug-in.
-
rootCommandDescription
:A description of the command group that appears in help text.
-
pluginHealthCheck
:(Optional) The location the health check handler for the plug-in.
More information:
To be considered a valid plug-in, your plug-in must define at least one command and a corresponding handler.
The syntax for a command handler is the same whether you are developing a plug-in or a CLI application.
More information:
- Command Definition & Processing Example: plug-in handler (typeScript):
The following example illustrates a basic, sample plug-in handler written in TypeScript. Use this example as reference when creating your plug-ins:
import {ICommandHandler, IHandlerParameters} from "@brightside/imperative";
export default class FooHandler implements ICommandHandler {
public async process(params: IHandlerParameters): Promise<void> {
// Insert handler code
// Example:
// Write to log file, add a response output, build response
params.response.log.debug("Invoked sample-plugin foo handler");
params.response.writeMessage("You have executed the Foo command!");
params.response.build();
}
}
Plug-ins can introduce new profile types to CLI applications. You develop profiles for the plug-in commands in the same manner that you develop profiles for applications.
More information:
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Core Features
- Imperative Configuration
- Defining Commands
- Command Handlers
- Command Option Precedence
- Environment Variables
- Help Generator
- Experimental Commands
- Creating Commands Using Chained Handlers
- Configuring Logging
- Working with Team Configuration
- Defining and Programming Profiles
- Managing Secure Properties
- Deprecated User Profiles
- Consuming REST APIs Using the REST Client
- Implementing Progress Bars
- Plugins