diff --git a/website/www/source/blog/2014-02-28-vagrant-1-5-plugin-improvements.html.markdown b/website/www/source/blog/2014-02-28-vagrant-1-5-plugin-improvements.html.markdown new file mode 100644 index 000000000..bdc571b73 --- /dev/null +++ b/website/www/source/blog/2014-02-28-vagrant-1-5-plugin-improvements.html.markdown @@ -0,0 +1,147 @@ +--- +page_title: "Vagrant 1.5 Plugin Development Improvements" +title: "Plugin Development Improvements in 1.5" +author: "Mitchell Hashimoto" +author_url: https://github.com/mitchellh +--- + +Vagrant has a vibrant plugin community. We're always looking +to improve the life of a plugin developer through better abstractions, +documentation, and more. In Vagrant 1.5, we made some big improvements +that should make developing plugins much, much nicer. + +With Vagrant 1.1, we both helped and hurt plugin development. Plugin +development improved because plugins became a first class supported +concept with the `vagrant plugin` command and much of the core dogfooding +the API. + +But plugin development was hurt because Vagrant switched to +an installer-only model, breaking many plugin development environments +and causing some frustrating edge cases. + +With Vagrant 1.5, we've made some big changes that should make the +life of a plugin developer much more enjoyable. Read on to find out more. + +READMORE + +### Real Dependency Resolution + +In prior versions of Vagrant, there was no real dependency resolution +done for plugins. Dependency resolution is the process by which all +the dependencies of a set of components are inspected, and results in +the order and versions of components that must be loaded so that all +components properly work together. + +To make this concrete, we can use an example from Vagrant 1.4, where +no dependency resolution took place: + +* Plugin A depends on "foo >= 1.0, < 1.5". +* Plugin B depends on "foo = 1.1" +* When Plugin A is loaded, it would load the latest version satisfying + its contraints. This might be "foo 1.4". +* When Plugin B is loaded, it would try to load "foo 1.1" but since + "foo 1.4" is already loaded, it would fail! + +The frustrating part of this failure is that it should _never happen_. +Plugin A should've loaded "foo 1.1" because it still satisfies its constraints +while also allowing Plugin B to load. + +With Vagrant 1.5, Vagrant performs real dependency resolution. The effect +of this is twofold. First, in the scenario above, both plugin A and plugin B would load and +everything would _just work_. + +Next, if the user attempts to install a plugin that can't be loaded because +it would create an unsolvable dependency conflict, then the user +will see an error at _install time_, and the plugin will fail to install. +Additionally, the user will be notified what dependencies conflict and +in what plugins. + +### Bundler Support + +Prior to Vagrant 1.5, Vagrant loaded plugins out of its own internal gem +directory. Because of this, plugin development was slightly awkward since +Vagrant wouldn't load your plugins from your `Gemfile`. As a result, plugin +developers had to create Vagrantfiles that manually did a `require` of all plugins +they needed. + +Now, Vagrant 1.5 will automatically load any gems in the "plugins" group +in your `Gemfile`. As an example, here is the `Gemfile` for a "vagrant-bar" +plugin: + +
+source "https://rubygems.org" + +group :development do + gem "vagrant", + git: "https://github.com/mitchellh/vagrant.git" +end + +group :plugins do + gem "vagrant-foo", + gem "vagrant-bar", path: "." +end ++ +With the above, Vagrant will automatically load both "vagrant-bar" and +"vagrant-foo" plugins. Because of the `path: "."` option for "vagrant-bar", +it will use the plugin in that directory, allowing you to make changes +and instantly see changes. + +You no longer need to do any `Vagrant.require_plugin` silliness in your +Vagrantfiles in order to activate your plugin. + +### API Compatibility + +We're improving our promise on API compatibility. Prior to Vagrant 1.5, +we had no promise of API compatibility except at major versions (1.0, 2.0, +etc.). Because these versions are so far apart, we're making our promise stronger. + +With Vagrant 1.5, we promise to not break API compatibility of internals +_between_ minor versions. For example, if your plugin works with 1.5.0, +it should work with a potential 1.5.7 months later. However, it is +_not_ promised to work with Vagrant 1.6. + +Given this, it actually becomes quite easy to remain API compatible. As an +example, the [Vagrant VMware](/vmware) plugin is compatible back to +Vagrant 1.1. This is done through various code branching that looks like +the following: + +
+if Vagrant::VERSION < "1.5.0" + # Compatibility layer +else + # New stuff available +end ++ +If we break your plugin between minor versions, we'll treat it like a bug +so please report it as such. + +### New Functionality + +In addition to these major improvements, we've introduced some great +new functionality that plugin developers can take advantage of in Vagrant 1.5. + +**Provider capabilities** allow providers to opt-in to provider-specific +functionality. Plugins can query whether the provider supports a certain +functionality and behave accordingly. As an example use case, the recently +announced [Vagrant Share](#) +functionality uses a provider-capability `read_ip_address` to ask +providers for an accessible IP address to the machine. + +**New built-in middleware** such as `IsState` and `Message` remove a lot +of boilerplate from implementing new providers. + +**A new internal class** `Vagrant::Vagrantfile` allows plugins to load +Vagrantfiles and request `Vagrant::Machine` objects from that Vagrantfile +outside of the default root Vagrantfile that is part of a +`Vagrant::Environment`. + +And much, much more. + +### Future Improvements + +We're constantly interested in improving plugin development for Vagrant +since it is a core part of what makes Vagrant successful. We have some +improvements planned but if you see anything you want improved, please +help us out by letting us know! diff --git a/website/www/source/stylesheets/_modules.less b/website/www/source/stylesheets/_modules.less index 12108604d..adf8c1d8b 100644 --- a/website/www/source/stylesheets/_modules.less +++ b/website/www/source/stylesheets/_modules.less @@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ &.blog-landing, &.blog-post { article { + letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 30px; .meta {