composer.json for an extension #

Part 3, chapter 6. With a composer.json, your extension can be installed with composer require and published on Packagist. This chapter explains the fields that matter for an extension, using two real files.

A modern example #

se7enxweb/expqueue's composer.json (shortened):

{
    "name": "se7enxweb/expqueue",
    "description": "The Exponential job queue: a generic, database-backed job queue ...",
    "type": "ezpublish-legacy-extension",
    "homepage": "https://github.com/se7enxweb/expqueue",
    "license": "GPL-2.0-or-later",
    "authors": [
        { "name": "7x", "homepage": "https://se7enx.com", "role": "Author" }
    ],
    "support": {
        "issues": "https://github.com/se7enxweb/expqueue/issues",
        "source": "https://github.com/se7enxweb/expqueue"
    },
    "require": {
        "php": ">=8.0",
        "ext-json": "*",
        "ext-mbstring": "*",
        "se7enxweb/exponential": "^6.0.14",
        "se7enxweb/ezpublish-legacy-installer": "*"
    },
    "extra": {
        "ezpublish-legacy-extension-name": "expqueue"
    }
}

The fields #

Do not put version into composer.json unless you keep it in step with every tag: Packagist takes versions from tags. If you keep one, bump it with ezinfo.php and extension.xml (Bumping ezinfo.php and extension.xml).

Crediting the original author #

se7enxweb/expchangeclass is a fork; its composer.json keeps the original author:

"authors": [
    { "name": "7x", "homepage": "https://se7enx.com" },
    { "name": "<original author>", "role": "Original author of eZChangeclass" }
]

(The real file names the person; this page leaves names of individuals out.) Do the same when you fork: Attribution and copyright notices.

Check it #

composer validate extension/mysite_hello/composer.json

composer validate reports missing or invalid fields; fix every error, and read the warnings.

Installing it from a repository before Packagist #

While the package is not on Packagist, a project can install it from Git by adding a repository to its own composer.json:

"repositories": [
    { "type": "vcs", "url": "https://github.com/your-organization/mysite_hello" }
]

then composer require your-organization/mysite_hello:dev-main. Publishing on Packagist is Composer and Packagist.

Related pages #

• Previous: Extension load order
• Next: Settings in an extension
• Finding ideas on Packagist
• getcomposer.org: the composer.json schema
• Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.