extension.xml: the packaged description #

This page is for designers who prepare a theme for release. extension.xml is the second metadata file of an extension. The About page reads it first when it has a <metadata> block, so a wrong value here wins over a correct one in ezinfo.php.

A complete example #

This is the file of cjw_themes_jumper 0.1.6, as published:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<software>
    <metadata>
        <name>CJW Themes Jumper</name>
        <version>0.1.6</version>
        <copyright>Copyright (C) 2007 - 2026 CJW Network, JAC Systeme GmbH and 7x</copyright>
        <license>GNU General Public License v2.0 (or any later version)</license>
        <info_url>https://github.com/se7enxweb/cjw_themes_jumper</info_url>
    </metadata>
</software>

Step by step #

1. Create extension/mytheme/extension.xml with the root <software> and a <metadata> block.

2. Fill the elements:

   Element	Value	Must equal
   <name>	Human name	Name in ezinfo.php
   <version>	Release version without v	Version in ezinfo.php, the tag, composer.json version if you keep one
   <copyright>	Years and holders	Copyright in ezinfo.php
   <license>	The license's full name	License in ezinfo.php and the LICENSE file
   <info_url>	Project page	Info_url in ezinfo.php

3. If the theme needs another extension, add a <dependencies> block (Declaring dependencies in extension.xml).

4. Check that the XML is well formed:

   xmllint --noout extension/mytheme/extension.xml

   Expected: no output. Any output names the line that is broken.

5. Reload Setup > About and Setup > Extensions: the row shows the values of this file.

Values never to write #

• //autogentag// or dev-master as the version: they were placeholders of build scripts long ago and tell a reader nothing.
• A license name that differs from the LICENSE file.
• A website that is not yours, for example the product's site for a theme the product does not maintain.

Related pages #

• ezinfo.php: what the About page reads
• Keeping every version field in sync
• Specification: extension metadata
• Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.