====== Structure ======


Any repository with a ''plugin.xml'' and ''plugin.properties'' files is considered as a plugin by GroIMP.
To be properly loadable though, the ''plugin.xml'' needs to include:

<code xml>
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> 
<plugin id="your.plugin.id" 
version="x.x" 
xmlns="http://grogra.de/registry" >
</code>

where ''plugin id'' and ''version'' need to be filled with the plugin information.


=====  =====

A plugin has to have a special directory layout. The layout depends on how you run GroIMP. There are currently two layout:
  - As compiled plugin.
  - As compiled classes.

In the compiled version of GroIMP (the one deployed and installed with the executable files) the plugins are loaded as:

  * MyPlugin
    * MyPlugin.jar
    * plugin.properties
    * plugin.xml
    * doc/
    * dependencies.jar ...

In the development version of GroIMP (usually what you get from the source code, and using the --project-tree argument) the plugins are loaded as:

  * MyPlugin
    * target
      * classes
        * plugin.properties
        * plugin.xml
        * <compiled class files>
        * <additional files copied from the src-directory>
      * lib
	* <needed jar-files>

**Important:** Note that the files //plugin.xml//, and //plugin.properties// are required.

By default GroIMP load plugins from its root/plugins directory. During development, usually the --project-tree argument is used, making GroIMP load plugin from the same directory as the needed GroIMP plugins and projects (e.g., Graph, XL-Core, IMP-3D, ...). It is also possible to set an additional directory where GroIMP look for plugins in the GroIMP preferences. Or by passing the command line argument -p when starting groimp.