Plugins

goboot is extended at compile time — a plugin is a Go module linked into the CLI (there is no dynamic .so loading). A plugin contributes any combination of: annotation schemas, extra analysis, generated files, and SQL dialects.

Using plugins

List them in goboot.yaml:

plugins:
  - github.com/zombocoder/goboot/plugins/openapi@v0.1.0     # shorthand
  - module:  github.com/acme/goboot-redis                    # explicit form
    version: v1.3.1
    import:  github.com/acme/goboot-redis/gobootx            # default = module
    new:     New                                             # default = New

Then run generation as usual:

goboot generate ./...

The stock goboot binary detects the plugins: block and self-bootstraps: it builds a plugin-aware CLI from the list (cached under .goboot/, keyed by the plugin set + toolchain), re-execs it, and your plugins are active. A changed plugin set transparently rebuilds.

• GOBOOT_BOOTSTRAP=off goboot generate … runs the plugin-free binary.
• For reproducible / offline CI, goboot plugins sync pins the modules and writes a committed tools/goboot/main.go; drive generation with go run ./tools/goboot generate ./....
• goboot plugins lists configured vs. linked plugins.

Official plugins

Plugin	Capability
plugins/openapi	Generator — emits an OpenAPI 3 spec from your routes
plugins/oracle	DialectProvider — Oracle SQL dialect (:1, :2)
plugins/lint	Analyzer — REST convention warnings

Writing a plugin

A plugin is a module depending on github.com/zombocoder/goboot that exports a constructor (by convention New) returning a value implementing plugin.Plugin plus any capability interfaces:

package oracle

func New() *Plugin { return &Plugin{} }

type Plugin struct{}

func (*Plugin) Name() string    { return "oracle" }
func (*Plugin) Version() string { return "0.1.0" }

// DialectProvider capability.
func (*Plugin) Dialects() map[string]sqlgen.Dialect {
    return map[string]sqlgen.Dialect{"oracle": Dialect{}}
}

Capabilities (implement any subset):

• AnnotationProvider — register annotation schemas the compiler recognizes.
• Analyzer — contribute diagnostics over the analyzed model.
• Generator — emit additional files alongside the wiring.
• DialectProvider — register SQL dialects / database drivers.

Analyzer/Generator receive *model.Application, which surfaces app.Declarations — every annotated declaration with its raw annotations, including the plugin's own. Filter with app.DeclarationsWith("MyAnnotation") to drive behavior from an annotation you registered.

Contract

Plugins return diagnostics rather than panic and produce deterministic output. plugin.APIVersion is the contract version; an incompatible major fails to compile (compile-time safety).