Library Aware

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Library Aware is a subset of Extend Aware.

To share a library has always ben a hope for plugin designers up and down the world or plugins.

To allow a plugin to call a libaray into existance for all use this method (suggested by moraes)

Add a universal include path at the very top. 

 <?php
 set_include_path(get_include_path() . PATH_SEPARATOR . $DIR_PLUGINS . 'lib');

However this on it's own is not enough as a plugin needs to be able to detect the presence of required libs. To do this a plugin must respond to the handshake 

 'REQUIRE' == 'LIBRARY NAME'

with the flag 

 'LIBRARY NAME' == 'TRUE'

In addition it would be as well to specify auto discovery of installed libraries via the handshake 

 'SEEK' == 'LIBRARY'

by pushing 'name_of_lib' onto the array $library()

This would allow advanced plugins to select the use of plugins based on thier existance (or lace thereof).

To be fully Extend Aware a plugin must not tie up the handshake event by needlessly chattering and so should attempt to cache the results of 

 'SEEK' == 'LIBRARY'

untill plugin install/uninstall events are triggered or untill a user prompt to refresh is called.

Summary of Library Aware requiremens

  • Use set_include_path
  • Respond to 'REQUIRE' == 'LIBRARY NAME'
  • Test for needed library(s) with same
  • Comply with the 'SEEK' == 'LIBRARY' requirements for request and respond
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