Documentation/4.6/Developers/Tutorials/BuildTestPackageDistributeExtensions

For the latest Slicer documentation, visit the read-the-docs.

To learn what is an extension, see here

Step-by-step: How to create, publish and distribute an extension ?

• Scan through the user and developer extension FAQs
• Optional: Present your extension(s) on the slicer developers list to check if other developer are working on a similar project, to seek for advice or to reach out for potential collaborator.
• Optional (required if developing loadable or CLI module types): Build Slicer application in Release.
• Use the Extension Wizard to create an extension bundling your module(s). Learn more about ExtensionWizard capabilities here. To learn about extension description file format see here
• Upload source code of your extension to a publicly available repository
  • GitHub is recommended (due to large user community, free public project hosting): join Github and setup Git
  • Extension Wizard command-line interface can upload source code of your extension to GitHub:

$ bin/slicerExtensionWizard --publish ~/Slicer-MyExtension/

• Implement your extension. Hack, hack, hack :).
• Create documentation page for your extension
  • It is recommended to use the Slicer wiki: Create a documentation page for your extension.
• Optional (necessary, if you want to upload test data to MIDAS or troubleshoot extension upload problems): Create an account on the extension server and obtain an API Key. You will then use your midas login and api key to substitute <YOUR-MIDAS-LOGIN> and <YOUR-MIDAS-APIKEY> in the examples. Go to NA-MIC community and click on Join community

• Optional (required for loadable and CLI modules): Build your extension
• Test your extension:
  • If you have built your extension then build the PACKAGE target to create a package file that you can install from the Extension Manager by clicking the small tool icon in the top-right corner.
  • If you have not built your extension then set up your extension manually: Build your extension
• If you consider your extension is ready for distribution, contribute it to the ExtensionsIndex:
  • Fork ExtensionIndex repository (https://github.com/Slicer/ExtensionsIndex), add your extension, and send a pull request
  • The Extension Wizard can automate this by the following command:

$ bin/slicerExtensionWizard --contribute ~/Slicer-MyExtension/