Creating plug-ins

A plug-in consists of XML files and supporting script files that the plug-in requires.

  • The plugin.xml file defines the steps that the plug-in consists of. A plug-in's steps define its functionality. Each step is an independently configurable entity in the IBM® DevOps Build (Build) editor.
  • The upgrade.xml file is used to upgrade the plug-in to a new version.
  • The info.xml file contains a version ID and other information that describes the plug-in.
Note: The plug-in files must use UTF-8 encoding.

A plug-in step is defined by a <step-type> element that contains these elements:

  • One <properties> element.
  • One <command> element.
  • One <post-processing> element

The <properties> element is a container for <property> child elements, and can contain any number of <property> elements. You can specify property values design time or run time. The <post-processing> element provides error-handling capabilities and sets property values that can be used by other steps. The <command> element runs the step's function. The function can be defined completely by the element, or be constructed in part or entirely from the step's properties at design time or run time.

In addition to a step's own properties, a command has access to properties set earlier by other steps within the process.

Plug-in steps are run by an agent that is installed in the target environment. Thus, plug-ins can be written in any scripting language while the agent can access the required scripting tools on the host. After a plug-in is created, upload it into Build to make it available to users. To upload a plug-in, create an archive file that contains the XML files (plugin.xml and upgrade.xml) and scripts that the plug-in requires. Then, import the archive file with the Plug-ins page.