Creating a Plugin

Below are the steps to create a new plugin from scratch in Pixyz Studio:

Creating a blank plugin

There are 2 ways to create a new blank plugin and start customizing it:

• Go to Plugins menu > Create a New Plugin
• Open the Plugin Editor and click the button

Using the Create a New Plugin action automatically creates a Python script, including a main function that needs to be edited according to the user's Data Preparation scenario, and an XML file (for the plugin's user interface).

Note

For advanced users wishing to know how a plugin is structured, have a look at the Anatomy of a Plugin page.

Editing a blank plugin

Depending on their developing skills and knowledge of Pixyz Python API, users will edit a plugin in 2 ways:

• Using the Plugin Editor: it is the preferred way for beginners wishing to start developing a plugin, as all actions like adding a function, a type or a module dependency for example, can be done using simple commands, instead of needing to code them directly in the plugin's files.
• Advanced developers will prefer to edit a plugin and its files directly in their favorite IDE

Tip

Creating a plugin is about scripting: have a look at the Scripting With the Python API and How to Python script in Pixyz pages to learn the most important concepts about scripting with Pixyz. Having a look at the available Sample Scripts can be also very helpful!

Create a Data Preparation scenario as a plugin

The easiest way to create a Data Preparation scenario packaged as a plugin, is by following these steps:

1. Create and refine your Data Preparation recipe as a Python script first (using the Scripting Editor), until you get a working solution giving the expected results

2. Once you are happy with the result you get from your Data Preparation script, move on to making it a plugin, creating input/output parameters.

   Depending on the use case, these input/output parameters will be:

   • Available to be manipulated through a visual interface (and managed by the plugin's XML file), when the purpose is to use the plugin in Pixyz Studio's interface as a tool

   • Ready to be set by a command, when creating a Scenario plugin for batching/automation purposes with Pixyz Scenario Processor for AWS.

     Note

     You can use Scenario Processor for AWS with an existing license, but new licenses aren't available anymore. Read more.

3. Publish your plugin.

The video below shows how you can transform an existing Data Preparation script into a Scenario plugin that applies the same Data Preparation recipe to multiple files using Pixyz Scenario Processor batching capabilities (once published).