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developers:addons:start [2013/05/07 19:49]
jonyo [geoaddons.com Guidelines] 		developers:addons:start [2014/10/21 16:28] (current)
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 This section will help developers get started with understanding all the different things an addon can do.  It is still very much a work in progress, so if you have questions not answered here, send them to [email protected] and we will be happy to explain things further. This section will help developers get started with understanding all the different things an addon can do.  It is still very much a work in progress, so if you have questions not answered here, send them to [email protected] and we will be happy to explain things further.
  
-The bulk of the documentation for addons is still in the form of an example addon that can be [[https://geodesicsolutions.com/geo_store/customers/index.php?task=downloads|downloaded]] from the "public downloads" section in the client area.  This section of the user manual is meant to compliment the example addon, not replace it.+The bulk of the documentation for addons is still in the form of an example addon that can be [[https://geodesicsolutions.com/geo_store/customers/index.php?task=downloads|downloaded]] from the "public downloads" section in the client area.  This section of the user manual is meant to complement the example addon, not replace it.
  
 ===== Parts of Addons ===== ===== Parts of Addons =====
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   * Do **not** use period (.) in the folder name as it will cause problems in the software((For one, the addon text exporter uses a . between addon name and auth tag, so export/import text would not work for your addon.)).   * Do **not** use period (.) in the folder name as it will cause problems in the software((For one, the addon text exporter uses a . between addon name and auth tag, so export/import text would not work for your addon.)).
   * Highly recommend using alpha-numeric and underscore (**_**) characters only.  This will ensure best compatibility and reduce/remove any chances of problems in the software itself.   * Highly recommend using alpha-numeric and underscore (**_**) characters only.  This will ensure best compatibility and reduce/remove any chances of problems in the software itself.
-  * Check to make sure the name is not already being used by one of the available official addons released by Geodesic Solutions.  We also recommend checking the addons posted by 3rd party developers on our site http://geoaddons.com.+  * Check to make sure the name is not already being used by one of the available official addons released by Geodesic Solutions.  We also recommend checking the addons posted by 3rd party developers on our site http://geocoregoodies.com.
   * Choose a unique name, perhaps consider adding something unique to you to the beginning of each addon folder you create((For instance what you use for //auth_tag// in the info.php file.)).  Doing this will greatly reduce the chances of compatibility problems from 2 different addons using the same folder name.   * Choose a unique name, perhaps consider adding something unique to you to the beginning of each addon folder you create((For instance what you use for //auth_tag// in the info.php file.)).  Doing this will greatly reduce the chances of compatibility problems from 2 different addons using the same folder name.
  
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 ===== Advertise your Addons ===== ===== Advertise your Addons =====
  
-We have a website http://geoaddons.com, owned and operated by Geodesic Solutions, LLC. specifically for showcasing 3rd party addons (Addons created by you!).  If you have created your own addon and would like to sell or give it away, register a developer account on http://geoaddons.com and post a listing about your addon on the site.  The http://geoaddons.com website is powered by GeoClassAuctions Enterprise, and uses a lot of the built in features like ability for users to review addons.+We have a website http://geocoregoodies.com, owned and operated by Geodesic Solutions, LLC. specifically for showcasing 3rd party addons (Addons created by you!).  If you have created your own addon and would like to sell or give it away, register a developer account on http://geocoregoodies.com and post a listing about your addon on the site.  The http://geocoregoodies.com website is powered by GeoClassAuctions Enterprise, and uses a lot of the built in features like ability for users to review addons.
  
 You can create your own developer storefront as well once you get a few addons posted on the site that you want to be able to showcase from a single location on the site. You can create your own developer storefront as well once you get a few addons posted on the site that you want to be able to showcase from a single location on the site.
  
-==== geoaddons.com Guidelines ====+==== Geocoregoodies.com Guidelines ====
  
-These guidelines are **for developers** wishing to advertise an addon on geoaddons.com.  Below are the guidelines that your addon must adhere to, in order to advertise your addon by posting it on [[http://geoaddons.com]].+These guidelines are **for developers** wishing to advertise an addon on geocoregoodies.com.  Below are the guidelines that your addon must adhere to, in order to advertise your addon by posting it on [[http://geocoregoodies.com]].  Note that we also **recommend** these guidelines for **any custom / 1-off addon** as well((Yes following the guidelines can take longer, and thus cost more for custom development, for instance taking time to use an addon hook instead of editing the base software...  But it also means less work for each update.  In other words, following these guidelines will cost a little "more now" but save a lot in the long run.  We have seen many a site have to hire a developer to re-do customizations using these guidelines after they find their site is no longer able to be updated without paying an arm and a leg for every update, just to re-apply changes.)), as these are considered "best practices" and good ideas to follow in general.
  
 **Addon Requirements:** **Addon Requirements:**
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 These guidelines are subject to revision as needed.  If any of the guidelines above are not met, we may **remove your listing** and attempt to contact you to re-post it with any corrections or changes needed. These guidelines are subject to revision as needed.  If any of the guidelines above are not met, we may **remove your listing** and attempt to contact you to re-post it with any corrections or changes needed.
  
-Below are **recommendations** if you plan to post your addon on geoaddons.com:+Below are **recommendations** if you plan to post your addon on geocoregoodies.com:
  
 **Addon Suggestions:** **Addon Suggestions:**
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   * Try to follow "best practices" wherever possible, and in your addon documentation make sure to advocate best practices.  For instance, you should never have "edit geo_templates/default/..." in the instructions, since you should never edit any templates in the default template set.  We recommend to link directly to user manual pages here on our site when applicable.   * Try to follow "best practices" wherever possible, and in your addon documentation make sure to advocate best practices.  For instance, you should never have "edit geo_templates/default/..." in the instructions, since you should never edit any templates in the default template set.  We recommend to link directly to user manual pages here on our site when applicable.
  
-<tip c n>**Note:**  If you happen to find any addons posted on [[http://geoaddons.com]] that do not follow the requirements above, please let us know.  We do try to review every addon posted but sometimes things can slip through.</tip>+<tip c n>**Note:**  If you happen to find any addons posted on [[http://geocoregoodies.com]] that do not follow the requirements above, please let us know.  We do try to review every addon posted but sometimes things can slip through.</tip>
  
-==== Notes on Licensing / Locking to Domain ====+==== Tips on Licensing / Locking to Domain ====
  
 If you are creating an addon that you plan to sell to others, you may wish to use some sort of licensing or other mechanism to ensure that the addon is only used on a single installation.  Or perhaps wish to encode or obfuscate((Note that encoding the software is very different from obfuscation.  We recommend encoding out of the 2, using Ioncube as that is what the main software uses itself.  Obfuscation is usually very easy to bypass.)) the addon code to prevent others from "stealing" the source code and re-using it. If you are creating an addon that you plan to sell to others, you may wish to use some sort of licensing or other mechanism to ensure that the addon is only used on a single installation.  Or perhaps wish to encode or obfuscate((Note that encoding the software is very different from obfuscation.  We recommend encoding out of the 2, using Ioncube as that is what the main software uses itself.  Obfuscation is usually very easy to bypass.)) the addon code to prevent others from "stealing" the source code and re-using it.
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 Such practices are perfectly fine as it allows 3rd party developers like yourself, to use technology to make sure your works are not stolen or used without permission, so that you can focus on making great customizations and addons.  When you do so however, we ask that you go over the following guidelines: Such practices are perfectly fine as it allows 3rd party developers like yourself, to use technology to make sure your works are not stolen or used without permission, so that you can focus on making great customizations and addons.  When you do so however, we ask that you go over the following guidelines:
  
-  * Include the company / author's name in any license related errors, especially any that might "exit" or cause the rest of the script to not load.  **BAD:**  //This script is locked to a different domain.//  **Good:**  //The Acme Co. Anvil addon is locked to a different domain.//+**Tips & Best Practices for Licensing your Addon:** 
 + 
 +  * Include the company / author's name in any license related errors, especially any that might "exit" or cause the rest of the script to not load.   
 +    * **BAD:**((Bad because there is no way to tell what addon is generating the error.  Customize your errors!!))  //This script is locked to a different domain.// 
 +    * **GOOD:**((Good because the error message generated by the source code protection, was customized to include the author and addon name, so it is crystal clear what is generating the error and who needs to be contacted to fix it.))  //The Acme Co. Anvil addon is locked to a different domain.//
     * We cannot stress this enough...  When someone with a lot of 3rd party addons tries to change domain names, just think of the headache it would cause if each of those addons generated a generic error and none "claimed" the error..  Not to mention extra down-time and frustration, sometimes that frustration gets mis-directed at Geodesic as it appears the main software is creating the error.  So please make sure all error messages include the author and addon name!     * We cannot stress this enough...  When someone with a lot of 3rd party addons tries to change domain names, just think of the headache it would cause if each of those addons generated a generic error and none "claimed" the error..  Not to mention extra down-time and frustration, sometimes that frustration gets mis-directed at Geodesic as it appears the main software is creating the error.  So please make sure all error messages include the author and addon name!
   * If protecting the code, we recommend [[http://ioncube.com|Ioncube]] as that is what the software's licensing files use.  Whatever you use, just remember to customize any error messages to include the author / addon name for any type of errors that it produces.   * If protecting the code, we recommend [[http://ioncube.com|Ioncube]] as that is what the software's licensing files use.  Whatever you use, just remember to customize any error messages to include the author / addon name for any type of errors that it produces.
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   * Any solutions you use to lock, protect, license, etc. - remember to customize all the "built in" errors for whatever tool you are using, so that it includes the author name and addon name in any errors.((Yes this was sort of point 1 as well.  This is actually the main reason we created this section, as that happens from time to time, a client sees the error and gets mad at us.  In fact that is one of the main causes of "bad reviews" people leave on sites about our software, they see some error given by a 3rd party addon, think it is from the main software, and before we even have a chance to tell them it is not the software doing it, they leave angry reviews about us.  So please help stop angry reviews of our software, include your name in license error messages!  Thanks!  :-) ))   * Any solutions you use to lock, protect, license, etc. - remember to customize all the "built in" errors for whatever tool you are using, so that it includes the author name and addon name in any errors.((Yes this was sort of point 1 as well.  This is actually the main reason we created this section, as that happens from time to time, a client sees the error and gets mad at us.  In fact that is one of the main causes of "bad reviews" people leave on sites about our software, they see some error given by a 3rd party addon, think it is from the main software, and before we even have a chance to tell them it is not the software doing it, they leave angry reviews about us.  So please help stop angry reviews of our software, include your name in license error messages!  Thanks!  :-) ))
  
 +
 +Note that the example addon, in the **info.php** file, look at the method **addon_example_info::enableCheck()** - this is a "built in" location that you can add licensing checks if you wish.  Just return "true" to allow the addon to be enabled or "false" and the addon will be disabled for "that page load".  Returning false does not affect the actual enable/disable status of the addon, it basically just stops the addon from being used for that page load.  If the method does not exist then it defaults to allow the addon to be used.  You can see more information in the [[http://geodesicsolutions.com/phpdocs/addons.example.info.html#addon_example_info::enableCheck()|Developer API Docs Here]] or in the source code of the example addon.
developers/addons/start.1367956143.txt.gz · Last modified: 2014/09/25 16:55 (external edit)

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