Feature Request: Community Plugins/ Packages about wolfram-js-frontend

[userrand]

documentation looks very cool 👍

[JerryI]

Great idea!
For now it is more like there is a sort of package folder and API, so all graphic and etc are delivered like that.

I think, for the first step I will probably introduce loading "plugins" via links to GitHub repos in the settings via web UI.

[userrand]

The "plugins" via links to GitHub repos sounds like a cool idea.

I do not really know the architecture needed for plugin support. I found this question via google: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/10763006/plugin-architecture-in-web-apps-examples-or-code-snippets#:~:text=A%20good%20plugin%20architecture%20is%20difficult%20to%20achieve,polymorphism%2C%20Demeter%27s%20Law%20and%20the%20related%20Hollywood%20principle.

Ideally, the system should be flexible enough to naturally support the type of plugins that vscode and Obsidian can support without having to think a lot and hard code functionalities for the plugin implementation in advance. Examples of such plugins may include :

• change the color theme

• maybe allow the usage of vim or emacs keybindings (I have not used emacs in a while I do not remember if they look like the usual keybindings)

• something like GitHub copilot to work on code using chatgpt

• Latex document typing

• Highlighting and organizing highlights in a separate window

• web development plugins such as automatically adding the closing tag for an opened tag or maybe even a full no code drag and drop HTML building interface like Wix (this seems particularly hard as I am not sure even obsidian or vscode has that kind of flexibility I think).

• Automatic code formatting

• code linting and documentation hovering for other languages

• allow an interactive-only mode that does not allow editing the code (to avoid editing by mistake when working with many versions of a file)

This looks like way too much work for even a team of 30 people maybe. But if the development of the plugin is not too hindered by the architecture design of this application, then if the project gains popularity** people will have the incentive to make and share their implementations.

(**) Specifically with plugin support in a popular language like javascript with the convenience of the Wolfram language, I think the project could be quite popular if it's published on Reddit (if they allow that) and your post on stack exchange is updated when the app is more stable.

[userrand]

I asked ChatGPT 3.5 about creating plugin support. The prompt and answer are given below (note the security item in the list) (I do not know how reliable its answer is) :

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Prompt:
what kind of code architecture is needed for plugin support ?

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To support plugins in a software application, you will need to use a modular architecture that allows the application to load and use external modules dynamically. Here are some key architectural principles to consider when designing your plugin system:

• Plugin API: Define a clear, well-documented API that plugins can use to interface with the application. This API should provide a set of functions, methods, or classes that allow plugins to interact with the application in a consistent and reliable manner.

• Plugin Manager: Implement a plugin manager that can dynamically load and unload plugins at runtime. This manager should be responsible for discovering available plugins, loading them into memory, and managing their lifecycle.

• Plugin Interface: Define a common interface that plugins must implement to be compatible with the application. This interface should define a set of methods or events that the application can call or trigger to communicate with the plugin.

• Plugin Security: Ensure that plugins are loaded in a secure manner and cannot compromise the security of the host application or the system as a whole. This may involve sandboxing plugins or running them in a separate process.

• Plugin Communication: Establish a communication mechanism between the host application and plugins that allows them to exchange data and events. This may involve using an event system, messaging system, or other forms of inter-process communication.

Overall, the architecture you choose will depend on the specific requirements of your application and the plugins you plan to support. By following these principles, you can design a robust and flexible plugin system that enhances the functionality of your application and enables third-party developers to extend it with new features and capabilities.

[JerryI]

It will also be great to a sort of palettes like in VScode or obsidian. In general I d like to pack it as a self-installing electron app.

PS: I am working on mostly to make it stable and user - friendly.

[JerryI]

Kinda done. Please, see the documentation on it ;)

Palettes are also available now in a form of snippets plugin wljs-snippets
(shipped with a frontend)

And ChatGPT has arrived already wljs-chatbook developed by @KirillBelovTest. Now it is a core package of a system

adv2.mp4