wheels plugin init

Initialize a new CFWheels plugin in the /plugins directory.

Usage

wheels plugin init <name> [--author=<name>] [--description=<text>] [--version=<version>] [--license=<type>]

Parameters

Parameter	Required	Type	Options	Default	Description
name	Yes	string	-	-	Plugin name (will be prefixed with 'wheels-')
author	No	string	-	""	Plugin author name
description	No	string	-	""	Plugin description
version	No	string	-	"1.0.0"	Initial version number
license	No	string	MIT, Apache-2.0, GPL-3.0, BSD-3-Clause, ISC, Proprietary	MIT	License type

Description

The plugin init command creates a new CFWheels plugin following the standard CFWheels plugin structure. The plugin is created directly in your application's /plugins directory and includes all necessary files to get started.

Features

• Creates plugin in /plugins directory

• Follows CFWheels plugin conventions

• Includes mixin="global" for framework-wide availability

• Generates documentation files

• Includes test suite

• Ready for ForgeBox publishing

Examples

Basic plugin initialization

wheels plugin init my-helper

Output:

===========================================================
  Initializing Wheels Plugin: wheels-my-helper
===========================================================

Creating plugin in /plugins/myHelper/...

===========================================================

[OK] Plugin created successfully in /plugins/myHelper/

Files Created:
  myHelper.cfc      Main plugin component
  index.cfm         Documentation page
  box.json          Package metadata
  README.md         Project documentation

Next Steps:
  1. Edit myHelper.cfc to add your plugin functions
  2. Update index.cfm and README.md with usage examples
  3. Test: wheels reload (then call your functions)
  4. Publish: box login && box publish

With full metadata

wheels plugin init authentication \
  --author="Jane Smith" \
  --description="Authentication and authorization system" \
  --version="0.1.0" \
  --license=MIT

Quick initialization

wheels plugin init api-tools --author="DevTeam"

Generated Structure

The command creates the following structure in /plugins/pluginName/:

plugins/
└── myHelper/
    ├── box.json           Package configuration
    ├── myHelper.cfc       Main plugin component (mixin="global")
    ├── index.cfm          Plugin documentation page
    ├── README.md          Project documentation
    ├── .gitignore         Git ignore file
    └── tests/             Test suite
        └── myHelperTest.cfc   TestBox tests

File Templates

myHelper.cfc (Main Plugin Component)

component hint="wheels-my-helper" output="false" mixin="global" {

    public function init() {
        this.version = "1.0.0";
        return this;
    }

    /**
     * Example function - Add your plugin methods here
     *
     * [section: Plugins]
     * [category: myHelper]
     *
     * @param1 Description of parameter
     */
    public function myHelperExample(required string param1) {
        // Your plugin logic here
        return arguments.param1;
    }

}

Key Features:

• mixin="global" makes functions available everywhere in Wheels

• Functions documented with Wheels doc format [section: Plugins]

• Version tracking via this.version

index.cfm (Documentation Page)

<h1>wheels-my-helper</h1>
<p>Plugin description</p>

<h3>Installation</h3>
<pre>
wheels plugin install wheels-my-helper
</pre>

<h3>Usage</h3>
<h4>Example Function</h4>
<pre>
// Call the example function
result = myHelperExample("test");
</pre>

box.json (Package Metadata)

{
    "name": "wheels-my-helper",
    "version": "1.0.0",
    "author": "Your Name",
    "slug": "wheels-my-helper",
    "type": "cfwheels-plugins",
    "keywords": "cfwheels,wheels,plugin",
    "homepage": "",
    "shortDescription": "Plugin description",
    "private": false
}

Development Workflow

1. Initialize Plugin

wheels plugin init my-helper --author="Your Name"

2. Add Your Functions

Edit /plugins/myHelper/myHelper.cfc and add your plugin methods:

public function formatCurrency(required numeric amount) {
    return dollarFormat(arguments.amount);
}

public function slugify(required string text) {
    return lCase(reReplace(arguments.text, "[^a-zA-Z0-9]+", "-", "all"));
}

3. Update Documentation

Edit index.cfm and README.md with usage examples and function descriptions.

4. Test Your Plugin

wheels reload

Then in your Wheels application:

// Your functions are now available everywhere
formatted = formatCurrency(1234.56);  // Returns "$1,234.56"
slug = slugify("My Blog Post");       // Returns "my-blog-post"

5. Add Tests

Edit /plugins/myHelper/tests/myHelperTest.cfc:

it("should format currency correctly", function() {
    var plugin = createObject("component", "myHelper").init();
    var result = plugin.formatCurrency(1234.56);
    expect(result).toInclude("1,234");
});

Run tests:

box testbox run

6. Publish to ForgeBox

cd plugins/myHelper
git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"
git remote add origin https://github.com/username/wheels-my-helper.git
git push -u origin main

box login
box publish

Plugin Types

Common CFWheels plugin categories:

• Data Helpers - String manipulation, date formatting, validation

• Authentication - User authentication, session management, encryption

• API Tools - REST helpers, JSON formatting, API clients

• Database - Query helpers, soft delete, auditing

• UI Components - Form helpers, tables, pagination

• Email - Email formatting, templates, sending

• Caching - Cache management, warming, invalidation

• Testing - Test helpers, fixtures, mocking

Best Practices

1. Naming Convention: Always prefix with wheels- (automatic)

2. Function Naming: Use clear, descriptive names

3. Documentation: Document all public functions with Wheels format

4. Testing: Include comprehensive test coverage

5. Versioning: Follow semantic versioning (MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH)

6. Dependencies: Minimize external dependencies

7. Compatibility: Test with supported Wheels versions

How Plugin Loading Works

1. Wheels scans /plugins directory on startup

2. Each plugin's main CFC is instantiated

3. With mixin="global", functions become available in:

   • Controllers

   • Models

   • Views

   • Other plugins

4. Call wheels reload to reload plugins after changes

Error Handling

Plugin Already Exists

[ERROR] Plugin already exists

Plugin 'myHelper' already exists in /plugins folder

Solution: Choose a different name or remove the existing plugin first.

No Wheels Application

The command must be run from within a Wheels application directory.

Notes

• Plugin is created directly in /plugins directory

• Plugin name automatically prefixed with wheels- if not present

• Folder name uses simple plugin name (without wheels- prefix)

• Use mixin="global" to make functions available everywhere

• Restart or reload Wheels after creating plugin

• Plugin functions documented with [section: Plugins] format

• Type must be cfwheels-plugins for ForgeBox categorization

See Also

• wheels plugin install - Install plugins from ForgeBox

• wheels plugin list - List installed plugins

• wheels reload - Reload application

• Developing Plugins - Full plugin development guide