Module Recipe - Plugin Setup and Installation Guide

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How-to Guide

Author:

Nandha Balaguru

Changed on:

15 Mar 2025

Key Points

Create the new module:

`fluent module create -n <module-name> `

Populate the plugin structure in
```
`plugins/`
```
```
`rules/`
```
- Contains rules, unit tests and GraphQL queries/mutations
```
`types/`
```
- Stores model classes and extended DTOs
```
`util/`
```
- Holds service classes and utilities
Build the module:
```
`./scripts/build-module.sh`
```

Install the module:

`fluent module install dist/<module-name>-<version>.zip -p <profile> -r <retailer>`

Prerequisites

Getting Started with the Fluent CLI

Steps

Preparing the Custom Module

To create and initialize a new custom module, follow these steps:

Navigate to the directory where the new module should be created.
Run the following command to generate the module structure:
```
`fluent module create -m <module-name>`
```

Once the module is created, a plugins folder is also generated. It follows a multi-module Maven approach, ensuring a structured hierarchy for better maintainability and modularity of your rules and supporting services.

Understanding the Multi-Module Maven Structure

The

`pom.xml`

file inside the

`plugins`

folder contains all module dependencies and information. It typically includes:

`<modules>`

`<module>rules</module>`

`<module>types</module>`

`<module>util</module>`

`</modules>`

Recommended Directory Structure

Module	Purpose
`rules/`	Contains all the associated rules, unit tests and GraphQL queries & mutations.
`types/`	Contains all the model classes and extended DTO's.
`util/`	Contains service classes and utility functions.

This structured approach ensures modular development and better maintainability.

Building the Plugin and Module

Navigate to the
```
`resources/`
```
directory and remove any unneeded asset directories. Retain the
```
`module.json`
```
file since we are focusing on plugin installation.
```
`Note : Plugins can be installed along with the data.`
```
Edit the
```
`module.json`
```
file to add any other information about the module, eg author information or any module dependencies.
Execute
```
`./scripts/build-module.sh`
```
and build the module itself

Ensure that the build script is executed without the

`-p`

option, otherwise it would skip the plugin build step.

Once the build process completes successfully, check the generated Module Structure and Module Archive inside the

`dist/`

directory.

You can also inspect the assets in the module with

`fluent module describe dist/<module-name>-<version>`

and confirm that the plugin is present.

Installing the Module

Optional: Configuring the Module

If the module requires configurations such as network references or catalog references, create a module config file first:

`fluent module config dist/<module-name>-<version>/ --retailer <retailer> --profile <profile>`

To install the module, execute one of the following commands:

`fluent module install dist/<module-name>-<version>/ --retailer <retailer> --profile <profile>`

`fluent module install dist/<module-name>-<version>.zip --retailer <retailer> --profile <profile>`

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into a terminal command line, followed by a Command, Subcommand, Argument, and Options:

`fluent <command> <subcommand> <argument> [options]`

The
```
`<command>`
```
will refer to a noun (or “a thing”).
The
```
`<subcommand>`
```
will refer to a verb (or action).
The
```
`<argument>`
```
is the primary required name of the “thing” identified by the
```
`<command>`
```
.
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```
`[options]`
```
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```
`<command>`
```
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```
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