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84 lines
3.3 KiB
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84 lines
3.3 KiB
Markdown
# Overview
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PostalPoint® supports JavaScript plugin extensions. Plugins can hook into PostalPoint to add features and integrations.
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## What plugins can do
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* Process card payments and handle saved payment methods
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* Process cryptocurrency payments
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* Add additional carriers, providing shipping rates and labels
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* Print to label and receipt printers, letting PostalPoint handle hardware support and drivers
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* Extend support for prepaid label acceptance, prepaid barcode recognition, and carrier dropoff QR codes
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* Install pages in the Tools menu, creating new interfaces and features
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* Receive transaction receipts for ingestion into third-party accounting or business software
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* Display interactive HTML5 content on the customer-facing screen
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* Run both Node.JS and browser code.
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## PostalPoint DevTools and Testing Builds
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The [PostalPoint build server](https://build.netsyms.net/job/PostalPoint_Retail/)
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creates installers from the latest prerelease changes. It is not recommended to use these
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builds for production purposes, but they contain the latest changes to plugin APIs.
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For Windows developers, you'll want to download a "postalpoint-retail-sdk_x.xx.exe" installer,
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as it contains the Chromium DevTools.
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To enable DevTools on Linux, simply run `sudo apt install nw.js-sdk` and restart PostalPoint.
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To access the DevTools, press F12 or right-click anywhere inside PostalPoint and click Inspect.
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Depending on various factors, some plugin console output may go to the "background page";
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right-click and click "Inspect background page" to view that console.
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## Plugin Package Structure
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A plugin is distributed as a simple ZIP file, containing a folder. The folder then has at least one file, named `plugin.js`.
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The `exports.init` function in `plugin.js` is executed when PostalPoint launches, allowing the plugin
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to request involvement with various events in PostalPoint.
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PostalPoint installs plugin packages by unzipping their contents into a plugins folder.
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Plugins are uninstalled by deleting their folder.
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## PostalPoint Plugin API
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The PostalPoint plugin API is a globally-available object named `global.apis`.
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It contains many useful functions for integrating with PostalPoint.
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All the APIs listed under the Plugin API section must be prefixed with `global.apis.` in order to work.
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## Minimal Plugin Code
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```javascript title="plugin-name/plugin.js"
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exports.init = function () {
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global.apis.alert("This message appears when PostalPoint launches.", "Hello!");
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};
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```
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Yes, the smallest plugin really is just two lines of code, and accessing PostalPoint features
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really is that easy.
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## Plugin Metadata File
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While not strictly required, a `package.json` is encouraged, and allows specifying the plugin's
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display name, PostalPoint version compatibility, and other metadata.
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Sample:
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```json
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{
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"name": "plugin-id-here",
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"main": "plugin.js",
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"description": "Human-readable description of the plugin",
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"version": "1.0.0",
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"author": "Your Name",
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"license": "Code license name",
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"postalpoint": {
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"pluginname": "Display Name for Plugin",
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"minVersion": "000034",
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"maxVersion": "001000"
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}
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}
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```
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PostalPoint version codes are MMMnnn where MMM is the major version and nnn is the minor version, zero-padded.
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So version 0.35 is "000035", and 1.23 is "001023".
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