Plugin System

QCoder's plugin system lets you extend the editor with custom functionality. Plugins can be installed from two locations:

• Workspace plugins -- .qcoder/plugins/ in your project root. These are project-specific.
• npm packages -- node_modules/@qcoder/ scope. Install with npm install @qcoder/plugin-name.

Plugins are loaded automatically when QCoder starts or when a workspace is opened.

Plugins can extend QCoder in five ways:

Tools -- Add new tools that the AI can call during conversations. For example, a plugin could add a query_database tool or a deploy_to_staging tool.

Hooks -- Intercept and modify behavior at 13 hook points in the QCoder lifecycle: 1. beforeMessage -- Before a user message is sent to the AI 2. afterMessage -- After the AI responds 3. beforeToolCall -- Before a tool is executed 4. afterToolCall -- After a tool finishes 5. beforeFileRead -- Before a file is read 6. afterFileRead -- After a file is read 7. beforeFileWrite -- Before a file is written 8. afterFileWrite -- After a file is written 9. beforeCommand -- Before a shell command is executed 10. afterCommand -- After a shell command finishes 11. onError -- When an error occurs 12. onSessionStart -- When a new chat session begins 13. onSessionEnd -- When a chat session ends

Commands -- Register custom commands accessible from the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P).

Settings -- Add custom configuration options that appear in the Settings panel.

Storage -- Persist plugin-specific data across sessions using the provided storage API.

Each plugin declares its capabilities in its package.json:

json{
  "name": "@qcoder/plugin-example",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "qcoder": {
    "displayName": "Example Plugin",
    "description": "An example QCoder plugin",
    "tools": ["query_database"],
    "hooks": ["beforeFileWrite", "afterCommand"],
    "commands": [
      {
        "id": "example.runQuery",
        "title": "Run Database Query"
      }
    ],
    "settings": [
      {
        "id": "example.connectionString",
        "type": "string",
        "title": "Database Connection String",
        "default": ""
      }
    ]
  },
  "main": "./dist/index.js"
}

The qcoder field in package.json is required. It tells QCoder what the plugin provides so that registration happens correctly.

Browse and install community plugins through the built-in Plugin Marketplace:

1. Open Settings > Plugins tab.
2. Browse available plugins by category or search by name.
3. Click Install to add a plugin.
4. Some plugins require configuration -- check the plugin's settings section after installation.

You can also enable, disable, or uninstall plugins from this panel. Disabled plugins remain installed but do not load at startup.