NativeScript Plugins support

[ligaz]

This issue outlines the work breakdown for supporting NativeScript Plugins in the CLI

v1.1

Plugin commands

• add - will support everything npm install supports. Will save the installed plugin in package.json. The plugin itself will be installed in node_modules.
• remove - will remove the plugin. Basically npm uninstall ... --save with some other magic.
• prepare - hidden command that will do all the required mumbo-jumbo to install a plugin. Actually adding a plugin will be decomposed to npm install followed by tns plugin prepare

Supported functionality

• NPM based workflow.
• require of JavaScript files from the plugin. prepare will ensure the script files are in the native platform tns_modules folder, so that they can be required. The package.json of the plugin should also be there in case there is a main declared.
• Merging of native configuration files (AndroidManifest.xml and Info.plist)

v1.2

• Ability to package native libraries and frameworks in the plugin.
  • Android
    • Respect Android libraries added to platforms/android
    • Respect jars added to platforms/android/libs
    • Remove the library when removing the plugin
  • iOS
    • Support for dynamic libraries (*.framework)

v1.3

• Support for Cocoapods (Support for CocoaPods #729)
• Support for new Android Library format (AAR)

v1.4

• Support for static iOS libraries

v1.5

• Ability to package resources (images, xml files declaring native UI, etc.) in the plugin.
• Ability to define plugin variables (ex: API keys that should be defined per plugin installation)

[valentinstoychev]

related:
#592
#591

[Plamen5kov]

I don't believe it's a good idea to:
Ability to package resources (images, xml files declaring native UI, etc.) in the plugin.
At least not directly. The preferred way is to have only an .aar file that includes all of the elements described above.