Publishing an extension as a partner #

This page is for developers at partner companies who want to publish an extension. The technical basis is the developers' guide Extensions; this page adds the partner's checklist around it.

1. Separate it from the customer project #

• To do: Remove customer names, URLs, credentials, content and business rules.
• To do: Make customer-specific behavior a setting with a neutral default.
• To do: Get the customer's written agreement to publish the generic part (if it was paid work).

2. Give it its metadata #

From Extensions, "Release it":

• To do: ezinfo.php with 'Version' (no v prefix), name, copyright, license and info URL.
• To do: extension.xml with the same <version>, <license> and <info_url>.
• To do: composer.json if you publish on Packagist; keep its version in step if you keep one.
• To do: php -l ezinfo.php and xmllint --noout extension.xml pass.

3. License and notices #

• To do: A LICENSE file; for code built on Exponential, a GPL-compatible license (the project uses GPL v2 or later).
• To do: Copyright lines naming your company and any earlier authors.
• To do: Third-party code listed with its license.

4. README #

# <Extension name>
What it does in two sentences.
Requirements: Exponential <version range>, PHP <range>, other extensions.
Install: composer require <vendor>/<name>  (or git clone ...)
Activate: Setup > Extensions, or ActiveExtensions[] in settings
Configure: <settings>
Support: <issues URL>, paid support by <company> (optional)
License: GPL v2 or later.  Credits: <original authors, sponsors>

5. Repository and package #

• To do: A public Git repository with the full history you can publish.
• To do: Issues enabled.
• To do: Registered on Packagist, with the webhook so new tags appear.

6. Release #

• To do: Choose the version from the published tags, sorted by version (git tag -l 'v*' --sort=version:refname).
• To do: Commit the version bump first, then tag that commit.
• To do: Never move or delete a published tag; publish the next version instead.

7. Announce it #

• A forum post on https://share.exponential.earth/forums and a project page on https://projects.exponential.earth.
• A short article or tutorial (500 points as an article, 500 as a tutorial of 1,500+ words, The points system).
• Log it (Logging your partner activity).

8. Maintain it #

• Test it against each new Exponential release (Testing releases).
• Answer issues; merge useful pull requests.
• When you stop maintaining it, say so in the README.

Related pages #

• Extension and theme partners
• Contributing extensions back upstream
• Extensions
• Contribute extensions back: publish an extension and what the GPL requires when you distribute it
• Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.