Equinox Integration 2/Tutorial Plugin
From ADempiere
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If you want to change existing functionality in ADempiere, write a plugin. It is simple!
Create Plugin Project
- In Eclipse, chose New/Plugin Development/Plugin Project
- as a convention, choose a folder under adempiereTrunk/plugins
- The manifest editor opens, fill in appropriate attributes
- regarding versioning: I found the default versioning scheme using a qualifier (which is replaced by a timestamp at deployment time) quite annoying, because bundles are never overridden - but maybe I missed something here
Activation
- If you need action to be done, specify an activator in the manifest.
- Certainly you may implement the plain BundleActivator, but preferrably use org.adempiere.plugin.utils.AdempiereActivator
- You have to import this package in the bundle manifest - it is provided by pluginUtils
- The AdempiereActivator:
- registeres your plugin as an ADempiere package
- If you provide /META-INF/PackOut.xml in your plugin, it automagically does a 2Pack Packin with in.
- If nothing is to do on yours plugin start or stop, you may use AdempiereActivator itself as the activator of your plugin
- If you want to do something, subclass and override one of these methods:
- install() - called after the packIn when your plugin is started in this version for the first time
- start() - called - optionally after install() - when your plugin is started
- stop() - called when your plugin is stopped
- You may use each of these utility methods:
- getName() - name of the plugin
- getVersion() - version of the plugin
Extension Points
In a plugin, you can only change core functionality already prepared for modification. These functionalities are exposed as extension points. As example, let us introduce a new callout.
- Open your plugins MANIFEST.MF
- You have to refer to the plugin providing the extension point, most often org.adempiere.base:
- On Tab "Dependencies", click "Add.."
- Choose the plugin and click "Ok"
- Now you have to declare your extension
- If the tab "Extensions" is not already present, click on the link "Extensions" on the overview tab
- On the "Extensions" tab, click "Add..." and choose the IColumnCallout Extension point
- In the context menu of the point, choose "New/client"
- In the "Extension Element Details", provide information about your callout: table and column and
- the implementing class
- Use Eclipse magic to implement the callout:
- simply click on the class-Link
- watch the "New class" dialog open with the exact interface already provided.
- So you only have to provide package and class name and start implementing!
- Simple, isn't it?
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