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PluginTemplate v1.0.0

🎯 Overview​

The PluginTemplate is a comprehensive starting point for BrainDrive plugin development, featuring robust error handling, best practices, and production-ready patterns. This template provides developers with everything needed to create reliable, user-friendly BrainDrive plugins with comprehensive error management from day one.

✨ Features​

🛡️ Comprehensive Error Handling​

  • Custom Error Types: Specific error classes for different scenarios (PluginError, ServiceError, ValidationError, NetworkError, ConfigurationError)
  • Error Handler Utility: Centralized error management with multiple strategies (RETRY, FALLBACK, IGNORE, ESCALATE, USER_ACTION)
  • React Error Boundaries: Component-level error protection with recovery mechanisms
  • Enhanced Error Display: User-friendly error messages with retry and dismiss actions

📚 Developer Experience​

  • Complete Documentation: 1300+ lines of comprehensive guides and references
  • TypeScript Integration: Full type safety with BrainDrive service interfaces
  • Best Practice Patterns: Production-ready code structure and organization
  • Educational Comments: Extensive inline documentation and TODO markers

🛠 Technical Excellence​

  • Service Integration: Safe service initialization with fallback mechanisms
  • Validation Framework: Input and response validation with error handling
  • Retry Logic: Automatic retry with exponential backoff for transient failures
  • Production Ready: Error reporting and monitoring integration

🏗 Architecture​

Error-First Design​

The template is built around comprehensive error handling:

  1. ErrorHandler Class (src/utils/errorHandling.ts)

    • Multiple error handling strategies
    • Safe async and sync operation wrappers
    • Configurable retry logic with exponential backoff
    • Error statistics and monitoring

  2. Custom Error Types (src/utils/errorHandling.ts)

    • PluginError: Base error class with metadata
    • ServiceError: BrainDrive service-related errors
    • ValidationError: Input validation errors
    • NetworkError: API communication errors
    • ConfigurationError: Plugin setup errors

  3. React Error Boundary (src/components/ErrorBoundary.tsx)

    • Component tree error protection
    • Automatic and manual error recovery
    • Custom fallback UI support
    • Development debugging tools

  4. Enhanced Error Display (src/components/ErrorDisplay.tsx)

    • Multiple display variants (error, warning, info)
    • User action buttons (retry, dismiss)
    • Expandable error details
    • Copy-to-clipboard functionality

Service Integration Patterns​

  • Safe Service Initialization: Error-protected service setup
  • Fallback Mechanisms: Graceful degradation when services fail
  • Validation Framework: Input and response validation
  • Retry Logic: Automatic retry for transient failures

📋 What's Included​

Core Components​

  • src/PluginTemplate.tsx - Main component with comprehensive error handling
  • src/components/ErrorBoundary.tsx - React error boundary with recovery
  • src/components/ErrorDisplay.tsx - Enhanced error display component
  • src/components/LoadingSpinner.tsx - Consistent loading state component
  • src/components/SettingsExample.tsx - Configuration component template

Error Handling System​

  • src/utils/errorHandling.ts - Complete error handling utilities (508 lines)
  • src/services/PluginService.ts - Service layer with error handling
  • src/utils.ts - Enhanced utility functions with error protection
  • src/types.ts - TypeScript definitions with error state management

Documentation Suite​

  • README.md - Template overview and getting started guide
  • DEVELOPER_GUIDE.md - Comprehensive implementation guide (717 lines)
  • ERROR_HANDLING_GUIDE.md - Detailed error handling reference (394 lines)
  • DEVELOPMENT.md - Development workflow and customization guide (498 lines)
  • RELEASE.md - This release documentation

Configuration​

  • lifecycle_manager.py - Python lifecycle management with error handling
  • package.json - Dependencies and build scripts
  • webpack.config.js - Module Federation configuration
  • tsconfig.json - TypeScript configuration

🚀 Getting Started​

Setup​

  1. Copy the template to your plugin directory
  2. Run npm install to install dependencies
  3. Customize lifecycle_manager.py with your plugin metadata
  4. Update package.json with your plugin details
  5. Run npm run build to build the plugin

Customization​

  1. Replace template components with your functionality
  2. Add custom error types for your specific use cases
  3. Configure service integrations with error handling
  4. Customize error display for your user experience
  5. Test error scenarios to ensure robust handling

Testing​

  1. Build the plugin with npm run build
  2. Install via BrainDrive Plugin Manager
  3. Test functionality within BrainDrive environment
  4. Verify error handling works correctly
  5. Check error recovery mechanisms

🎓 Learning Objectives​

This template teaches developers:

  • Error Handling Strategies: When and how to use different error approaches
  • Service Integration: Safe BrainDrive service usage patterns
  • Component Architecture: React patterns for plugin development
  • Type Safety: TypeScript patterns for robust development
  • User Experience: Graceful error handling and recovery
  • Production Patterns: Monitoring, logging, and debugging

🔧 Technical Specifications​

  • React Version: 18.3.1 (Class-based components for Module Federation)
  • TypeScript: 5.7.3 with strict type checking
  • Error Handling: 5 custom error types with comprehensive utilities
  • Documentation: 1300+ lines of guides and references
  • Bundle Size: Optimized for production loading
  • Browser Compatibility: Modern browsers with ES2020 support

📖 Documentation​

Comprehensive Guides​

  • README.md: Template overview and quick start (190 lines)
  • DEVELOPER_GUIDE.md: Complete implementation guide (717 lines)
  • ERROR_HANDLING_GUIDE.md: Technical error handling reference (394 lines)
  • DEVELOPMENT.md: Development workflow guide (498 lines)

Code Examples​

All documentation includes working code examples that match the actual implementation, ensuring consistency and accuracy for learning.

Error Handling Patterns​

  • Custom error type creation and usage
  • Error boundary implementation
  • Service integration with error handling
  • User-friendly error display
  • Testing error scenarios

🛡️ Error Handling Features​

Custom Error Types​

// Plugin-specific errors with metadata
throw new PluginError('Operation failed', 'OPERATION_ERROR', context, true);

// Service integration errors
throw new ServiceError('API unavailable', 'api', 'SERVICE_ERROR', details);

// Input validation errors
throw new ValidationError('Invalid email', 'email', userInput);

Error Strategies​

  • RETRY: Automatic retry with exponential backoff
  • FALLBACK: Use fallback values or operations
  • IGNORE: Log error but continue execution
  • ESCALATE: Report to monitoring systems
  • USER_ACTION: Require user intervention

Error Boundaries​

<ErrorBoundary
  onError={(error, errorInfo) => console.error('Component error:', error)}
  resetOnPropsChange={true}
>
  <YourComponent />
</ErrorBoundary>

🐛 Known Issues​

  • None currently identified
  • Template has been tested with Module Federation compatibility
  • All error handling patterns have been validated
  • Documentation is synchronized with implementation

🤝 Contributing​

When contributing to this template:

  1. Maintain comprehensive error handling patterns
  2. Update documentation for any changes
  3. Include tests for new error handling features
  4. Follow established code organization
  5. Ensure backward compatibility

📝 License​

Part of the BrainDrive platform - see main project license.

Built with ❤️ by the BrainDrive Team

This template provides the foundation for creating robust, user-friendly BrainDrive plugins with comprehensive error handling and best practices.