TEN add-on system

The TEN Framework uses add-ons as its basic software modules. Add-ons are self-contained components that implement specific functionality within the TEN Framework. All features and capabilities in a TEN application are built using these modular add-ons.

The TEN Framework supports the following types of add-ons:

• TEN extension - Implements core application logic and features
• TEN extension group - Groups multiple extensions for coordinated functionality
• TEN protocol - Handles communication protocols and data exchange

Loading add-ons

To load an add-on into the TEN runtime, you need:

1. Add-on name

   The name must be globally unique within your TEN application. If you load multiple add-ons with the same name, the TEN runtime exhibits undefined behavior and may fail to load the second add-on properly.

2. Add-on folder location

   Specify the directory path where the TEN runtime can find the add-on's files. The runtime uses this directory as the base_dir to load configuration files such as manifest.json and property.json.

   The add-on registration API attempts to detect this directory automatically. If automatic detection fails, you must explicitly specify the base_dir path.

3. Add-on instance

Registering add-ons

You can register add-ons using one of the following methods:

1. Use the explicit registration API

   Call the registration API to manually register the add-on's base_dir with the TEN runtime.

   Currently, only the standalone testing framework provides this API.

2. Use the designated directory structure

   Place your add-ons in the ten_packages/ directory of your TEN application. The application automatically discovers and loads add-ons at startup when you organize them as follows:

   .
   └── ten_packages/
       ├── extension/
       │   ├── <extension_foo>/
       │   └── <extension_bar>/
       ├── extension_group/
       │   └── <extension_group_x>/
       └── protocol/
           └── <protocol_a>/