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+.. -*- mode: rst -*-
+
+.. _development-write-plugins:
+
+Writing Bcfg2 Plugins
+=====================
+
+Bcfg2 plugins are python classes that subclass from
+Bcfg2.Server.Plugin.Plugin. Several plugin-specific values must be set
+in the new plugin. These values dictate how the new plugin will behave
+with respect to the above four functions.  The following table describes
+all important member fields.
+
++-----------------+-----------------------------------+--------------------------+
+| Name            | Description                       | Format                   |
++=================+===================================+==========================+
+| __name__        | The name of the plugin            | string                   |
++-----------------+-----------------------------------+--------------------------+
+| __version__     | The plugin version (generally     | string                   |
+|                 | tied to revctl keyword expansion) |                          |
++-----------------+-----------------------------------+--------------------------+
+| __author__      | The plugin author.                | string                   |
++-----------------+-----------------------------------+--------------------------+
+| __author__      | The plugin author.                | string                   |
++-----------------+-----------------------------------+--------------------------+
+| __rmi__         | Set of functions to be exposed as | List of function names   |
+|                 | XML-RPC functions                 | (strings)                |
++-----------------+-----------------------------------+--------------------------+
+| Entries         | Multidimentional dictionary of    | Dictionary of            |
+|                 | keys that point to the function   | ConfigurationEntityType, |
+|                 | used to bind literal contents for | Name keys, and function  |
+|                 | a given configuration entity.     | reference values         |
++-----------------+-----------------------------------+--------------------------+
+| BuildStructures | Function that returns a list of   | Member function          |
+|                 | the structures for a given client |                          |
++-----------------+-----------------------------------+--------------------------+
+| GetProbes       | Function that returns a list of   | Member function          |
+|                 | probes that a given client should |                          |
+|                 | execute                           |                          |
++-----------------+-----------------------------------+--------------------------+
+| ReceiveData     | Function that accepts the probe   | Member function          |
+|                 | results for a given client.       |                          |
++-----------------+-----------------------------------+--------------------------+
+
+Example Plugin
+--------------
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+    import Bcfg2.Server.Plugin
+    class MyPlugin(Bcfg2.Server.Plugin.Plugin):
+       '''An example plugin'''
+       # All plugins need to subclass Bcfg2.Server.Plugin.Plugin
+       __name__ = 'MyPlugin'
+       __version__ = '1'
+       __author__ = 'me@me.com'
+       __rmi__ = ['myfunction']
+       # myfunction is not available remotely as MyPlugin.myfunction
+
+       def __init__(self, core, datastore):
+           Bcfg2.Server.Plugin.Plugin.__init__(self, core, datastore)
+           self.Entries = {'Path':{'/etc/foo.conf': self.buildFoo}}
+
+       def myfunction(self):
+           '''function for xmlrpc rmi call'''
+           #do something
+           return True
+
+       def buildFoo(self, entry, metadata):
+           '''Bind per-client information into entry based on metadata'''
+           entry.attrib.update({'type':'file', 'owner':'root', 'group':'root', 'perms':'644'})
+           entry.text = '''contents of foo.conf'''
+
+Example Connector
+-----------------
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+    import Bcfg2.Server.Plugin
+
+    class Foo(Bcfg2.Server.Plugin.Plugin,
+             Bcfg2.Server.Plugin.Connector):
+        '''The Foo plugin is here to illustrate a barebones connector'''
+        name = 'Foo'
+        version = '$Revision: $'
+        experimental = True
+
+        def __init__(self, core, datastore):
+            Bcfg2.Server.Plugin.Plugin.__init__(self, core, datastore)
+            Bcfg2.Server.Plugin.Connector.__init__(self)
+            self.store = XMLFileBacked(self.data, core.fam)
+
+        def get_additional_data(self, metadata):
+
+            mydata = {}
+            for data in self.store.entries['foo.xml'].data.get("foo", []):
+
+                mydata[data] = "bar"
+
+            return  dict([('mydata', mydata)])
+
+        def get_additional_groups(self, meta):
+            return self.cgroups.get(meta.hostname, list())
+