All Known Implementing Classes:

Plugin, SupplementalPlugin
```
public interface PluginInterface
```
This interface describes the plugin itself, the IDs it listens too, what libraries (jar files) it uses, the names, the i18n detailes, etc.

Author:

matt

Method Summary

All Methods Instance Methods Abstract Methods Default Methods
Modifier and Type	Method	Description
`String`	`getCasesUrl()`
`String`	`getCategory()`
`String`	`getClassLoaderGroup()`
`Map<Class<?>,String>`	`getClassMap()`
`String`	`getDescription()`
`String`	`getDocumentationUrl()`
`String`	`getErrorHelpFile()`
`String`	`getForumUrl()`
`String[]`	`getIds()`
`String`	`getImageFile()`
`List<String>`	`getLibraries()`
`Class<?>`	`getMainType()`
`String`	`getName()`
`URL`	`getPluginDirectory()`
`default Properties`	`getPluginProperties()`
`Class<? extends PluginTypeInterface>`	`getPluginType()`
`String`	`getSuggestion()`
`boolean`	`isNativePlugin()`
`boolean`	`isSeparateClassLoaderNeeded()`
`boolean`	`matches(String id)`
`default void`	`merge(PluginInterface fragment)`
`void`	`setCasesUrl(String casesUrl)`
`void`	`setClassLoaderGroup(String group)`
`void`	`setDocumentationUrl(String documentationUrl)`
`void`	`setErrorHelpFile(String errorHelpFile)`
`void`	`setForumUrl(String forumUrl)`
`void`	`setImageFile(String imageFile)`
`void`	`setSuggestion(String suggestion)`

- Method Detail
  - getIds
```
String[] getIds()
```
    Returns:
    
    All the possible IDs that this plugin corresponds with.
    Multiple IDs are typically used when you migrate 2 different plugins into a single one with the same functionality.
    It can also happen if you deprecate an older plugin and you want to have a new one provide compatibility for it.
  - getPluginType
```
Class<? extends PluginTypeInterface> getPluginType()
```
    Returns:
    
    The type of plugin
  - getMainType
```
Class<?> getMainType()
```
    Returns:
    
    The main class assigned to this Plugin.
  - getLibraries
```
List<String> getLibraries()
```
    Returns:
    
    The libraries (jar file names) that are used by this plugin
  - getName
```
String getName()
```
    Returns:
    
    The name of the plugin
  - getDescription
```
String getDescription()
```
    Returns:
    
    The description of the plugin
  - getImageFile
```
String getImageFile()
```
    Returns:
    
    The location of the image (icon) file for this plugin
  - setImageFile
```
void setImageFile(String imageFile)
```
    Parameters:
    
    imageFile - the location of the image (icon) file for this plugin
  - getCategory
```
String getCategory()
```
    Returns:
    
    The category of this plugin or null if this is not applicable
  - isSeparateClassLoaderNeeded
```
boolean isSeparateClassLoaderNeeded()
```
    Returns:
    
    True if a separate class loader is needed every time this class is instantiated
  - isNativePlugin
```
boolean isNativePlugin()
```
    Returns:
    
    true if this is considered to be a standard native plugin.
  - getClassMap
```
Map<Class<?>,String> getClassMap()
```
    Returns:
    
    All the possible class names that can be loaded with this plugin, split up by type.
  - matches
```
boolean matches(String id)
```
    Parameters:
    
    id - the plugin id to match
    
    Returns:
    
    true if one of the ids matches the given argument. Return false if it doesn't.
  - getErrorHelpFile
```
String getErrorHelpFile()
```
    Returns:
    
    An optional location to a help file that the plugin can refer to in case there is a loading problem. This usually happens if a jar file is not installed correctly (class not found exceptions) etc.
  - setErrorHelpFile
```
void setErrorHelpFile(String errorHelpFile)
```
    Parameters:
    
    errorHelpFile - the errorHelpFile to set
  - getPluginDirectory
```
URL getPluginDirectory()
```
  - getDocumentationUrl
```
String getDocumentationUrl()
```
    Returns:
    
    the documentationUrl
  - setDocumentationUrl
```
void setDocumentationUrl(String documentationUrl)
```
    Parameters:
    
    documentationUrl - the documentationUrl to set
  - getCasesUrl
```
String getCasesUrl()
```
    Returns:
    
    The cases URL of the plugin
  - setCasesUrl
```
void setCasesUrl(String casesUrl)
```
    Parameters:
    
    casesUrl - the cases URL to set for this plugin
  - getForumUrl
```
String getForumUrl()
```
    Returns:
    
    the forum URL
  - setForumUrl
```
void setForumUrl(String forumUrl)
```
    Parameters:
    
    forumUrl - the forum URL to set
  - getClassLoaderGroup
```
String getClassLoaderGroup()
```
    Returns:
    
    The group to which this class loader belongs. Returns null if the plugin does not belong to a group (the default)
  - setSuggestion
```
void setSuggestion(String suggestion)
```
  - getSuggestion
```
String getSuggestion()
```
  - setClassLoaderGroup
```
void setClassLoaderGroup(String group)
```
    Parameters:
    
    group - The group to which this class loader belongs. Set to null if the plugin does not belong to a group (the default)
  - merge
```
default void merge(PluginInterface fragment)
```
    Parameters:
    
    fragment - A plugin interface to merge with
  - getPluginProperties
```
default Properties getPluginProperties()
                                throws KettleException
```
    Returns:
    
    Plugin properties Returns a Properties object containing any properties in a plugin.properties file in the plugin directopry. The method will return null if the plugin.properties does not exist.
    
    Throws:
    
    KettleException

Interface PluginInterface

Method Summary

Method Detail

getIds

getPluginType

getMainType

getLibraries

getName

getDescription

getImageFile

setImageFile

getCategory

isSeparateClassLoaderNeeded

isNativePlugin

getClassMap

matches

getErrorHelpFile

setErrorHelpFile

getPluginDirectory

getDocumentationUrl

setDocumentationUrl

getCasesUrl

setCasesUrl

getForumUrl

setForumUrl

getClassLoaderGroup

setSuggestion

getSuggestion

setClassLoaderGroup

merge

getPluginProperties