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Author Topic: Extension depending on another extension  (Read 929 times)

Erik Hommel

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Extension depending on another extension
May 06, 2013, 06:06:10 am
Is there a recommended way to deal with an extension that relies on another extension being installed and enabled? Or should we as a rule always assume that an extension can run in a core CiviCRM environment without any other extension?
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Hershel

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Re: Extension depending on another extension
May 06, 2013, 07:38:48 am
Interesting question--do you have a specific case in mind or is this still just theoretical?
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Coleman Watts

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Re: Extension depending on another extension
May 06, 2013, 10:26:20 am
Seems like this could fairly easily be added to the xml info if it's not already supported.
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Erik Hommel

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Re: Extension depending on another extension
May 06, 2013, 11:00:15 am
Hershel,

I am currently working on an upgrade project where we have two parts of code that are really distinct. One is a synchronization with an Oracle application which I would prefer to stick in a separate extension. That is easier for maintenance purposes.

But in the general customization extension for that client we create a specific config file that holds some specific config info. I do need that file every now and then in the sync extension so in the ideal world I would just make the sync extension dependent on the other one?

Coleman, should I raise an issue for this and assign it to totten?
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totten

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Re: Extension depending on another extension
May 06, 2013, 11:18:22 am
I agree that this is important functionality.

Quote from: Coleman Watts on May 06, 2013, 10:26:20 am
Seems like this could fairly easily be added to the xml info if it's not already supported.

*blink*

Adding to the xml? Easy. Actually managing the dependencies? Different topic.

The real question is how much we want to invest in writing our own dependency manager. There's already a decent/popular one written for PHP -- https://getcomposer.org/ . The project we need to do is adapting that dependency manager to work with Civi extensions.

Hershel

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Re: Extension depending on another extension
May 06, 2013, 11:31:15 am
I think Coleman may have meant something very simple, like how Drupal module dependencies work. You add the dependency to the XML and then all CiviCRM has to do is not allow you to enable an extension that is missing a dependency and show you a message that X depends on Y which is not enabled/installed and that's it.

Then it's up to you to install Y.
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Erik Hommel

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Re: Extension depending on another extension
May 06, 2013, 12:22:37 pm
I agree with Hershel that is the easy option, and I would be happy with that:
Quote
like how Drupal module dependencies work. You add the dependency to the XML and then all CiviCRM has to do is not allow you to enable an extension that is missing a dependency and show you a message that X depends on Y which is not enabled/installed and that's it.

But I can also see the point Tim is making. Why not use a dependency manager like Composer? I have not worked with composer myself, feedback I am getting from a guy who has worked with it is that it has the potential to get mighty complicated. Would it be easy to just start with the simple version sketched by Hershel?
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Eileen

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Re: Extension depending on another extension
May 06, 2013, 02:36:45 pm
The example I have is that I re-use a lot of functionality in reports that I wrote for our customers & reports written for PTP. PTP want their reports packaged separately. A base class/ extension would be better than copy and paste....
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Re: Extension depending on another extension
May 10, 2013, 03:28:06 pm
Another consideration is the concept of 'weight' of the extensions i.e. when running the hooks which run first? As soon as you build dependencies you need to explicitly place guarantees on the order that hooks will run between modules.

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Re: Extension depending on another extension
May 15, 2013, 06:29:46 am
+1 for some form of dependency management between extensions along the lines of Drupal, where you can specify particular versions etc.

+1 for reusing an existing dependency manager like composer or even Drupal's.
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  • CiviCRM Community Forums (archive) »
  • Old sections (read-only, deprecated) »
  • Developer Discussion »
  • APIs and Hooks (Moderator: Donald Lobo) »
  • Extension depending on another extension

This forum was archived on 2017-11-26.