Plugins are like a set of building blocks that you can freely combine to create the functionality you want. Adding plugins is an excellent way to extend Apache Answer's features. This article will provide a detailed guide on the installation steps, helping you easily add plugins and master the process of installing and using them.

Download Plugins

1. Click here to download the desired plugin from the official Apache Answer plugin repository.
2. Place the Plugin: Move the downloaded plugin files into the ./ui/src/plugins directory of your project.
3. Plugin Type Reference: https://answer.apache.org/docs/development/plugins

Important: The folder should be named "plugins," not "plugin."

Install Standard UI Plugin

1. In the terminal, run cd ./ui to navigate to the ui directory.
2. Install dependencies: Run pnpm pre-install.
3. Start the project: Run pnpm start to launch the development server.
4. Backend Plugin Setup: In a new terminal window, continue with the backend plugin installation steps.

Install Backend Plugin

1. Compile Frontend Code:

   • Linux/MacOS: Run make ui.
   • Windows: Run pnpm install and pnpm build.

2. Import Plugin: In the cmd/answer/main.go file, import the plugin (replace my-plugin with your plugin name):
   

import (
    answercmd "github.com/apache/incubator-answer/cmd"
    // Import the plugins
    _ "github.com/apache/incubator-answer-plugins/my-plugin"
)

The image below shows examples with the editor-chart, editor-formula, and embed-basic plugins.

1. Update go.mod: Navigate back to the project root directory by running cd ... Use go mod edit to add the plugin to the go.mod file:

go mod edit -replace=github.com/apache/incubator-answer-plugins/my-plugin=./ui/src/plugins/my-plugin

Note: Windows users need to use double quotes, as shown below:

go mod edit -replace="github.com/apache/incubator-answer-plugins/my-plugin"="./ui/src/plugins/my-plugin"

Example with the editor-chart, editor-formula, and embed-basic plugins.

1. Download Dependencies: Run go mod tidy to download and update dependencies.
2. Start the Project: Run go run cmd/answer/main.go run -C ./answer-data.

Open the backend interface URL in your browser. Under the Admin - Installed Plugins section, you'll see the added plugins. Click the ⋮ in the Action column to activate or remove the plugin.

Congratulations, you've successfully added a plugin! Click here to explore more community-built plugins. Additionally, we offer a detailed tutorial on How to Package and Deploy Answer Plugins and a Plugin Development Guide to make your Apache Answer even more powerful.