Hi Christopher Good stuff.
You may have seen it already, but there is a core function you can call in the browser to create a plugin: http://tiddlywiki.com/dev/#How%20to%20create%20plugins%20in%20the%20browser https://github.com/Jermolene/TiddlyWiki5/blob/master/core/modules/utils/pluginmaker.js The reason that the core doesn’t have an “export as plugin” option is because there’s currently no mechanism for the user to specify the other parameters needed to create the plugin: the title of the plugin tiddler, and the version number. What are you currently using as the fields of the plugin tiddler? The upgrade mechanism relies on the version number being bumped on each revision. In terms of dynamically updating installed plugins, there is of course already a mechanism to do that via the plugin library. The internals are a bit counter-intuitive because of the same origin limitations that browser’s impose; it’s not an option to just xmlhttprequest() to retrieve the new text of a plugin. The plugin library is represented as an HTML file that TW loads in an iframe, and then communicates with using window.postMessage(). The HTML file is allowed to use xmlhttprequest() to retrieve plugins from the same domain from which it was loaded. The easiest way to explore might be to first look at the plugin library HTML file: http://tiddlywiki.com/library/v5.1.9/index.html You can see the raw files here: https://github.com/Jermolene/jermolene.github.io/blob/master/library/v5.1.9/index.html The plugin library is built from this special edition: https://github.com/Jermolene/TiddlyWiki5/blob/master/editions/pluginlibrary Most of the logic is in this plugin: https://github.com/Jermolene/TiddlyWiki5/tree/master/plugins/tiddlywiki/pluginlibrary The TW code that interacts with the plugin library is here: https://github.com/Jermolene/TiddlyWiki5/blob/master/core/modules/startup/browser-messaging.js > PlugOut would be a repository, even on a local filesystem, that would act as > a library for Plugins. The obstacle here is that Chrome doesn’t let files loaded on a file:// URI perform any xmlhttprequest() to other file:// URIs. My warning would be that the entire approach to implementing the plugin library was shaped by the browser security restrictions. I’d recommend careful testing before you rely on a browser capability actually working in the right scenarios. Good luck, Best wishes Jeremy. > I could export the current wiki as a plugin and load it into the PlugOut > library. Thus all the other wikis could update themselves from the PlugOut > library. > > Pretty nifty, huh? > > Christopher > > P.S. If I wanted to have my plugin created dynamically in the current wiki, I > would have to have one tiddler change the contents of another tiddler because > plugin tiddlers are not calculated. C: > > > On Sunday, November 8, 2015 at 10:12:02 AM UTC+1, Christopher Mann wrote: > Hi again, > > Would you please be able to give me feedback on this approach? > > https://github.com/chris2fr/tiddlywiki-as-plugin > <https://github.com/chris2fr/tiddlywiki-as-plugin> > > It is about using the plugin mechanism to try to satisfy George Geek and > perhaps Tobias Beer. It works as an export filter. > > Thanks, > > Christopher > > On Saturday, November 7, 2015 at 11:18:33 PM UTC+1, Tobias Beer wrote: > Hi Jeremy, >> Currently, we are limited in leveraging this by a sophisticated >> plugin-mechanism that defies a simple "reuse tidbits" approach and forces a >> "publish a versioned bundle of codebits and supporting tids for >> distribution". > > I’d like to understand the issues you see with the current plugin mechanism. > Are you envisaging a specific alternative? > > Thanks for asking. Not sure about the specifics, the tenets of improvements > might be: > easy bundling of tiddlers > come to think of it, including plugins > for reuse in a bundled manner > meaning: as shadows (compare: inclusion on TiddlySpace) > The plugin mechanism does cater for (some of?) that scenario, only the means > to use it for this purpose are possibly limited to selected individuals who > know the how to's. To me, the goal would be indeed to simplify this > "packaging" process and thus allow reusing tiddler packages in different > context, as if plugins (or then actual plugins), and possibly even containing > not only content but also structure, even functionality... in short: whatever > ...could be my master template packaging all kinds of things, reused > throughout my wikis. Could be a "my docs package". Could be a "my todo setup" > containing the basic scaffolding for my to do list workflow... however, on a > much more "simply create and use a basic package" level rather than a "figure > out how to package and manage plugins" level, with versioning, naming > conventions or whatever may be recommended for tried and true plugins, rather > than "simple bundles". > > There are currently two ways to “reuse tidbits”: a JSON file or a plugin. The > JSON file is just about the simplest thing it could be: a nice simple plain > text rendering of the source of a group of tiddlers, and is easy to work with > in other tools. The plugin mechanism introduces just enough “sophistication” > to satisfy their purpose: to be an *updatable* reusable tidbit. > > So, yes, the way how plugins work once they exist is great. Just the way to > create one is not as simple as it could be to allow for a more user centric > packaging of whatever tidbits into bundles. In fact, I'd even shy away from > using the name "plugin", as it comes with the connotation of being a > developed thing, coded of sorts. Psychologically alone, simply packing up > tiddlers into reusable bundles (being shadows in a target wiki) would sound > much simpler than being the author of a plugin and all the presumed > responsibility one might assume comes with such a position. It would make > packaging a common task and process rather than a by default advanced, > elevated one. > > Is it just that the support for building plugins in the browser is primitive? > > I guess so. By default, such a packer would create the most simplistic > package conceivable, in terms of setup and required data. (Right now I don't > even know the full requirements for plugins, tbh. (without researching) > ...and then perhaps an "advanced options" panel that can be toggled so as to > specify any other (plugin) parameters that may be needed / used / specified, > perhaps with a help / info bubble that explains what a given metadata-field > is for. > > Pragmatically speaking: possibly a streamlined Tinka that... > makes tiddler selection as easy as possible > currently, selecting tiddlers is by individually ticking off checkboxes next > to titles matching a manually entered filter > only asks to specify the most basic details required for packaging, leaving > out everything that truly is not > in fact, could be just a title and nothing but > avails the complete / advanced options in an expandable section > Best wishes, > > — tb > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "TiddlyWiki" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tiddlywiki > <http://groups.google.com/group/tiddlywiki>. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tiddlywiki/4f80c990-0b2a-412f-9116-7bdd3c51a2cf%40googlegroups.com > > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tiddlywiki/4f80c990-0b2a-412f-9116-7bdd3c51a2cf%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout > <https://groups.google.com/d/optout>. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TiddlyWiki" group. 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