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

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