altPlugin Toolbar can use any stack as a plugin. Just choose "Add Stack" from the altPlugin menu (the blue triangle at the top of the toolbar).

There you can add any stack from anywhere to the toolbar. It will automatically assign a default icon. You can change the icon later if you wish. This is great for creating one button access to existing plugins like GoRevNet or RevZilla.

If you wish, you can create an 'altPlugin compatible' stack, which you can give to others. This has the following advantages:

(Note: you can use the plugin listed below to help 'bless existing stacks' or create new altPlugin compatible stacks)

1) You can embed an icon in your stack which automatically loads onto the toolbar
2) You can manage versioning, and let altPlugin handle updates. This way you incremently improve your plugin.

Here's how it works. You just insert a single image into your stack, named: "altPlug.png"
This image has the following custom properties assigned to it:

altOnClickMe - contains the name of the handler in the stack script to call when the icon is clicked on

altOpenVisible - contains true or false. If you wish to just send a message and not open the stack, you can set it to false, else just set it to true. If it is false, then right-clicking on the icon will open the stack, as if it was set to true.

altPlugFileName - contains the filename of your plugin. Include the .rev if it has a .rev extension

altUpdateURL - contains the URL of the update text file

altVers - contains the current version number for your plugin

You'll need to post your plugin and your plugin update text file on a webserver somewhere. The format for the update text file is:

<!--AltPlugin-->
<Version>v1.0</version>
<UpdateURL>http://www.domain.com/yourPlug.rev"</UpdateURL>

Line 1 MUST BE: <!--AltPlugin-->
Line 2 is your version number in the <version> element
Line 3 is the URL for retrieving the plugin

It's that simple. So, the next time a user 'checks for updates,' your update text file will be checked. If there's a new version available, it will display it in the Plugins list and the user may update it then and there.

altPluginBuilder plugin

Use this plugin to help you create altPlugin compatible plugins. It will create a starter "altPlugin" stack complete with the icon image and image properties needed. It will also make an existing stack "altPlugin" compatible, including adding an icon and setting the version and update properties.