Pack a Custom Component for other installations

As of Profinity 2.3, a Custom Component that works in one profile can be packed and installed on other Profinity systems. The pack is a bundle of the component's own files (CAN database (DBC), dashboard, scripts, and maps), not a compiled DLL plugin.

You need:

• A working Custom Component, with its files in one folder.
• The Profinity SDK, which includes profinity-component-pack. The SDK is available from Prohelion.
• A component_metadata.yaml file in the folder, which sets the name that the component has in the catalogue. Refer to Component metadata.
• An administrator on the other installation who can upload packages, as described in Install and manage plugins.
• The Custom Plugins licensed feature on the other installation.

Run profinity-component-pack on Windows, macOS or Linux. The commands are the same on each system, except that on Windows the tool starts as dotnet profinity-component-pack.dll, and the path separators in examples differ.

1. On the machine that has the SDK, run profinity-component-pack validate --component-dir <path>, where <path> is the component folder. The tool reports the first problem it finds, on standard error. Fix each problem and validate again until it reports none.
2. Run profinity-component-pack pack --component-dir <path> --output <path.zip|path.nupkg>, where the output ends in .zip or .nupkg. Refer to Component Pack CLI for the commands and flags.
3. On the other installation, an administrator selects ADMIN, then Components & Plugins, and uses the UPLOAD PLUGIN panel to upload the .zip or .nupkg package. The package then appears in the list on that page.
4. Open the profile and select ADD COMPONENT. The component is listed under the name that component_metadata.yaml gives it.

When the component is added, it behaves as described in Using a Custom Component.

Troubleshooting

What you see	Cause	What to do
"Plugin archive must use a .zip or .nupkg extension." when you upload the package	The package file was saved with a different extension	Run pack again with an --output path that ends in .zip or .nupkg, then upload the new file.
profinity-component-pack validate reports a problem	The component folder has a problem, and the tool reports the first one it finds	Fix the problem that it names, then run validate again until it reports none.
Component directory does not exist: followed by a path	The --component-dir path does not point to a folder	Give the path to the component folder, then run validate again.
Missing required file: component_metadata.yaml, or the same message for settings_map.yaml, firmware_map.yaml, or actions.yaml	The component folder is missing a file that the pack needs	Add the file named in the message, then run validate again.
Component directory is required., component_metadata.yaml is empty or invalid., or Component name is not a valid folder name.	The component folder or its metadata does not pass the check	Correct the item the message names, then run validate again.