D 2017-09-23T07:54:56.150
L plugin\smeta\sdata
N text/x-markdown
P 290ace60f2d9029a705ba3d9a7ea0b1abd075795
U mario
W 6143
## plugin meta data
This spec defines a cross-language comment format for **feature management**.
See also [https://pypi.python.org/pypi/pluginconf](https://pypi.python.org/pypi/pluginconf) for a Python variant.
Its purpose for ClickyColoury is to simplify script/plugin organization (= menu structure mostly).
Incidentally it enforces proper documentation, of course.
* Which is particular interesting for PowerShell, as a common scheme
is largely absent. (ASCII-art code comments are somewhat rampant.)
* Like in other languages, the built-in PowerShell DocBlock scheme is
largely unsuitable: no custom fields via `Get-Help` supported.
* The `menu.psm1` implements a rather crude extractor however;
only looks for `#`-comment blocks, not `<#` (as it should) yet.
* `Extract-PluginMeta` is public domain however.
### meta block
Each tools/* script should have a top-level comment with meta fields:
# api: multitool
# version: 0.1
# title: TITLE/INFO
# description: WELL, DESCRIPTION
# type: inline
# category: BETA
# key: x5|name|dsquery
# keycode: Ctl+F7
# config: -
#
# More comments here …
This is basically a YAML structure in a comment. Which in some form
or another is already used by most programmers. This spec just defines
a few standard and custom fields.
<style>
main .content table tr:nth-child(odd) { background: #f3f3f3; }
</style>
### fields
Well, most of it pretty self-explanatory:
| api: | always "multitool" here (original project name) |
| version: | mostly decoration |
| title: | Used as button / menu inscription |
| description: | short summary of what the plugin does |
| type: | script execution mode (implied default is "inline") |
| category: | menu category, alphanumeric only, |
| hidden: | if set, omits the toolblock area |
| key: | regex for the CLI mode |
| keycode: | shortcut for the GUI mode (unimplemented) |
| param: | additional input variable names |
| status: | mostly decoration |
| author: | mostly decoration |
| license: | mostly decoration / unused |
| src: | mostly decoration (source code origin) |
| config: | list of config options (pseudo JSOL format) |
| repeat: 1 | for CLI version: asks if script should be repeated |
| nomenu: 1 | hide menut entry (see `hidden:`) |
| clipboard: auto | add script output to clipboard automatically (not enabled) |
| shortcut: 7 | add icon to shortcut toolbar/ribbon (custom sorting) |
| sort: 123 | largely unused, but can influence script ordering |
Normally the display and menu arrangement of scripts is driven by key: and title: -
both grouped by category: of course. In specific cases `sort:` might be used to
override it.
### type:
The execution mode influences how scripts are run:
| type:inline | runs within CC output pane (default) |
| type:window | starts script in standalone CLI powershell window |
| type:cli | equivalent to type:window, but for the CLI version (which interprets it as "inline") |
| type:init | run once during initialization |
| type:init-gui | run once during GUI construction (in WPF runspace) |
| type:main | internal functions (this is decoration for the modules/* |
### param: extra, fields
Defines more input variables/fields. Now this is a workaround,
but with interesting by-features.
* This meta field is mostly used for scripts that run in `window`/`cli` mode,
so the vars can be passed per cmdline.
* Standard field and variable names are: machine, username, bulkcsv.
Those are defined implicitly, whether you mention them or not.
* It adds text input or dropdown fields for each non-default field name.
* Comboboxes are created whenever a like-named "data/combobox.feldname.txt"
file exists.
* For `inline` scripts any extra field becomes available as `$extra` or `$var3` etc.
* The GUI `Read-Host` wrapper interprets the field names from `Param($x=(Read-Host "extravar"), …)`
to return the right GUI text field value.
### config:
The `config:` field is the only structured plugin meta data entry. It allows to
describe/predefine some `$cfg.vars`. It follows the JSOL-style scheme:
# config:
# { name: threaded, type: bool, value: 0, title: GUI runspace? }
# { name: domain, type: str, value: WORKWORK }
It's not used much, but for the configedit.ps1 script and the %APPDATA% file.
Most default options are preset in the starter.ps1 still.
Purpose is to have *plugins* define custom global settings. Tools/scripts may
use them still. (Because; why not?)
### key: a1|b2|c3
The `key:` field defines an entry for the CLI interface. The prompt there expects a shortcut to invoke scripts with. If a tool/ doesn't have one, it won't be available.
Mainly it just lists one or two alternatives to invoke a script:
# key: s5|start5
So the prompt would allow you to enter "s5" or "s5" for example.
Most scripts that expect input like a username or hostname can be started with "s5 localhost" or "s5 user123" as well. (The prompt supports arguments, yes.)
But back to the key: **regex**. You can define more complex alternatives like:
s5|sta?r?t|or-?else|teee+st
It's sometimes convenient to add more flexibility and typo support, but avoid listing a hundred spellings or aliases of course.
## alternative: $menu list
CC does not strictly depend on PMD comments. However, the alternative
would be to manually manage a script array:
$menu = @(
@{
title = "Locked out users"
description = "do some stuff"
category = "cmd"
fn = "tools\script5.ps1'
type = "inline"
},
@{
title = "Other tool"
description = "do some stuff"
category = "extras"
fn = "tools\other_scr.ps1'
type = "inline"
},
)
Which, let's be honest, is enticing to noone.
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