Directory Structure

Codotype Plugins require a specific directory structure to function correctly. The benefit of this structure approach is to effectively relieve plugin developers of the burdens of decision making during the authoring process.

General Structure

The general directory structure of a plugin is as follows:

├── plugin
│   ├── index.js
│   └── component
│       ├── index.js
│       └── templates
│           └── app.js
├── LICENSE
├── package.json
└── README.md

A breakdown of individual files and structures is outlined below.

README.md

The README.md file is required for a Codotype generator. This is where you one outlines the features of a generator and some documentation about the code that it produces. The README.md file is rendered in the Codotype web interface.

package.json

The package.json file is required so a Codotype generator may be installed as a dependency with npm install. It dictates the requisite @codotype dependencies for the generator, and any additional third-party dependencies upon which that generator depends.

LICENSE

A LICENSE file is required for both your generator, as well as the codebase produced by it.

plugin/meta.ts

The meta.ts file is arguably the important file in the generator's definition - it dictates the end-user experience of using a generator and defines all the requisite metadata that's passed to the Codotype web interface and runtime. A breakdown of the file is as follows:

• id - unique ID for the generator
• label - short label for the generator
• description - brief description of the generator
• icon - URL to the generator's icon. Must be at least 200x200px
• tech_tags - an array of strings describing the tech used in the generator
• type_tags - describes the type of codebase produced by this generator
• self_configuring - whether or not the generator requires a Blueprint to operate
• project_path - the name of the directory for the generator's output
• github_url - the slug of the GitHub repository for this generator
• version - the current version of the generator
• official - if the generator is published by Codotype
• experience - an optional tag detailing the level of experience required to use the code produced by the generator
• configuration_groups - an array of OptionGroup objects that expose additional configuration provided by the generator
• defaultSchemas: Schema[] - a Schemas array containing default schemas to load with the project. Learn more about default schema behavior here
• defaultConfiguration: {} - object that can provide optional defaults/examples for each ConfigurationGroup. This is where you can supply default Addon data for different ConfigurationGroups
• supportedDatatypes: AttributeID[] - The datatypes supported by this generator. Only an array of DATATYPE_* identifiers that correspond to values defined in @codotype/types are accepted.
• supportedRelations: RelationID[] - The relation types supported by this generator. Only an array of RELATION_TYPE_* identifiers that correspond to values defined in @codotype/types are accepted.

It should be built in such a way that Schemas with their source attribute set to generator will accept default Addons and Options.

It should also support a meta type such that all user-defined schemas (schemas with source attribute set to user) will be supplied with the defaults when the configuration is build in the editor.