Apply a Plugin

Overview

This document describes the rules and instructions for applying Plugins in StackSpot EDP. You will find definitions for Starter, Plugin, Workspace, Studio, and qualifier, practical examples, and guidance for safely handling the stk.yaml file.

Using Plugins and Starters

In StackSpot EDP, the Starter concept makes it easier to use multiple Plugins together. A Starter is a preconfigured set of Plugins created for a specific use case.

It allows you to create Applications or Infrastructures quickly, without configuring each Plugin individually.

Key concepts:

Plugin: a reusable component that adds features to an Application or Infrastructure.
Starter: a predefined set of Plugins inside a Stack.
Workspace: a collaborative working environment where Plugins, Stacks, and Starters can be used.
Studio: an organizational space in StackSpot where Plugins, Stacks, and Starters are created.

What are qualifiers?

To apply a Plugin, you must use a qualifier, which uniquely identifies the Plugin. StackSpot EDP supports two types of qualifiers:

Studio Qualifier: used when applying a Plugin directly from a Studio, without a Stack.
```
<studio-name>/<plugin-name>@<version>
```
Example: my-studio/auth-plugin@1.0.0
Stack Qualifier: used when the Plugin is part of a Stack, usually within a Workspace.
```
<studio-name>/<stack-name>@<version>/<plugin-name>
```
Example: my-studio/my-stack@1.0.0/auth-plugin

How to use a Plugin

You can use StackSpot Plugins in the following ways:

Option 1. Individually: apply a single Plugin using the qualifier:
```
stk apply plugin <qualifier>
```

Option 2. Together: apply a set of Plugins when creating an Application or Infrastructure with a Starter:

stk create app <application-name> --starter <starter-name>

stk create infra <infrastructure-name> --starter <starter-name>

StackSpot stk.yaml file

Whenever you apply a Plugin, either individually or together, and regardless of the qualifier, StackSpot creates or updates a file named stk.yaml in the folder where the command is executed.

This file represents the state of your Application or Infrastructure in StackSpot and primarily manages the deployment flow, among other internal operations.

danger

Do not manually edit the stk.yaml file of an Application or Infrastructure.

Always use StackSpot’s official commands to change Plugins. This ensures project integrity and the correct behavior of deployments.

To manage Plugins, use:

Update the version or settings of a Plugin:
```
stk update plugin
```
Remove a Plugin:
```
stk remove plugin
```
Add new Plugins to the project:
```
stk apply plugin
```