Core File: main.js

The core file is the script Acode runs when your plugin loads. It can have any name and location, as long as plugin.json points to it with the main field.

It has two jobs:

1. Register an init function that starts your plugin.
2. Register an unmount function that undoes everything init did.

For when and how Acode calls them, see Understanding Plugins.

You rarely write this by hand

The official templates already contain the registration code below. You only fill in the init and destroy methods of the AcodePlugin class.

Register the plugin

Your script has access to the global acode object. Register the init function with acode.setPluginInit:

acode.setPluginInit(pluginId, init, settings?)

Parameter	Description
pluginId	The id from your plugin.json.
init	Function Acode calls to start the plugin.
settings	Optional. Adds a settings page for your plugin. See Plugin settings.

init arguments

init receives three arguments:

Argument	Type	Description
baseUrl	string	URL of your plugin folder, for loading bundled files.
$page	WcPage	A page object that facilitates the display of content within Acode.
options	object	Extra information, described below.

options contains:

Property	Description
cacheFileUrl	URL of your plugin's cache file.
cacheFile	File object for the cache file, so you can read and write it.
firstInit	true only on the run right after installation.
ctx	Encrypted secret storage and permission checks. See Plugin Context.
fileIcons	Plugin-bound File Icons API. Available from versionCode 1012.

Every property is documented in more detail under acode.setPluginInit.

Register the unmount handler

acode.setPluginUnmount(pluginId, unmount)

Acode calls unmount when the plugin is disabled, uninstalled or reloaded. Use it to remove everything you added: commands, event listeners, timers, UI elements and formatters. Anything left behind stays active until Acode restarts.

WARNING

Do not skip this. A plugin that does not clean up will leave duplicate commands and listeners behind every time it is reloaded during development.

Full example

This is the shape used by the official templates:

import plugin from "../plugin.json";

class AcodePlugin {
  baseUrl = "";

  async init($page, cacheFile, cacheFileUrl, firstInit, ctx, fileIcons) {
    const commands = acode.require("commands");

    commands.addCommand({
      name: "example-plugin",
      description: "Open the example plugin",
      bindKey: { win: "Ctrl-Alt-E", mac: "Command-Alt-E" },
      exec: () => {
        $page.innerHTML = `
          <h1>Example Plugin</h1>
          <p>This is an example plugin.</p>
        `;
        $page.show();
      },
    });
  }

  async destroy() {
    const commands = acode.require("commands");
    commands.removeCommand("example-plugin");
  }
}

if (window.acode) {
  const acodePlugin = new AcodePlugin();

  acode.setPluginInit(
    plugin.id,
    async (baseUrl, $page, { cacheFileUrl, cacheFile, firstInit, ctx, fileIcons }) => {
      // Make sure baseUrl ends with "/" so you can append file names to it
      acodePlugin.baseUrl = baseUrl.endsWith("/") ? baseUrl : `${baseUrl}/`;
      await acodePlugin.init($page, cacheFile, cacheFileUrl, firstInit, ctx, fileIcons);
    },
  );

  acode.setPluginUnmount(plugin.id, () => {
    acodePlugin.destroy();
  });
}

The if (window.acode) check lets the same bundle be loaded outside Acode (for example in tests) without throwing.

Related

• Commands: register editor commands
• Understanding Plugins: lifecycle details