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Packing and Deploying Plugins as Add-ons

In Oxygen XML Developer, a plugin can be packed and deployed as an add-on to provide additional functionality to the application.

Packing a Plugin as an Add-on

This procedure is suitable for developers who want a better control over the add-on package or those who want to automate some of the steps:
  1. Pack the plugin as a ZIP file or a Java Archive. Note that you should pack the entire root directory not just its contents.
  2. [Optional] If you created a Java Archive at the previous step, digitally sign the package. You will need a certificate signed by a trusted authority. To sign the JAR, you can either use the jarsigner command-line tool inside Oracle's Java Development Kit ([JDK_DIR]/bin/jarsigner.exe) or if you are working with Apache Ant, you can use the signjar task (a front for the jarsigner command-line tool). The benefit of having a signed add-on is that you can verify the integrity of the add-on issuer. If you do not have such a certificate, you can generate one yourself using the keytool command-line utility.
    Note: This approach is recommended for tests since anyone can create a self-signed certificate.
  3. Create a descriptor file. You can use a template that Oxygen XML Developer provides by going to File > New and selecting the Oxygen add-ons update site template. The products the add-on is compatible with can be specified in the template. Once deployed, this descriptor file is referenced as update site.

Deploying an Add-on

To deploy an add-on, copy the ZIP or Java Archive file and the descriptor file to an HTTP server. The URL to this location serves as the Update Site URL.