DankMaterialShell/PLUGINS/README.md

Plugin System

The DMS shell includes an experimental plugin system that allows extending functionality through self-contained, dynamically-loaded QML components.

Overview

The plugin system enables developers to create custom widgets that can be displayed in the DankBar alongside built-in widgets. Plugins are discovered, loaded, and managed through the PluginService, providing a clean separation between core shell functionality and user extensions.

Architecture

Core Components

1. PluginService (Services/PluginService.qml)

   • Singleton service managing plugin lifecycle
   • Discovers plugins from $CONFIGPATH/DankMaterialShell/plugins/
   • Handles loading, unloading, and state management
   • Provides data persistence for plugin settings

2. PluginsTab (Modules/Settings/PluginsTab.qml)

   • UI for managing available plugins
   • Access plugin settings

3. PluginsTab Settings (Modules/Settings/PluginsTab.qml)

   • Accordion-style plugin configuration interface
   • Dynamically loads plugin settings components inline
   • Provides consistent settings interface with proper focus handling

4. DankBar Integration (Modules/DankBar/DankBar.qml)

   • Renders plugin widgets in the bar
   • Merges plugin components with built-in widgets
   • Supports left, center, and right sections
   • Supports any dankbar position (top/left/right/bottom)

Plugin Structure

Each plugin must be a directory in $CONFIGPATH/DankMaterialShell/plugins/ containing:

$CONFIGPATH/DankMaterialShell/plugins/YourPlugin/
├── plugin.json          # Required: Plugin manifest
├── YourWidget.qml       # Required: Widget component
├── YourSettings.qml     # Optional: Settings UI
└── *.js                 # Optional: JavaScript utilities

Plugin Manifest (plugin.json)

The manifest file defines plugin metadata and configuration:

{
    "id": "yourPlugin",
    "name": "Your Plugin Name",
    "description": "Brief description of what your plugin does",
    "version": "1.0.0",
    "author": "Your Name",
    "icon": "material_icon_name",
    "component": "./YourWidget.qml",
    "settings": "./YourSettings.qml",
    "permissions": [
        "settings_read",
        "settings_write"
    ]
}

Required Fields:

• id: Unique plugin identifier (camelCase, no spaces)
• name: Human-readable plugin name
• component: Relative path to widget QML file

Optional Fields:

• description: Short description of plugin functionality (displayed in UI)
• version: Semantic version string (displayed in UI)
• author: Plugin creator name (displayed in UI)
• icon: Material Design icon name (displayed in UI)
• settings: Path to settings component (enables settings UI)
• permissions: Required capabilities (enforced by PluginSettings component)

Permissions:

The plugin system enforces permissions when settings are accessed:

• settings_read: Required to read plugin settings (currently not enforced)
• settings_write: Required to use PluginSettings component and save settings

If your plugin includes a settings component but doesn't declare settings_write permission, users will see an error message instead of the settings UI.

Widget Component

The main widget component uses the PluginComponent wrapper which provides automatic property injection and bar integration:

import QtQuick
import qs.Common
import qs.Widgets
import qs.Modules.Plugins

PluginComponent {
    // Define horizontal bar pill, for top and bottom DankBar positions (optional)
    horizontalBarPill: Component {
        StyledRect {
            width: content.implicitWidth + Theme.spacingM * 2
            height: parent.widgetThickness
            radius: Theme.cornerRadius
            color: Theme.surfaceContainerHigh

            StyledText {
                id: content
                anchors.centerIn: parent
                text: "Hello World"
                color: Theme.surfaceText
                font.pixelSize: Theme.fontSizeMedium
            }
        }
    }

    // Define vertical bar pill, for left and right DankBar positions (optional)
    verticalBarPill: Component {
        // Same as horizontal but optimized for vertical layout
    }

    // Define popout content, opens when clicking the bar pill (optional)
    popoutContent: Component {
        PopoutComponent {
            headerText: "My Plugin"
            detailsText: "Optional description text goes here"
            showCloseButton: true

            // Your popout content goes here
            Column {
                width: parent.width
                spacing: Theme.spacingM

                StyledText {
                    text: "Popout Content"
                    font.pixelSize: Theme.fontSizeLarge
                    color: Theme.surfaceText
                }
            }
        }
    }

    // Popout dimensions (required if popoutContent is set)
    popoutWidth: 400
    popoutHeight: 300
}

PluginComponent Properties (automatically injected):

• axis: Bar axis information (horizontal/vertical)
• section: Bar section ("left", "center", "right")
• parentScreen: Screen reference for multi-monitor support
• widgetThickness: Recommended widget size perpendicular to bar
• barThickness: Bar thickness parallel to edge

Component Options:

• horizontalBarPill: Component shown in horizontal bars
• verticalBarPill: Component shown in vertical bars
• popoutContent: Optional popout window content
• popoutWidth: Popout window width
• popoutHeight: Popout window height
• pillClickAction: Custom click handler function (overrides popout)

Custom Click Actions:

Override the default popout behavior with pillClickAction:

PluginComponent {
    horizontalBarPill: Component {
        StyledText { text: "Click Me" }
    }

    // Simple 0-parameter function
    pillClickAction: () => {
        Process.exec("bash", ["-c", "notify-send 'Clicked!'"])
    }

    // Or with position parameters for popouts: (x, y, width, section, screen)
    pillClickAction: (x, y, width, section, screen) => {
        popoutService?.toggleControlCenter(x, y, width, section, screen)
    }
}

The PluginComponent automatically handles:

• Bar orientation detection
• Click handlers for popouts
• Proper positioning and anchoring
• Theme integration

PopoutComponent

PopoutComponent provides a consistent header/content layout for plugin popouts:

import qs.Modules.Plugins

PopoutComponent {
    headerText: "Header Title"        // Main header text (bold, large)
    detailsText: "Description text"   // Optional description (smaller, gray)
    showCloseButton: true             // Show X button in top-right

    // Access to exposed properties for dynamic sizing
    readonly property int headerHeight    // Height of header area
    readonly property int detailsHeight   // Height of description area

    // Your content here - use parent.width for full width
    // Calculate available height: root.popoutHeight - headerHeight - detailsHeight - spacing
    DankGridView {
        width: parent.width
        height: parent.height
        // ...
    }
}

PopoutComponent Properties:

• headerText: Main header text (optional, hidden if empty)
• detailsText: Description text below header (optional, hidden if empty)
• showCloseButton: Show close button in header (default: false)
• closePopout: Function to close popout (auto-injected by PluginPopout)
• headerHeight: Readonly height of header (0 if not visible)
• detailsHeight: Readonly height of description (0 if not visible)

The component automatically handles spacing and layout. Content children are rendered below the description with proper padding.

Settings Component

Optional settings UI loaded inline in the PluginsTab accordion interface. Use the simplified settings API with auto-storage components:

import QtQuick
import qs.Common
import qs.Widgets
import qs.Modules.Plugins

PluginSettings {
    id: root
    pluginId: "yourPlugin"

    StringSetting {
        settingKey: "apiKey"
        label: "API Key"
        description: "Your API key for accessing the service"
        placeholder: "Enter API key..."
    }

    ToggleSetting {
        settingKey: "notifications"
        label: "Enable Notifications"
        description: "Show desktop notifications for updates"
        defaultValue: true
    }

    SelectionSetting {
        settingKey: "updateInterval"
        label: "Update Interval"
        description: "How often to refresh data"
        options: [
            {label: "1 minute", value: "60"},
            {label: "5 minutes", value: "300"},
            {label: "15 minutes", value: "900"}
        ]
        defaultValue: "300"
    }

    ListSetting {
        id: itemList
        settingKey: "items"
        label: "Saved Items"
        description: "List of configured items"
        delegate: Component {
            StyledRect {
                width: parent.width
                height: 40
                radius: Theme.cornerRadius
                color: Theme.surfaceContainerHigh

                StyledText {
                    anchors.left: parent.left
                    anchors.leftMargin: Theme.spacingM
                    anchors.verticalCenter: parent.verticalCenter
                    text: modelData.name
                    color: Theme.surfaceText
                }

                Rectangle {
                    anchors.right: parent.right
                    anchors.rightMargin: Theme.spacingM
                    anchors.verticalCenter: parent.verticalCenter
                    width: 60
                    height: 28
                    color: removeArea.containsMouse ? Theme.errorHover : Theme.error
                    radius: Theme.cornerRadius

                    StyledText {
                        anchors.centerIn: parent
                        text: "Remove"
                        color: Theme.errorText
                        font.pixelSize: Theme.fontSizeSmall
                        font.weight: Font.Medium
                    }

                    MouseArea {
                        id: removeArea
                        anchors.fill: parent
                        hoverEnabled: true
                        cursorShape: Qt.PointingHandCursor
                        onClicked: itemList.removeItem(index)
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Available Setting Components:

All settings automatically save on change and load on component creation.

How Default Values Work:

Each setting component has a defaultValue property that is used when no saved value exists. Define sensible defaults in your settings UI:

StringSetting {
    settingKey: "apiKey"
    defaultValue: ""  // Empty string if no key saved
}

ToggleSetting {
    settingKey: "enabled"
    defaultValue: true  // Enabled by default
}

ListSettingWithInput {
    settingKey: "locations"
    defaultValue: []  // Empty array if no locations saved
}

1. PluginSettings - Root wrapper for all plugin settings

   • pluginId: Your plugin ID (required)
   • Auto-handles storage and provides saveValue/loadValue to children
   • Place all other setting components inside this wrapper

2. StringSetting - Text input field

   • settingKey: Storage key (required)
   • label: Display label (required)
   • description: Help text (optional)
   • placeholder: Input placeholder (optional)
   • defaultValue: Default value (optional, default: "")
   • Layout: Vertical stack (label, description, input field)

3. ToggleSetting - Boolean toggle switch

   • settingKey: Storage key (required)
   • label: Display label (required)
   • description: Help text (optional)
   • defaultValue: Default boolean (optional, default: false)
   • Layout: Horizontal (label/description left, toggle right)

4. SelectionSetting - Dropdown menu

   • settingKey: Storage key (required)
   • label: Display label (required)
   • description: Help text (optional)
   • options: Array of {label, value} objects or simple strings (required)
   • defaultValue: Default value (optional, default: "")
   • Layout: Horizontal (label/description left, dropdown right)
   • Stores the value field, displays the label field

5. ListSetting - Manage list of items (manual add/remove)

   • settingKey: Storage key (required)
   • label: Display label (required)
   • description: Help text (optional)
   • defaultValue: Default array (optional, default: [])
   • delegate: Custom item delegate Component (optional)
   • addItem(item): Add item to list
   • removeItem(index): Remove item from list
   • Use when you need custom UI for adding items

6. ListSettingWithInput - Complete list management with built-in form

   • settingKey: Storage key (required)
   • label: Display label (required)
   • description: Help text (optional)
   • defaultValue: Default array (optional, default: [])
   • fields: Array of field definitions (required)
     • id: Field ID in saved object (required)
     • label: Column header text (required)
     • placeholder: Input placeholder (optional)
     • width: Column width in pixels (optional, default 200)
     • required: Must have value to add (optional, default false)
     • default: Default value if empty (optional)
   • Automatically generates:
     • Column headers from field labels
     • Input fields with placeholders
     • Add button with validation
     • List display showing all field values
     • Remove buttons for each item
   • Best for collecting structured data (servers, locations, etc.)

Complete Settings Example:

import QtQuick
import qs.Common
import qs.Widgets
import qs.Modules.Plugins

PluginSettings {
    pluginId: "myPlugin"

    StyledText {
        width: parent.width
        text: "General Settings"
        font.pixelSize: Theme.fontSizeLarge
        font.weight: Font.Bold
        color: Theme.surfaceText
    }

    StringSetting {
        settingKey: "apiKey"
        label: "API Key"
        description: "Your service API key"
        placeholder: "sk-..."
        defaultValue: ""
    }

    ToggleSetting {
        settingKey: "enabled"
        label: "Enable Feature"
        description: "Turn this feature on or off"
        defaultValue: true
    }

    SelectionSetting {
        settingKey: "theme"
        label: "Theme"
        description: "Choose your preferred theme"
        options: [
            {label: "Dark", value: "dark"},
            {label: "Light", value: "light"},
            {label: "Auto", value: "auto"}
        ]
        defaultValue: "dark"
    }

    ListSettingWithInput {
        settingKey: "locations"
        label: "Locations"
        description: "Track multiple locations"
        defaultValue: []
        fields: [
            {id: "name", label: "Name", placeholder: "Home", width: 150, required: true},
            {id: "timezone", label: "Timezone", placeholder: "America/New_York", width: 200, required: true}
        ]
    }
}

Key Benefits:

• Zero boilerplate - just define your settings
• Automatic persistence to settings.json
• Clean, consistent UI across all plugins
• No manual pluginService calls needed
• Proper layout and spacing handled automatically

PluginService API

Properties

PluginService.pluginDirectory: string
// Path to plugins directory ($CONFIGPATH/DankMaterialShell/plugins)

PluginService.availablePlugins: object
// Map of all discovered plugins {pluginId: pluginInfo}

PluginService.loadedPlugins: object
// Map of currently loaded plugins {pluginId: pluginInfo}

PluginService.pluginWidgetComponents: object
// Map of loaded widget components {pluginId: Component}

Functions

// Plugin Management
PluginService.loadPlugin(pluginId: string): bool
PluginService.unloadPlugin(pluginId: string): bool
PluginService.reloadPlugin(pluginId: string): bool
PluginService.enablePlugin(pluginId: string): bool
PluginService.disablePlugin(pluginId: string): bool

// Plugin Discovery
PluginService.scanPlugins(): void
PluginService.getAvailablePlugins(): array
PluginService.getLoadedPlugins(): array
PluginService.isPluginLoaded(pluginId: string): bool
PluginService.getWidgetComponents(): object

// Data Persistence
PluginService.savePluginData(pluginId: string, key: string, value: any): bool
PluginService.loadPluginData(pluginId: string, key: string, defaultValue: any): any

Signals

PluginService.pluginLoaded(pluginId: string)
PluginService.pluginUnloaded(pluginId: string)
PluginService.pluginLoadFailed(pluginId: string, error: string)

Creating a Plugin

Step 1: Create Plugin Directory

mkdir -p $CONFIGPATH/DankMaterialShell/plugins/MyPlugin
cd $CONFIGPATH/DankMaterialShell/plugins/MyPlugin

Step 2: Create Manifest

Create plugin.json:

{
    "id": "myPlugin",
    "name": "My Plugin",
    "description": "A sample plugin",
    "version": "1.0.0",
    "author": "Your Name",
    "icon": "extension",
    "component": "./MyWidget.qml",
    "settings": "./MySettings.qml",
    "permissions": ["settings_read", "settings_write"]
}

Step 3: Create Widget Component

Create MyWidget.qml:

import QtQuick
import qs.Common
import qs.Widgets
import qs.Modules.Plugins

PluginComponent {
    horizontalBarPill: Component {
        StyledRect {
            width: textItem.implicitWidth + Theme.spacingM * 2
            height: parent.widgetThickness
            radius: Theme.cornerRadius
            color: Theme.surfaceContainerHigh

            StyledText {
                id: textItem
                anchors.centerIn: parent
                text: "Hello World"
                color: Theme.surfaceText
                font.pixelSize: Theme.fontSizeMedium
            }
        }
    }

    verticalBarPill: Component {
        StyledRect {
            width: parent.widgetThickness
            height: textItem.implicitWidth + Theme.spacingM * 2
            radius: Theme.cornerRadius
            color: Theme.surfaceContainerHigh

            StyledText {
                id: textItem
                anchors.centerIn: parent
                text: "Hello"
                color: Theme.surfaceText
                font.pixelSize: Theme.fontSizeSmall
                rotation: 90
            }
        }
    }
}

Note: Use PluginComponent wrapper for automatic property injection and bar integration. Define separate components for horizontal and vertical orientations.

Step 4: Create Settings Component (Optional)

Create MySettings.qml:

import QtQuick
import qs.Common
import qs.Widgets
import qs.Modules.Plugins

PluginSettings {
    pluginId: "myPlugin"

    StyledText {
        width: parent.width
        text: "Configure your plugin settings"
        font.pixelSize: Theme.fontSizeMedium
        color: Theme.surfaceVariantText
        wrapMode: Text.WordWrap
    }

    StringSetting {
        settingKey: "text"
        label: "Display Text"
        description: "Text shown in the bar widget"
        placeholder: "Hello World"
        defaultValue: "Hello World"
    }

    ToggleSetting {
        settingKey: "showIcon"
        label: "Show Icon"
        description: "Display an icon next to the text"
        defaultValue: true
    }
}

Step 5: Enable Plugin

1. Run the shell: qs -p $CONFIGPATH/quickshell/dms/shell.qml
2. Open Settings (Ctrl+,)
3. Navigate to Plugins tab
4. Click "Scan for Plugins"
5. Enable your plugin with the toggle switch
6. Add the plugin to your DankBar configuration

Adding Plugin to DankBar

After enabling a plugin, add it to the bar:

1. Open Settings → Appearance → DankBar Layout
2. Add a new widget entry with your plugin ID
3. Choose section (left, center, right)
4. Save and reload

Or edit $CONFIGPATH/quickshell/dms/config.json:

{
    "dankBarLeftWidgets": [
        {"widgetId": "myPlugin", "enabled": true}
    ]
}

Best Practices

1. Use Existing Widgets: Leverage qs.Widgets components (DankIcon, DankToggle, etc.) for consistency
2. Follow Theme: Use Theme singleton for colors, spacing, and fonts
3. Data Persistence: Use PluginService data APIs instead of manual file operations
4. Error Handling: Gracefully handle missing dependencies and invalid data
5. Performance: Keep widgets lightweight, avoid long operations that block the UI loop
6. Responsive Design: Adapt to compactMode and different screen sizes
7. Documentation: Include README.md explaining plugin usage
8. Versioning: Use semantic versioning for updates
9. Dependencies: Document external library requirements

Debugging

Console Logging

View plugin logs:

qs -v -p $CONFIGPATH/quickshell/dms/shell.qml

Look for lines prefixed with:

• PluginService: - Service operations
• PluginsTab: - UI interactions
• PluginsTab: - Settings loading and accordion interface

Common Issues

1. Plugin Not Detected

   • Check plugin.json syntax (use jq or JSON validator)
   • Verify directory is in $CONFIGPATH/DankMaterialShell/plugins/
   • Click "Scan for Plugins" in Settings

2. Widget Not Displaying

   • Ensure plugin is enabled in Settings
   • Add plugin ID to DankBar widget list
   • Check widget width/height properties

3. Settings Not Loading

   • Verify settings path in plugin.json
   • Check settings component for errors
   • Ensure plugin is enabled and loaded
   • Review PluginsTab console output for injection issues

4. Data Not Persisting

   • Confirm pluginService.savePluginData() calls (with injection)
   • Check $CONFIGPATH/DankMaterialShell/settings.json for pluginSettings data
   • Verify plugin has settings permissions
   • Ensure PluginService was properly injected into settings component

Security Considerations

Plugins run with full QML runtime access. Only install plugins from trusted sources.

Permissions System:

• settings_read: Read plugin configuration (not currently enforced)
• settings_write: Required to use PluginSettings - write plugin configuration (enforced)
• process: Execute system commands (not currently enforced)
• network: Network access (not currently enforced)

Currently, only settings_write is enforced by the PluginSettings component.

API Stability

The plugin API is currently experimental. Breaking changes may occur in minor version updates. Pin to specific DMS versions for production use.

Roadmap:

• Plugin marketplace/repository
• Sandboxed plugin execution
• Enhanced permission system
• Plugin update notifications
• Inter-plugin communication

Resources

• Example Plugins: Emoji Picker WorldClock
• PluginService: Services/PluginService.qml
• Settings UI: Modules/Settings/PluginsTab.qml
• DankBar Integration: Modules/DankBar/DankBar.qml
• Theme Reference: Common/Theme.qml
• Widget Library: Widgets/

Contributing

Share your plugins with the community:

1. Create a public repository with your plugin
2. Include comprehensive README.md
3. Add example screenshots
4. Document dependencies and permissions

For plugin system improvements, submit issues or PRs to the main DMS repository.