Development Workflow

This page outlines a simple workflow for building plugins quickly and safely.

1) Prepare a Development Panel

• Install FeatherPanel using the development installation guides
• Enable Development Mode from Admin Area -> Settings
• Open Dev Plugins to scaffold or manage your plugin

2) Start From Boilerplate

Generate a new plugin from the Dev Plugins page. The boilerplate gives you:

• Base plugin structure
• Starter files for logic and UI
• Default metadata/configuration

3) Build in Small Iterations

Recommended loop:

1. Add one feature (for example a widget or event listener)
2. Reload and test in your panel
3. Check docs at /icanhasfeatherpanel/index.html
4. Refine and repeat

Small iterations make plugin behavior easier to validate and debug.

4) Use the Internal Docs Constantly

Your panel-specific docs at /icanhasfeatherpanel/index.html are the source of truth for:

• Injection points
• Permissions
• Events/hooks
• Examples matching your panel version

5) Validate Isolation and Stability

FeatherPanel plugins run in containerized space. In practice this means:

• Plugin dependencies stay isolated
• Core panel code remains separate
• Update compatibility is usually stable when you follow supported APIs

6) Keep Scope Clear

For long-term maintainability:

• Keep plugin features focused
• Avoid broad global injections unless required
• Prefer documented hooks and permissions over custom workarounds