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Plugins repository

Introduction

Ubidots is a sophisticated platform, intricately designed with a multitude of modules and functionalities. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools to cater to a wide array of needs. However, if a user wished to extend these functionalities beyond what Ubidots currently supports or even to meet a unique requirement, they would need an in-depth understanding of Ubidots' internal mechanics. Even then, direct modification of the platform at such a level is not feasible for users.

Definition

The Plugins Repository is an abstraction made by Ubidots that imposes a modular features design, which can exploited internally or by users to create and integrate custom features and functionalities into applications.

Plugins repository categories

Currently, there are three different Plugin Repository categories or types:
  • Widgets plugin repository
  • Data-plugin plugin repository
  • Devices Plugin repository
At its core, all of these three different types of plugin repositories are composed by a set of files structured as:
├── src
│ ├── some_files_or_folders
│ ├── view.xml
├── LICENSE
├── manifest.toml
├── README.md
some_files is a placeholder to indicate two things:
  • There might be other files or even folders inside the src folder along with the view.xml file
  • Each different type of Plugin Repository requires different files with different meanings.
Not only this file structure is mandatory, but also the LICENSE, README.md and manifest.toml files.
The manifest.toml file is specific to each plugin repository type.
Both the contents of the src file and manifest.toml file will be discussed in the corresponding section.

When to use Plugins repository?

The Plugins Repository comes into play when an Ubidots user encounters a specific need that is not natively addressed by the platform. If this requirement aligns with the categories previously mentioned, the user can leverage the power of the Plugins Repository to create a custom solution, thereby extending the functionality of the Ubidots platform to meet their unique needs.

How to use Plugins repository?

Please reffer to the documentation page for each plugin repository type to get to know how to use it.