Description
CLI Plugin Lifecycle is the developer workflow for turning an SDK extension definition into a validated local plugin, distributable listing, or installed tenant capability. dots plugin scaffolds typed slot entry points, boots a development daemon, builds canonical payloads and checksums, routes supported artifacts into listings, and drives the production install-loader lifecycle. Manifests are parsed through the live SDK schema at every boundary.
The workflow is designed for operators and coding agents. It uses the same authenticated, company-scoped service contracts as the rest of Dots, so terminal or protocol convenience never creates a second source of truth. Inputs are validated before or at the route boundary, and outputs preserve identifiers and structured details needed for a reliable next step.
Selling Points
- Provides a paved path from first source file to installed plugin.
- Rejects undeclared, operator-scoped, or private-vault content before publication.
- Produces deterministic checksums for reviewable and reproducible artifacts.
- Supports private self-host installation and selective Marketplace publication.
- Executes tenant plugin lifecycle hooks through the sandboxed production loader.
User Story
A developer scaffolds a behavior plugin, runs it against a local daemon, builds a deterministic artifact, installs it privately for validation, and later publishes the reviewed listing. They retain control of source while buyers receive a governed installable package. The result is a concrete, inspectable outcome that another person or automation can continue from without reconstructing hidden state.
Extension Surface
This feature is pluggable: packages/cli/src/commands/plugin.ts consumes packages/sdk/src/internal/plugin/manifest.ts and the SDK slot catalog, providing an explicit external authoring and installation contract. The rating reflects the most-open supported seam that is true for this capability, not a transitive implementation detail. The cited path is the operational proof: consumers can use the documented seam, while unsupported changes still require a core release.
Capabilities & Limits
- Capability: Plugin init, development, deterministic build, and listing publication.
- Capability: Local install, enable, disable, list, and uninstall lifecycle.
- Capability: Manifest, entry-point, capability, privacy, and install-scope validation.
- Limit: Hosted code-bearing distribution currently accepts tenant-scoped behavior plugins; operator-scoped property, view, provider, and MCP slots remain publication-refused.
The limit is intentional product truth rather than missing documentation. Calls also remain subject to authentication, tenant selection, schema validation, and the permissions enforced by the authoritative service.
Implementation Map
packages/cli/src/commands/plugin.tspackages/sdk/src/internal/plugin/manifest.tsdocs/cli/plugin-commands.md