IDempiere Plug-In Development

evenos
Consulting
Plug-In Development
Jan Thielemann evenos Consulting GmbH
16. Mai 2013
evenos Consulting GmbH
Table of contents
Why should I use plug-ins?

ADempiere approach
iDempiere approach
Reasons to use plug-ins
What can I do with plug-ins?

Common tasks
Special tasks
How do I start developing my own plug-ins?

First steps
Best practice
How can i distribute my plug-ins?

p2 repositories
Install plug-ins from jar files via Apache Felix Web Console
Tips and tricks
Conclusion
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ADempiere approach:
Check out ADempiere and configure your workspace

Create a new project for your customizations or modify the original sources
Re-compile the sources and create a customization.jar with the modified files
Stop the Server
Replace existing files or install the customization.jar via setup/silentsetup
Run additinal migration scrpits
Start the Server
Disadvantages:
Inconvenient for new developers

Error-prone
Server must be shut down
Ant build files must be modified to solve additional dependencies
Code from within the customization.jar must be placed in the right directory structure to work
No possibility to quickly enable/disable modifications
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iDempiere approach:
Check out iDempiere and configure your workspace

Create a new Plug-in Project
Use extension points or component definitions to provide functionality
Export the plug-in
Install and start the plug-in during runtime
Disadvantages:
Modification of core files is not possible
Today not everything can be done with plug-ins - but we are working on it
Advantages:
Modular architecture
Convenient and easier to understand for new developers
Server must not be shut down to install/activate/deactivate/remove plug-ins
No need to modify the core
Dependency management
Better/easier extensibility
Easily update the core without losing your customizations
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Reasons to use plug-ins:
You develop functionality for your personal use, but you still want to support the community with bug fixes
You want to make some quick and dirty tests and may want to rollback your changes without headache
You have several customers for who you develop but some of the functionality is only for some of the
customers and should not be available for everyone
You regulary update iDempiere to the latest available version
You develop functionality on your local system and want an easy way to export your changes to your
productive system
You are new to iDempiere development and have no understanding of the core yet
You developed a great feature which you want to sell without caring about the customers base system
What can I do with plug-ins?
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Common tasks:
Model
Modelvalidator
Processes
Callout
Document
Form
Editor
Infowindow
Lookup
Special tasks:
Payment Processor
Shipment Processor
Attachements
Pack In/Out
PIPO Element Handlers
Tabs
Menus
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First steps:
Check out the iDempiere source code and configure your workspace
A good tutorial can be found at http://www.globalqss.com/wiki/index.php/IDempiere
Read the plug-in development tutorials in the idempiere wiki

http://wiki.idempiere.org/en/Category:Plug-In_Development
Read the forum from Redhuan D. Oon - he has some great tutorials too
http://red1.org/adempiere/index.php
Take a look at existing plug-ins

There are a lot of plug-ins and many of them makes use of extension points and component definitions
Read the wiki and use google
Join us on irc at #idempiere (irc.freenode.net) and aks for help
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Best practice - create a new plug-in
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Best practice - configure the manifest
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Best practice - 2Pack
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Best practice - RegisterBuddy, Extensions and

Components
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RegisterBuddy
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RegisterBuddy
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RegisterBuddy
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RegisterBuddy
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Extension
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Extension
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Component
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Component
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Component
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Component
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Component
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Component
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Component
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Component
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Best practice - compile plug-ins into the client
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Best practice - export plug-ins as p2 repositories or jar
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How can I distribute my plug-ins?
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p2 repositories:
The p2 project is a sub-project of Equinox that focuses on provisioning technology for OSGi-based applications. Although p2 has
specific support for installing Eclipse and Equinox-based applications, it includes a general-purpose provisioning infrastructure that
can be used as the basis for provisioning solutions for a wide variety of software applications. - http://www.eclipse.org/equinox/p2/
Short: a powerful way to install and update iDempiere and its plug-ins over the internet
Host iDempiere and your plug-ins in a centralized repository
Host you plug-ins in the iDempiere marketplace (comming soon)
Update iDempiere via command line:

java -Dosgi.noShutdown=false -Dosgi.compatibility.bootdelegation=true -Dosgi.install.area=director -jar
plugins/org.eclipse.osgi_3.7.*.jar -application org.eclipse.equinox.p2.director -consoleLog -profileProperties
org.eclipse.update.install.features=true -destination $DESTINATION -repository
http://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/red1/p2/idempiere-server/ -u org.adempiere.server.product
java -Dosgi.noShutdown=false -Dosgi.compatibility.bootdelegation=true -Dosgi.install.area=director -jar
plugins/org.eclipse.osgi_3.7.*.jar -application org.eclipse.equinox.p2.director -consoleLog -profileProperties
org.eclipse.update.install.features=true -destination $DESTINATION -repository
http://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/red1/p2/idempiere-server/ -i org.adempiere.server.product
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Apache Felix Web Console
On the server, plug-ins can be installed via Apache Felix Web Console
http://host:8080/osgi/system/console/bundles
No need to stop or restart the server for installing/updating/removing plug-ins
No command line
Mostly self explanatory
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Tips and tricks
Extending/overriding base models

Extend the base model and just create a new M class instead creating I, X and M classes
Provide your model via ModelFactory
This way, core classes can still cast your modified model to
Test plug-ins in Eclipse

Open Run Configurations and select the application you want to run
Switch to the Plug-ins tab and check the plug-ins you want to start
Start the application
Type ss on the console to see the state of each plugin
Start plug-ins with start <nr>
Stop plug-ins with stop <nr>
Remove plug-ins with uninstall <nr>
OSGi console when starting the server via command line

open idempiere-server.sh
remove the numbers after -console
run idempiere-server.sh
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Tips and tricks
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Where to get help?

iDempiere has nearly the same core as ADempiere so for getting startet these books are still a good starting
point to get a better understanding of what is happening behind the scenes:
ADempiere 3.6 Cookbook by Ajit Kumar
ADempiere 3.4 ERP Solutions by Bayu Cahya Pamungkas
ADempiere wiki: http://www.adempiere.com/ADempiere_ERP
iDempiere wiki: http://wiki.idempiere.org/wiki/Main_Page
Google group: https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/idempiere
Redhuan D. Oon forum: http://red1.org/adempiere/index.php
Global Quality System and Solutions wiki: http://www.globalqss.com/wiki/index.php/IDempiere
Freenode irc: #idempiere
Found a bug?
Check if the bug is also in the iDempeire demo system: https://demo.idempiere.com/
Ask others about the bug in the irc channel
File a bug in the ticket system: http://jira.idempiere.com
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Conclusion
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iDempiere makes use of the Equinox OSGi Framework
iDempiere makes it easier to provide additional functionality via plug-ins
iDempiere is easier to maintain
iDempiere makes it easy to share data between different instances
iDempiere is beginner friendly
iDempiere makes it possible to provide additional functionality without the need to have the customers whole
source code
iDempiere is easy to learn for people who are already familiar with ADempiere
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Thank you for your attention

Feel free to ask questions. You can contact me at jan.thielemann@evenos-consulting.de
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evenos

evenos Consulting GmbH

Why should I use plug-ins?

What can I do with plug-ins?

How do I start developing my own plug-ins?

How can i distribute my plug-ins?

Tips and tricks

evenos Consulting GmbH

Why should I use plug-ins?

Check out ADempiere and configure your workspace

Inconvenient for new developers

evenos Consulting GmbH

Why should I use plug-ins?

Check out iDempiere and configure your workspace

evenos Consulting GmbH

Why should I use plug-ins?

Reasons to use plug-ins:

You regulary update iDempiere to the latest available version

evenos Consulting GmbH

What can I do with plug-ins?

evenos Consulting GmbH

How do I start developing my own plug-ins?

Read the plug-in development tutorials in the idempiere wiki

Take a look at existing plug-ins

Read the wiki and use google

Join us on irc at #idempiere (irc.freenode.net) and aks for help

evenos Consulting GmbH

How do I start developing my own plug-ins?

Best practice - create a new plug-in

evenos Consulting GmbH

How do I start developing my own plug-ins?

evenos Consulting GmbH

How do I start developing my own plug-ins?

evenos Consulting GmbH

How do I start developing my own plug-ins?

evenos Consulting GmbH

How do I start developing my own plug-ins?

evenos Consulting GmbH

How do I start developing my own plug-ins?

evenos Consulting GmbH

How do I start developing my own plug-ins?

evenos Consulting GmbH

How do I start developing my own plug-ins?

Best practice - configure the manifest

evenos Consulting GmbH

How do I start developing my own plug-ins?

evenos Consulting GmbH

How do I start developing my own plug-ins?

evenos Consulting GmbH

How do I start developing my own plug-ins?

evenos Consulting GmbH

How do I start developing my own plug-ins?

evenos Consulting GmbH

How do I start developing my own plug-ins?

evenos Consulting GmbH

How do I start developing my own plug-ins?

evenos Consulting GmbH

How do I start developing my own plug-ins?

evenos Consulting GmbH

How do I start developing my own plug-ins?

Best practice - 2Pack

evenos Consulting GmbH

How do I start developing my own plug-ins?

evenos Consulting GmbH