https://github.com/damonoehlman/plug

Simple Node.js plugin helper
https://github.com/damonoehlman/plug

Last synced: 7 days ago
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Simple Node.js plugin helper

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/damonoehlman/plug
• Owner: DamonOehlman
• Created: 2011-12-06T00:23:19.000Z (almost 13 years ago)
• Default Branch: master
• Last Pushed: 2013-10-07T22:07:28.000Z (about 11 years ago)
• Last Synced: 2024-10-25T20:46:16.847Z (21 days ago)
• Language: JavaScript
• Homepage:
• Size: 109 KB
• Stars: 7
• Watchers: 3
• Forks: 3
• Open Issues: 1
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md

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README

        
# plug - lightweight and simple plugin system

Plug is a very simple plugin system for Node.js.  It has minimal dependencies and is should make loading plugins a very simple affair.

## Design Principles

- Plugins are node modules that export a `connect` and `drop` function.

- Each `Plugger` manages a list of active plugins, which are unique by name.

- In the event that a plugin with the same name as an existing plugin is loaded into a Plugger scope, the old plugin is __dropped__ before the new plugin is __connected__.

## Installing

The simplest way to install plug is via npm:

```

npm install plug

```

## Plugin Connection

When a new plugin is found, the `connect` function for the plugin is called with arguments that were passed when a new `Plugger` instance was created.  This sounds a little confusing at first, but makes plug quite powerful.

In the following example, for instance, a Plugger is created taking a name and age argument:

`examples/simple-loader.js`:

```js

var path = require('path'),

    plugger = require('plug').create('Bob', 36);

// handle plugin connection

plugger.on('connect', function(pluginName, pluginData, modulePath) {

    console.log('loaded plugin "' + pluginName + '", with data: ', pluginData);

});

plugger.find(path.resolve(__dirname, 'plugins/a'));

```

When plugins are later connected, these arguments are passed through to the plugin's connect function along with a callback.  The callback is responsible for returning _pluginData_ to the plugger, and all of this information is passed through when a `connect` event is emitted:

`plugins/a/first.js`:

```

exports.connect = function(name, age, callback) {

	console.log('I belong to ' + name);

	callback({

		sport: 'Fishing'

	});

});

```

Running, the above example yields the following output:

```

I belong to Bob

loaded plugin "first", with data:  { sport: 'Fishing' }

```

## Plugin Drop (or Disconnection)

To be completed.

### Using Drop Actions

To be completed.

## Other Node Plugin Systems

- [haba](https://github.com/crcn/haba)

- [broadway](https://github.com/flatiron/broadway)