iDempiere CLI - Create Plugin

This skill guides you through creating a new iDempiere plugin project using idempiere-cli init.

Workflow

•Choose project structure: Multi-module (default, recommended) or standalone.
•Select components: Choose which component stubs to include (callout, process, form, etc.).
•Run init command: Execute idempiere-cli init with the desired options.

Basic Usage

bash

# Interactive mode (prompts for component selection)
idempiere-cli init org.mycompany.myplugin

# Non-interactive with specific components
idempiere-cli init org.mycompany.myplugin --with-callout --with-process

# Standalone plugin (single module, no parent POM)
idempiere-cli init org.mycompany.myplugin --standalone

Project Structure Options

Multi-module (default)

Creates a parent project with sub-modules:

code

org.mycompany.myplugin/
  pom.xml                            (parent POM)
  org.mycompany.myplugin/            (main plugin)
    META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
    pom.xml
    src/
  org.mycompany.myplugin.test/       (test module)
    pom.xml
    src/

Standalone

Creates a single plugin directory:

code

org.mycompany.myplugin/
  META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
  build.properties
  pom.xml
  src/

Component Options

Flag	Component Type
`--with-callout`	Column-level business logic
`--with-process`	Server-side batch process
`--with-event-handler`	Model lifecycle hooks
`--with-zk-form`	Programmatic ZK form
`--with-report`	Basic report process
`--with-jasper-report`	Jasper report with .jrxml template
`--with-rest-extension`	REST API endpoint

Additional Options

Flag	Description
`--with-fragment`	Include a fragment module (multi-module only)
`--with-feature`	Include a feature module for p2 distribution
`--no-test`	Skip test module creation
`--fragment-host`	Fragment host bundle (default: org.adempiere.ui.zk)
`--no-interactive`	Disable interactive prompts

Example Usage

Simple plugin with callout and process

bash

idempiere-cli init org.mycompany.sales --with-callout --with-process

Full-featured plugin with all common components

bash

idempiere-cli init org.mycompany.customization \
  --with-callout \
  --with-process \
  --with-event-handler \
  --with-zk-form

Plugin with REST API extension

bash

idempiere-cli init org.mycompany.api --with-rest-extension

Standalone plugin (for simpler use cases)

bash

idempiere-cli init org.mycompany.simple --standalone --with-process

Plugin with fragment module (extends ZK UI)

bash

idempiere-cli init org.mycompany.uicustom --with-fragment

Generated File Structure

After init, the plugin includes:

•META-INF/MANIFEST.MF - OSGi bundle metadata with proper Require-Bundle dependencies
•build.properties - Tycho/PDE build configuration
•pom.xml - Maven/Tycho POM with iDempiere p2 repositories
•OSGI-INF/*.xml - Service component descriptors (for registered components)
•src/ - Java source with generated component stubs

What Happens Next

After creating the plugin, the typical workflow is:

bash

cd org.mycompany.myplugin

# Add more components later
idempiere-cli add callout MyNewCallout
idempiere-cli add process MyBatchProcess

# Build the plugin
idempiere-cli build --idempiere-home=/path/to/idempiere

# Validate before deployment
idempiere-cli validate

# Deploy to iDempiere
idempiere-cli deploy --target=/path/to/idempiere

Notes

•The plugin ID should follow Java package naming conventions (e.g., org.mycompany.myplugin).
•Multi-module is recommended for plugins that will have tests and p2 packaging.
•Use standalone for simple, single-purpose plugins.
•Interactive mode auto-detects if running in a terminal and prompts accordingly.