Working with internal plug-ins in Assets Server – Help Center

Note: The use of internal plug-ins has been deprecated in Assets Server 6.73. Plug-ins should instead be created as an external plug-in.

Info: Performing some of the steps described in this article requires direct server access. Depending upon how your system is hosted and the level of access you have to that system, coordination may be required with your Partner or WoodWing Support team. For a full overview of the steps that need to be done by WoodWing and how to request them, see WoodWing Cloud - Change management.

The functionality of Assets Server and its client applications can be extended through the use of plug-ins. This makes it possible to schedule regularly occurring tasks in Assets Server, or add buttons, menus or panels in Assets and/or the Brand portal.

Using plug-ins in Assets Server involves installing them in Assets Server and subsequently activating them. When they are temporarily not needed anymore, they can be deactivated. This article describes these processes.

Where to get plug-ins from

Plug-ins contain custom functionality and are typically created whenever the need for that functionality arises. To get you started, various sample plug-ins are available. For more information, see Assets Server sample plug-ins.

The plug-in structure

Plug-ins are managed in Assets Server in the following location:

Assets Server path > Config > plugins

Notes:

This folder and its contents are available after Assets Server is started for the first time after installation.
The path to the plug-in folder must be identical on each node in the cluster.

The following structure is used:

Folder	Content
active	All currently active plug-ins.
active/internal	All default internal plug-ins.
disabled	All plug-ins that should be (temporarily) disabled.
plugin_base¹	The shared plug-in code base.
samples	Samples for Scheduled and Active plug-ins. ²

¹ Do not make modifications to the plugin_base folder; it is completely overwritten each time Assets Server starts.

² See Assets Server sample plug-ins. Sample Panel plug-ins for Assets are available in the Integrations & Samples section on the Help Center (log-in required).

Installation

To install a plug-in, simply place its folder in the following location:

Assets Server path > Config > plugins > active

Tip: Create subfolders to group or categorize plug-ins.

Note: A valid plug-in folder is one that contains a plug-in configuration file. This configuration file defines the plug-in type. Assets Server supports the following types:

schedule. For Scheduled plug-ins. For information about the configuration file, see Assets Server Schedule plug-ins - configuration.
action. For Action plug-ins. For information about the configuration file, see Assets Server Action plug-ins - configuration settings.
panel. For Panel plug-ins. For Scheduled plug-ins. For information about the configuration file, see Adding custom functionality to Assets by using Panel plug-ins.
plugin. For API plug-ins. For information about the configuration file, see Routing API requests through Assets Server using API plug-ins.

Activation

After installation, a plug-in needs to be activated.

Step 1. Access the Management console by doing one of the following:

Access the following URL and log in using system administrator credentials (a 'Super user' account):

<Assets Server URL>/console

In Assets, access the Avatar menu and choose Management Console.

The Avatar menu

Step 2. From the menu, choose Plugins, followed by Scheduled plugins, Action plugins, Panel plugins or API plugins.

The Action plug-ins page

Figure: The Action plug-ins page.

Step 3. In the top right corner of the page, click Scan Assets Server for plugins.

Step 4. Verify that the added plug-in is listed. In case a warning or error icon is shown, click the plug-in for more details and resolve the issue.

Controlling user access

For those plug-ins in which a requiredRole is defined (such as Action plug-ins and Panel plug-ins), user access to these plug-ins needs to be controlled by setting up the Capabilities for a user or user group.

Deactivation

When a plug-in is not needed anymore, it can be deactivated.

Step 1. Do one of the following:

Move the plug-in from the 'active' folder to the 'disabled' folder (this makes it possible to easily re-activate it later when needed)
Completely remove the plug-in from Assets Server

Step 2. Access the Management console by doing one of the following:

Access the following URL and log in using system administrator credentials (a 'Super user' account):