Tiddlywiki5: Feature request: Create Plugin Library from other paths

[kookma]

Referring to https://groups.google.com/d/msg/tiddlywiki/EMHF71bzlP0/kCyau0c5AwAJ it seems Tiddlywiki plugin library can be made only from plugins stored under:

tidllywiki/plugins folder. For example on Windows 10 if Tiddlywiki is stored in

D:\Tiddlywiki, then the plugins are in D:\Tiddlywiki\plugins\

The recommended script to make plugin library using official pluginlibrary edition

tiddlywiki mylib --init pluginlibrary

as belows

 "build": {
        "library": [
            "--makelibrary",
            "$:/UpgradeLibrary",
            "--savelibrarytiddlers",
            "$:/UpgradeLibrary",
            "[prefix[$:/]] -[[$:/plugins/tiddlywiki/upgrade]] -[[$:/plugins/tiddlywiki/translators]] -[[$:/plugins/tiddlywiki/pluginlibrary]] -[[$:/plugins/tiddlywiki/jasmine]]",
            "recipes/library/tiddlers/",
            "$:/UpgradeLibrary/List",
            "--savetiddler",
            "$:/UpgradeLibrary/List",
            "recipes/library/tiddlers.json",
            "--rendertiddler",
            "$:/plugins/tiddlywiki/pluginlibrary/library.template.html",
            "index.html",
            "text/plain"
        ]
    }

On the other hand Tiddlywiki allows to store plugins on other paths: See https://tiddlywiki.com/prerelease/#Environment%20Variables%20on%20Node.js

The request is to be able to create library of plugins from customized path no only from installed path of Tiddlywiki on Node.js

[pmario]

Use the environment variables and you are good to go.

You can use it like: tiddlywiki --build my-libs

 "build": {
        "library": [
           ... default stuff removed to make the example smaller
        ],
        "my-libs": [
           ... here you can do whatever you want. It just needs to work. So you can use any paths that you need.
        ]
    }

[pmario]

IMO there is no need for a new feature.

[kookma]

Thanks @pmario

I give a try and back to you!

[kookma]

@pmario
I have all developed plugins in

D:\Tiddlywiki\plugins\kookma

Should I repeat all the command in current "library": here? I appreciate if you kindly give me an example

[kookma]

Unfortunately I could not make any library!

• I am on WIndows 10, Node.js 12.13.1 and Tiddlywiki 5.1.22p
• Tiddlywiki is installed on drive C:
• Plugins are saved under D:\Tiddlywikiplugins\kookma
• The extra plugin path was added using TIDDLYWIKI_PLUGIN_PATH as described in https://tiddlywiki.com/prerelease/#Environment%20Variables%20on%20Node.js
• The build command I used is given in the below tiddlywiki.info

{
    "description": "Kookma Plugin Library",
    "plugins": [
        "tiddlywiki/pluginlibrary"
    ],
    "themes": [],
    "build": {
        "my-libs": [
            "--makelibrary","$:/UpgradeLibrary",
            "--savelibrarytiddlers","$:/UpgradeLibrary","[prefix[$:/plugins/kookma/]]","recipes/library/tiddlers/","$:/UpgradeLibrary/List",
            "--savetiddler","$:/UpgradeLibrary/List","recipes/library/tiddlers.json",
            "--rendertiddler","$:/plugins/tiddlywiki/pluginlibrary/library.template.html","index.html","text/plain"
        ]
    }
}

• the command at terminal to build library is

tiddlywiki --build my-libs

• The output folder is created with empty library

Please advise!

[pmario]

Can you tell my the env variable: TIDDLYWIKI_PLUGIN_PATH ... What's the exact value?

I'm not 100% sure, but I think you need to include your plugins in the plugins section of the library edition. They are not automatically included, as with the TW main project.

[kookma]

Thanks @pmario

It is: D:\Tiddlywiki\plugins

[kookma]

If I store the developed plugins in C:\Tiddlywiki\51.22plugins alongside official plugins e.g

• C:\Tiddlywiki\5.1.22\plugins\tiddlywiki
• C:\Tiddlywiki\5.1.22\plugins\kookma

Then it works!
Note that my Tiddlywiki 5.1.22 is installed in C:\Tiddlywiki\5.1.22.

But I like to store my developed plugins in separate folder e.g D:\Tiddlywiki\plugins\kookma and then be able to create a library from them.

[pmario]

Try this:

    "plugins": [
        "tiddlywiki/pluginlibrary",
        "kookma/yourplugin1",
        "kookma/yourplugin2"
    ],

be aware of the the comma at the end, except the last array element.

[kookma]

Thanks @pmario

Sorry, does not work!

[kookma]

I think the path is not discoverable by pluginlibrary and nothing created!

[Jermolene]

Hi @kookma it sounds like you're developing your plugins inside a copy of the TW5 repo. I wouldn't recommend that because it makes it harder to update TW5 without disturbing your plugins.

@pmario @inmysocks I think we could do with a demo repo showing how to develop plugins and distribute them through a custom plugin library. Does any of you have anything that could serve as a starting point?

[kookma]

Thank you @Jermolene
I just used the official plugin to create a new project (wiki) as below

tiddlywiki mylib --init pluginlibrary

and then tried to make the plugin library!

If I can be of any help please let me know!

I am eagerly waiting to see how custom third party plugin library can be created!

I may recommend to have some guideline (kind of standards) for making plugin library and all developer follow it.

[inmysocks]

I probably have something, I will look in the morning.

[kookma]

Hi @inmysocks,
That would be great and is superior if some of your common plugins can be packaged into a plugin library!

[inmysocks]

It looks like @kookma is right, or I am missing something big. Currently the only place that makelibrary.js looks for plugins is inside the tiddlywiki/plugins folder, it doesn't use the environment variable.
I modified makelibrary.js for the plugin library that I published and put a note to make a pull request, which I never ended up doing. I will do it now.

In makelibrary.js it only takes plugins from $tw.config.pluginsPath which is set to ../plugins/ in boot.js.

The pull request I am making is just a quick update to makelibrary.js to make use of the environment variables also.

[inmysocks]

The pull request is #4559

[inmysocks]

I made a cleaner version of the setup I used before I started using Bob and put it into a repo here https://github.com/inmysocks/PluginDevelopment

It needs more documentation I think, but it is a start. It is also almost certainly buggy because I am the only one who has tested it.

I am not sure if there is a better place for it, is there a tiddlywiki repo that this would be appropriate for?

[kookma]

Thanks @inmysocks
I will give a try and will back with result. I would be happy to help to improve the documentation!

[kookma]

Hi @inmysocks
It seems it does not work. I submitted the issue on the repo page
https://github.com/inmysocks/PluginDevelopment/issues

[kookma]

This feature request has been addressed by PR https://github.com/Jermolene/TiddlyWiki5/pull/4559

So, I close this issue.