Plugin Development

Plugin Manager — installed plugins

Plugins are the packaging unit for AuraBoot business capabilities. A plugin can contain models, dictionaries, commands, pages, menus, permissions, data sources, i18n files, and optional backend or frontend extensions.

For most business modules, start with a config-only plugin. Add Java or React extensions only when the module needs behavior that cannot be expressed with DSL resources.

What a plugin contains

plugins/crm-starter/
  plugin.json
  models/
  commands/
  pages/
  dictionaries/
  datasources/
  menus.json
  permissions.json
  default-bootstrap.json
  i18n/

Resource	Purpose
`plugin.json`	Manifest, version, dependencies, resource locations
`models`	Business data structures
`commands`	Create, update, delete, transition, or custom operations
`pages`	List, form, detail, and dashboard schemas
`dictionaries`	Controlled values for selects and statuses
`datasources`	Query definitions for dashboards or reports
`menus.json`	Navigation entries
`permissions.json`	Access control definitions
`default-bootstrap.json`	Initial role and permission assignments
`i18n`	Localized labels

Manifest

{
  "pluginId": "com.example.crm-starter",
  "namespace": "crm",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "displayName:en": "CRM Starter",
  "description": "Lead and account management module",
  "author": "Example Team",
  "minPlatformVersion": "1.0.0",
  "dependencies": [],
  "resourceDirs": {
    "models": "models",
    "commands": "commands",
    "pages": "pages",
    "dicts": "dictionaries",
    "menus": "menus.json",
    "permissions": "permissions.json",
    "roles": "default-bootstrap.json"
  }
}

Use a stable pluginId. It becomes part of upgrade, dependency, and marketplace behavior. Use namespace to keep model, command, page, and permission codes organized.

Development flow

Create manifest
  -> add dictionary values
  -> add models
  -> add commands
  -> add pages
  -> register menus and permissions
  -> validate plugin
  -> publish plugin
  -> verify generated UI

This order catches errors early. Do not wait until the end to import all resources for the first time.

Example task model

{
  "code": "pm_task",
  "name": "Task",
  "type": "entity",
  "fields": [
    { "code": "title", "name": "Title", "dataType": "text", "required": true },
    { "code": "description", "name": "Description", "dataType": "long_text" },
    { "code": "status", "name": "Status", "dataType": "dict", "dictCode": "pm_task_status" },
    { "code": "priority", "name": "Priority", "dataType": "dict", "dictCode": "pm_task_priority" },
    { "code": "assignee", "name": "Assignee", "dataType": "reference", "refModelCode": "sys_user" },
    { "code": "due_date", "name": "Due Date", "dataType": "date" }
  ]
}

Example create command

{
  "code": "create_pm_task",
  "name": "Create Task",
  "modelCode": "pm_task",
  "type": "create",
  "fields": [
    { "fieldCode": "title", "required": true },
    { "fieldCode": "description" },
    { "fieldCode": "status", "defaultValue": "todo", "readonly": true },
    { "fieldCode": "priority", "defaultValue": "medium" },
    { "fieldCode": "assignee" },
    { "fieldCode": "due_date" }
  ]
}

Example list page

{
  "code": "pm_task_list",
  "name": "Tasks",
  "modelCode": "pm_task",
  "pageType": "list",
  "schema": {
    "toolbar": {
      "actions": [
        { "type": "command", "commandCode": "create_pm_task", "label": "New Task" }
      ]
    },
    "columns": [
      { "fieldCode": "title", "width": 260 },
      { "fieldCode": "status", "width": 120 },
      { "fieldCode": "priority", "width": 120 },
      { "fieldCode": "assignee", "width": 160 },
      { "fieldCode": "due_date", "width": 140 }
    ]
  }
}

Validate and publish

Use the CLI whenever possible:

aura plugin validate plugins/my-plugin
aura plugin publish plugins/my-plugin --yes

Validation should catch schema drift, missing references, invalid command codes, menu permission mismatches, and missing resource files.

Verification checklist

After publishing a plugin:

Confirm the plugin appears in the plugin list.
Confirm menus appear for the target role.
Open the list page from the menu, not only by URL.
Create a record through the generated form.
Edit the record.
Check permissions with a non-admin role.
Review backend logs for import warnings.

When to add code

Add backend extensions when you need:

Custom command handler logic
Event listeners
External API integration
Complex validation not expressible as config

Add frontend extensions when you need:

A specialized visualization
A custom editor
A custom dashboard block
A non-standard workflow surface

Keep the default path config-first. It is easier to validate, review, and upgrade.