Plugin API Draft

This is extremely early work - one might even say speculation - on a proposed plugin API. Please add, delete, +1, or -1.

The Plugin API should be...

• The API should be unified (no distinction between server-side and UI plugins)
• custom js and css will remain, but should not be confused with plugins
• It should allow easy use of templates, as should some parts of core
• Plugins should (generally) be npm modules, but we must allow for "proprietary" plugins that aren't published
• Some existing features (e.g. timeslider, chat, import/export) should be pulled out into plugins, but would still be shipped with core
• This helps ensure a quality API and gives plugin authors some great examples
• This implies that plugins should be on the same "level" as core components; they will have deep access to the system

Examples of functionality/plugins

• Monospace button (could also be custom JS)
• Syntax highlighting (could also be custom JS)
• A complete Admin UI
• Integrated OpenID/BrowserID auth
• Core features (chat, timeslider, import/export)