@Selroth this is why I use PM2 (node process manager) for process mgmt

start at boot.
restart if fails
can run as specific user
can run anything

can start/stop/restart via command

works the same on every platform
setup provides a system specific command to install for boot time support.

can run multiple processes concurrently

@oplik0 where is the doc on data-type=???

sorted-list and what other types are supported?
( I don't want them sorted, anyhow)

certainly in an objects case the modal entry form dialog would be useful.

but I don't find any doc on how do do most of the template stuff..

OHHHHH it uses HTML COMMENTS as loop control features? over some hidden connection to some css CLASS? what?!

when you can create new elements and behaviours in just about any runtime.

and it uses a file type which COULD be a link to it's format

but doesn't appear in any search results or known registration of same.

don't tell me what YOU know, take me thru the doc from creating a plugin to the linked doc of each conceptual element.

for followup

for add & delete, I just use jQuery to manipulate the dom form entries

for save also jQuery to get the content of items in the form, and then settings.save. which informs the operational side to reload the list

it's only for admin users.

@baris thanks. altho the typical plugin doesn't do it, the settings apis are promisified. you don't wait, u get junk..

adding .then() in the non async using functions solves the problem

@baris debugging why my settings don't save

I see the value in the hook now.. the 'value' MUST be a keyed object... not flat

but still no persistence.

I see the action hook is called before informing meta to reload..

but even when I stop and restart nodebb the data is not current

@baris well, got almost all of it working, list, add, delete, save button

now to update the database

I have the hook on save, so I can reload the operational list and use it to inform the admin page

it will be loaded via meta.get in the index.js (it doesn't return any data now, as there isn't any)
but meta isn't usable in admin..

settings is, but I don't see a save or (or load) method in the src/settings.js
but from quickstart admin.js
settings.load('quickstart', $('.quickstart-settings'), function () {

i want to save from a JS variable. but that causes some error not in the log, and I get the spinning circle saying my plugin is taking a long time.,

so close..
the admin code that gets the save click to save

			var selected = [];
			$('#urls').find('input[type="text"]').each(function() {
			    selected.push($(this).attr('value'));
			});
			console.log("urls to save=",selected)
		try {
			Settings.save(our_keya,selected, (err,sss)=>{

and the dev window console log

post_link_list save  clicked 
urls to save= (4) ['github.com', 'pastebin.com', 'forum.magicmirror.builders', 'docs.magicmirror.builders']
post_link_list settings save executed
settings save completed

the node bb log capturing from index
this is the output of setting save(), have the right 'hash', well its the 'key' I sent in
similar to all the other plugins I looked at

but no data

io: 1 on [
  {
    type: 2,
    nsp: '/',
    id: 8,
    data: [ 'admin.settings.set', { hash: 'post_link_list', values: {} } ]
  }
]

in index , the hook

settings saved for  { plugin: 'post_link_list', settings: {}, caller: { uid: 1 } }

@baris thanks.. I want to have a field for each url string. (from the array)

have an input field to add another with a click
and some selector (minus sign, checkbox...) and click to remove..

but the templating engine is killing me.. I don't know what the syntax is for non structure objects..

{{{each post_link_list}}}

gets me a line for each.. good.. what is its value?

hm... now it works ok?
@value says object.. (oops, put in {}), now compiler says use {} as required in 3.x)

hm.. could use its array index tho...

this post_link_list comes from the render..

can I use meta from admin (as module) ? (button click handler) ..
hm.. can't import meta in admin..

@baris ok, thanks. but none of that makes sense.. sorry.. 'user' is only admin in my case.

added on the ACP site (for what purpose if not for when the user navigates)?

i don't want it to run twice.. so it sounds like do NOT use acpScripts..

but. back on the custom data to the template

I see two different approaches used.. (neither work for me)

some modules use admin to use the settings api to load the values into a css class using jquery $('.someclassname')
which the template uses somehow, but unclear ${'../name'}
https://github.com/oplik0/nodebb-plugin-category-queue.git

admin.js
Settings.load('category-queue', $('.category-queue-settings'));
template
			<form role="form" class="category-queue-settings">
				<!-- BEGIN categories -->
				<div class="form-group col-sm-4 col-xs-6">
					<label for="{../cid}">{../name}</label>

and the other passes data in the call to res.render(page, {data structure})
in lib/controllers/renderAdmin()
then the template uses the data structure elements clearly.

my data is an array.. no internal named elements (presumably that is the ${../name} thing...accessing the object elements
and there is no for loop construct in the template, so I don't see how it generates 4 instances in the output...

sorry, one more question on templates.. is there any way to test them outside trying to load the plugin.. cause they are not generating the content I expect, but don't see any errors during build or run

@baris this page shows the format required by the 2.4.5 version I am on..
https://docs.nodebb.org/development/plugins/plugin.json/
it is similar to mine

also, my admin.js IS loaded and run

as the messages from the run are shown at the client
(browser dev winbow console)

/plugins/post_link_list admin define running
/plugins/post_link_list admin define ending returning acp keys= ['init']

but the actual init() method is not called.

adding the module entry to plugin.json solved the error and the init is now called...

@baris thanks.. that is a completely different plugin.json layout.

maybe I started with an old module format..

it WAS working yesterday.. so I'll go back to that commit and see if I can find the difference

@baris so, I am SO close.. just adding admin pages...

repo here https://github.com/sdetweil/nodebb-plugin-moderation_on_links

the postqueue function works
the link shows for admin

the admin template shows when u click the link,

but no data, the header hook for data doesn't fire

and I get that error

the static/lib/admin.js doesn't fire

its the '.' I am sure, but why and from where.. the log shows status 200 for loading content.. no 404..

npm i the repo,
activate
rebuild and relaunch
go to admin, plugins, click the link post_link_list

npmi the

@baris said in Passing custom data into a template?:

You can do what you want with the filter:middleware.renderHeader hook.

old topic, new developer

thanks.. that is very helpful

I have one question
I have a filter:post.shouldQueue plugin, it needs to check a list of data items on each post.
I load the data at plugin init time using meta...

	meta.settings.get(my_data_key, function(err, settings) {

my plugin registers the routes for the admin pages, which causes the static admin,js to run and the template to load, which loads or saves the data (separate from plugin operation code)
// copied from old category-queue plugin, admin.js

	ACP.init = function () {
		Settings.load(my_data_key, $('.key_class_settings'));

		$('#save').on('click', function () {
			Settings.save(my_data_key, $('.key_class_settings'), function () {

how do I inform the plugin that the data has changed on save? cause init should only run once.

is there some data/key 'onchange' (hook) I can register for to reload it so that my operational data is accurate?

seems bad to get it on every post, as it will almost never change (except when admin/save is checked

i haven't figured out template code to add/delete items from the list yet.. (more js event handlers I presume)

@baris thanks.. the 'use require.main.require' is like saying to find a phone number, use the phonebook.

do I have to read the source for each object to learns its methods?

user.exists for example from the image

my plugin works off an array of urls.

seems easy to list the things IN the array..

not as easy to add or remove

anyone have any examples or pointers

I guess you have a separate entry field, and push 'add'
and a checkbox to select and then delete

vs one big entryfield edit box, which is easy but dangerous..

i guess manage categories is similar.

@phenomlab thanks.. I have the plugin working..

turn on moderation, set limit for reputation and number of posts. this will catch all those posts

now, given a list of typical first user links our site, github, ...

bypass moderation.. if no links or no links outside the list.

otherwise into moderation as the default.

now to build the admin for managing the list of 'good' urls
now to learn ANOTHER language.. tpl.. ugh

@baris said in trying to start a plugin, but missing the understanding of how the parts play together and their data formats:

const Posts = require.main.require('./src/posts')

thanks.. how could I discover that myself?

nothing talks about the core libs in the creating a plugin section.,.

just trying to be self sufficient..

@baris thanks.. where do I find available libraries and their functionality?, and what to import to get 'Posts'..?

there is a nice sentence about using them, but not how to find a list and what the imports are..

@baris had a syntax error in the index.js.. oops.. not reported..

node -c index.js

reported it..

now my logs work.. (see as admin)

ugh.. not the raw html..

@baris thanks .. thats what I am trying to do (add the console.log)

my plug in installed, and 'activated'

but doesn't seem to be called.
my plugins.json

{
	"id": "nodebb-plugin-moderation_on_links",
	"url": "https://github.com/sdetweil/nodebb-plugin-moderation_on_links",
	"library": "./library.js",
	"hooks": [
		{
			"hook": "static:app.load", "method": "init"
		},
		{
			"hook": "filter:admin.header.build", "method": "addAdminNavigation"
		},
		{
			"hook":"filter:post.shouldQueue", "method": "postQueue"
		}
	],
	"staticDirs": {
		"static": "./static"
	},
	"less": [
		"static/style.less"
	],
	"acpScripts": [
		"static/lib/admin.js"
	],
	"templates": "static/templates"
}

my library.js for the postQueue
``
plugin= {}
plugin.postQueue = function (postData) {
try {
// assume no links, or good links
// let the post pass on thru
console.log("postQueue="+JSON.stringify(postData,null,2))
postData.shouldQueue = false;
{
} catch (error) {
console.error("oops. postQueue error=",error)
}

return postData;

};

module.exports = plugin;
...

should always override the postQueue in this simple test , but doesn't

i thought I should be able to see this in the logs, when logged on as admin, but don't see it..

dont see output on browser dev console or terminal window

the creating plugins 'doc' doesn't provide any links to the data structures

user, post, etc..

and I'm unsure what 'kind' of plugin this is ..

filters, actions, static, and response

I want to get the list of links in a users post, and if it contains links outside a specified list,
I want to place this post in the moderation queue, otherwise not

the user has already been selected for moderation (reputation<limit or postcount <limit)

I guess it must be 'filter' from the code flow

Posts.shouldQueue = async function (uid, data) {
		const [userData, isMemberOfExempt, categoryQueueEnabled] = await Promise.all([
			user.getUserFields(uid, ['uid', 'reputation', 'postcount']),
			groups.isMemberOfAny(uid, meta.config.groupsExemptFromPostQueue),
			isCategoryQueueEnabled(data),
		]);

		const shouldQueue = meta.config.postQueue && categoryQueueEnabled &&
			!isMemberOfExempt &&
			(!userData.uid || userData.reputation < meta.config.postQueueReputationThreshold || userData.postcount <= 0);
		const result = await plugins.hooks.fire('filter:post.shouldQueue', {
			shouldQueue: !!shouldQueue,
			uid: uid,
			data: data,
		});
		return result.shouldQueue;
	};

if it doesn't contain links, then I would reply false
if it does contain links, and they are in the 'new user' expected list (our site, github, something raspi..whatever)..
need to add admin for this list
reply false
else
let it go to moderation

this would stop almost all of the spam and let good new users in without intervention.
but any escapes will always be in the moderation queue cause their rep will never improve

but.. I just don't understand what the data format looks like.. is it json/object? what is the text content? is it html? are the links resolved to clean text ?