Ghost Apps & the Ghost Developer Kit

[ErisDS]

Please Note: Apps is the new name for plugins.

The work towards making Ghost apps possible is spread across several issues in several different repositories.

We now have the Ghost-App repository where the app boilerplate is beginning to take shape.

The boilerplate / base structure

First we want to get to the point where we can create an app with the simplest access to Ghost.

Goal: Create an example app that can register a handlebars helper and filter jQuery out from ghost_foot.

• App Boilerplate: Do we need .App? and other extendable base apps? Ghost-App#7
• Ghost Filters are broken Ghost Filters are broken #2157
• App Boilerplate: filters ? Ghost-App#6
• Ghost Developer Tools 'proxy' object for apps Ghost Developer Tools 'proxy' object for apps #1478
• Publish next version of boilerplate to NPM Now @ 0.0.2
• App Boilerplate: proxy object naming and structure App Boilerplate: proxy object naming and structure Ghost-App#10
• App Boilerplate: helpers App Boilerplate: helpers Ghost-App#14
• Docs on apps: Getting Started for Ghost Devs - needs updating when the other work is completed.

App Installation

We want to make it possible to easily install and manage an app

Goal: Users can easily activate and manage apps without touching the database even if the app disappears or is broken.

• App management:
  • Install App Dependencies Install App Dependencies #2099
  • Add package.json support for Themes Add package.json support for Themes #2081
  • Apps initial lifecycle and setting screen UI Apps initial lifecycle and setting screen UI #2083
  • [Draft] Code up the new App UIs (HTML & Sass) [Draft] Code up the new App UIs (HTML & Sass) #2065
  • App installation: permissions modal App installation: permissions modal #2130
  • Apps additional lifecycle and settings UI Apps additional lifecycle and settings UI  #2140
  • [Draft] Apps wire up the correct install, activate, manage, delete UI [Draft] Apps wire up the correct install, activate, manage, delete UI #2141
• App Error handling:
  • Non-existent apps cause an unhandled rejection & dies Non-existent apps cause an unhandled rejection & dies #1829
  • Handle errors from apps appropriately Handle errors from apps appropriately #2118

App Safety and Security

Users should be able to depend on an app to do what it says. Apps should be able to do things they ask for permission for. We should make it clear what it is and is not acceptable for an app to do.

Goal: To be able to define an app with a set of permissions. The app should get those permissions and be held to them. E.g. permission and ability to edit a post but not delete one.

[TBD: improve goal to be more easily measurable]

[TBD: provide examples for ACL]

• Discussion: App Safety & Security Discussion: App Safety & Security #2007
• Load Apps Sandboxed Load Apps Sandboxed #2091
• App Permissions App Permissions #2095
• App permissions UI App permissions UI #2101
• ACL & the API: Current user everywhere ACL & the API: Current user everywhere #2058
• ACL for Apps ACL for Apps #2059
• ACL: Add to model-based API methods: posts, tags, users ACL: Add to model-based API methods: posts, tags, users #2060
• ACL and Strict rules for settings API ACL and Strict rules for settings API #2061

Data API v1

Our JSON api, which will be exposed internally to apps as the 'Data API' needs work to improve

Goal: A consistent v1.0 JSON API which is documented!

• Improvement: Refactor Models Improvement: Refactor Models #1655
• Improvement: Remove res.redirect() from API calls Improvement: Remove res.redirect() from API calls #1654
• Add validation to models using schema attributes Add validation to models using schema attributes #1401
• Database / Schema Additions for apps Database / Schema Additions for apps #2102
• Model extension for apps Model extension for apps #2138
• [Draft] JSON Data API cleanup for consistency JSON Data API cleanup for consistency #2124
• Enhancement: Add HTTP caching for API calls Enhancement: Add HTTP caching for API calls #2016
• Provide proper status codes for API operations Provide proper status codes for API operations #2187
• JSON Data API Docs JSON Data API Docs #2125

Application Settings

Goal: To be able to create an application with a single setting and appropriate UI.

• App Settings: ability to define default settings App Settings: ability to define default settings #2139
• App Settings: Generated UI - single text input App Settings: Generated UI - single text input #2142
• [Discussion] App Settings: Dynamic UI [Discussion] App Settings: Dynamic UI #2143
• [Draft] App Settings: Advanced Generated UI [Draft] App Settings: Advanced Generated UI #2159

Other APIs

In order to build a realistic app, we're going to need access to more than just a data API

Goal: To be able to rebuild the Kudos example plugin by @jgable using the tools provided by the GDK.

• [Discussion] Filters API [Discussion] Filters API #2113
• Routes API [TBD]
• Errors / logging API [TBD]

If you're interested in our intentions for Ghost Apps, I recommend reading the (very much WIP) Imagining the Ghost Developer Kit

[JuanKRuiz]

Ghost Apps = plugins?

[ErisDS]

@JuanKRuiz yep 👍

[halfdan]

A question that arises after looking at the kudos plugin:

The Kudos plugin directly uses Knex to create a new table. Eventually it should be possible to drop that same table again. Ghost core tables would need protection from being dropped by a plugin.

[jgable]

Yeah, that new table will be replaced by the custom data table we have
planned, along with access available through the app proxy.

[ErisDS]

Temporarily closing all of the app specific issues (tagged with later). Will review & reopen those that are still relevant when we kick off that project, which should be shortly after Zelda lands.