cmd plugin init - nself-org/cli GitHub Wiki
Scaffold a new plugin project with all required files.
nself plugin init <name> [flags]
nself plugin scaffold <name> [flags] # alias
nself plugin new <name> [flags] # deprecated — use init instead
nself plugin init creates a new plugin project directory containing a canonical scaffold that mirrors the output of the standalone new-plugin binary shipped with plugin-sdk-go. Both entry points call the same scaffold.Run function so plugin authors get identical output regardless of which tool they use.
The scaffold includes a plugin.json manifest, Docker artifacts, a CI workflow, a hot-reload config, and language-specific source files. Run nself plugin link <dir> after scaffolding to mount the plugin for local development.
| Flag | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
--template |
go |
Plugin language: go, rust, node, static
|
--tier |
free |
Plugin tier: free or pro
|
--bundle |
"" |
Bundle display name (pro plugins only, e.g. nClaw) |
--description |
auto | Short description of the plugin |
--author |
"" |
Plugin author name |
--category |
custom |
Plugin category |
--min-cli |
1.0.9 |
Minimum nSelf CLI version required |
--min-sdk |
0.1.0 |
Minimum plugin-sdk-go version required |
--port |
8080 |
Default listen port |
--out |
./<name> |
Output directory |
--force |
false | Overwrite files if the output directory already exists |
--tenancy |
"" |
Multi-tenancy mode (see below); skips interactive prompt when set |
--no-interactive |
false | Skip interactive prompt; defaults to none
|
--help, -h
|
— | Show help |
When --tenancy is omitted and stdin is a terminal, plugin init runs an interactive prompt to determine which isolation pattern to scaffold. Pass --tenancy to skip the prompt. Pass --no-interactive to skip the prompt and default to none.
| Value | Column emitted | Use when |
|---|---|---|
none |
(none) | This plugin stores no per-user Postgres data |
app-isolation |
source_account_id TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT 'primary' |
Separating independent consumer apps within one nSelf deploy |
cloud-tenant |
tenant_id UUID + Hasura row filter |
Separating paying customers in nSelf Cloud SaaS |
both |
Both columns | Unsure — remove the unused column before going to production |
These conventions follow the Multi-Tenant Convention Wall documented in docs/architecture/multi-tenant-conventions.md. Never use source_account_id for Cloud customer isolation, and never use tenant_id for per-app isolation within one deploy.
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
plugin.json |
Canonical manifest (multiApp section reflects tenancy choice) |
migrations/001_init.sql |
Migration stub with correct columns + RLS policy |
hasura/metadata.json |
Hasura permission stub (row filter for cloud-tenant mode) |
Dockerfile |
Multi-stage build for the chosen language |
docker-compose.plugin.yml |
Compose overlay merged by nself build
|
.air.toml |
Hot-reload config for nself plugin dev
|
README.md |
Plugin README |
.github/workflows/ci.yml |
GitHub Actions CI workflow |
cmd/main.go |
Plugin entrypoint (Go only) |
internal/config/config.go |
Env-var config loader (Go only) |
internal/server/server.go |
HTTP router wired with SDK (Go only) |
internal/server/server_test.go |
Starter tests (Go only) |
# Go plugin with interactive tenancy prompt
nself plugin init my-plugin
# Go plugin with explicit tenancy (skip prompt)
nself plugin init my-plugin --tenancy app-isolation
# Pro Go plugin in the nClaw bundle
nself plugin init my-plugin --tier pro --bundle nClaw
# Rust plugin
nself plugin init my-plugin --template rust
# Node.js plugin
nself plugin init my-plugin --template node
# Cloud multi-tenant plugin (tenant_id + Hasura row filter)
nself plugin init my-plugin --tenancy cloud-tenant
# Scaffold alias (identical behavior)
nself plugin scaffold my-plugin --tenancy none
# Non-interactive (CI / scripted)
nself plugin init my-plugin --no-interactivecd my-plugin
go mod tidy && go test ./...
nself plugin link my-plugin # mount for development
nself plugin dev my-plugin # start hot-reload watcher- cmd-plugin, plugin management reference
- Plugin-Dev-Guide, local development workflow
- Plugin-Licensing, license tiers and key format
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