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The article « Using plug-ins
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Using plug-ins
Thursday 23 November 2023 , by jack
Table of contents
- What is a plug-in? ?
- Organisation of plug-ins
- Using SVP the SPIP plug-in manager
- Managing repositories
- Search and find the plug-in
- Add a plug-in
- Updating a plug-in
- Deactivate, Uninstall and/or Delete
- Alternative methods for managing plug-ins
- Add a plug-in manually via the SVP interface
- Managing plug-ins via FTP
- Managing plug-ins with SPIP-Cli
- Creating your plug-in
What is a plug-in? ?[|Back to the table of
contents](#s-What-is-a-plug-in)
SPIP is supplied with a number of standard functions (the « core »).
It is often the case that other functions are required, such as a diary or
a newsletter (…). To meet these specific needs, SPIP has a system of
plug-ins (sometimes called « extensions ») via a standardised API that can be
plugged into the system to add or complete functions.
Organisation of plug-ins[|Back to the table of
contents](#s-Organisation-of-plug-ins)
There are two types of plug-in:
– The plug-ins provided by default in SPIP
They are placed in the ./plugins-dist/ directory. These « plug-in-dist »
are locked and cannot be uninstalled. They are updated each time SPIP is
updated.
– Site-specific plug-ins
These are placed in the ./plugins/ directory.
If you want to be able to install and update them automatically, you will
need to create a sub-directory ./plugins/auto/. (This sub-directory is
automatically created if you install SPIP via spip-loader
(SPIP)).
Using SVP the SPIP plug-in manager[|Back to the table of
contents](#s-Using-SVP-the-SPIP-plug-in-manager)
SPIP has an automated system for managing plug-ins called SVP (an acronym
for « SerVeur d’information et de téléchargement des Plugins »).
It enables plug-ins to be managed and updated on a daily basis.
The management of plug-ins is reserved for full site administrators.
Adding, updating and deleting plug-ins is restricted to webmasters.
Managing repositories[|Back to the table of
contents](#s-Managing-repositories)
SVP will search for available plug-ins in a ’repository’.
During the first installation, the webmaster must install the repository
and validate with his password.
By default, the « main » repository « SPIP-Zone - Plugins » is proposed.
Other repositories can be added.
Some repositories are listed at
https://plugins.spip.net/spip.php?page=depots
For security reasons, you will need to enter your password to install a new
repository.
Search and find the plug-in[|Back to the table of
contents](#s-Search-and-find-the-plug-in)
You can search for the plugin via the SVP interface, « add a plugin ».
It may be useful to search for the plugin best suited to your needs on the
site dedicated to SPIP plugins: https://plugins.spip.net/
Add a plug-in|Back to the table of contents
When you have found your plug-in, select it and ask for ’download and
install’; SVP will then offer to install the plug-in with all the
necessary dependencies.
Once installed, some plug-ins have a ’Configure’ button which opens a
configuration form.
Updating a plug-in[|Back to the table of
contents](#s-Updating-a-plug-in)
A plug-in has a version number in the form x.y.z where
- z represents a minor correction,
- y represents an addition of functionality,
- x represents a major change with a risk of incompatibility.
When an update is available (and installation has been carried out by SVP)
a message is displayed:
- A corrective update is available (up de z)
- A functional update is available (up from y)
- A major update is available (X.0.0). Remember to check for
incompatibilities. (up from x)
Deactivate, Uninstall and/or Delete[|Back to the table of
contents](#s-Deactivate-Uninstall-and-or-Delete)
Webmasters have several options for removing an installed plugin:
- **Deactivate: ** the plugin moves to inactive plugins,
- **Uninstall: ** deletes the data and configuration parameters of the
plugin, and the plugin is moved to the inactive plugins,
When the plugin is inactive it is now possible to :
- **Delete: ** deletes the plugin files, not the data;
- **Reactivate: ** if the plugin has been deactivated (and not
uninstalled), all the data and settings will be restored.
NB :
– Therefore, to completely remove a plug-in and its data, you must
first uninstall it, then delete it.
– Don’t forget that uninstalling leads to a loss of data.Webmasters
have several options for removing an installed plugin:
Alternative methods for managing plug-ins[|Back to the table of
contents](#s-Alternative-methods-for-managing-plug-ins)
Add a plug-in manually via the SVP interface[|Back to the table of
contents](#s-Add-a-plug-in-manually-via-the-SVP-interface)
It is possible to install a plug-in manually via the SVP interface, for
example using a zip version retrieved from git.spip.net.
For security reasons, you will need to enter your webmaster password when
installing a plug-in in this way.
Managing plug-ins via FTP[|Back to the table of
contents](#s-Managing-plug-ins-via-FTP)
You can upload the plug-ins by transferring the plug-in files via FTP to
the ./plugins/ directory. Once the plugins have been uploaded, they need
to be activated via SVP.
Please note that this method does not allow to automatically update the
plug-ins.
Managing plug-ins with SPIP-Cli[|Back to the table of
contents](#s-Managing-plug-ins-with-SPIP-Cli)
SPIP-Cli can be used to manage a site from the command line. There are
several commands dedicated to plug-in management. For more information,
please refer to the official SPIP-Cli documentation
Creating your plug-in[|Back to the table of
contents](#s-Creating-your-plug-in)
If you can’t find the plug-in you need, you can always create your own!
Learn to code your own plug-ins:
For your information: the La fabrique plugin makes it quick and easy to
create a plugin from scratch
— Sent by SPIP (https://www.spip.net/)