Your First Plugin

This page walks through converting the example package into your own plugin from scratch.

1. Rename the package

Rename me.dzusill.core.example to your package (e.g. me.yourname.myplugin). In IntelliJ IDEA: right-click the package → Refactor → Rename.

2. Create your main class

Extend CorePlugin and implement modules():

public class MyPlugin extends CorePlugin {

    @Override
    protected CoreModule[] modules() {
        return new CoreModule[]{
                new FoundationModule(this),   // config + messages + scheduler + listeners
                new CommandModule(this)        // your commands
        };
    }

    @Override
    protected String[] banner() {
        return new String[]{
                "",
                "  MyPlugin v" + getPluginMeta().getVersion(),
                ""
        };
    }
}

Do not override onEnable() or onDisable(). These are declared final in CorePlugin and managed by ModuleManager. Use the onPreEnable(), onPostEnable(), and onPreDisable() hooks instead, or put startup logic in a module.

3. Update plugin.yml

name: MyPlugin
version: '1.0.0'
main: me.yourname.myplugin.MyPlugin
api-version: '1.21'
description: My awesome plugin
authors: [yourname]
softdepend: [Vault, PlaceholderAPI, Essentials]   # remove any you don't need

4. Create your first module

A module groups a logical subsystem (commands, menus, a data service…). The minimum:

public final class CommandModule extends AbstractModule {

    public CommandModule(CorePlugin plugin) {
        super(plugin);
    }

    @Override
    public String name() {
        return "Commands";
    }

    @Override
    public void onEnable() {
        CommandRegistry commands = service(CommandRegistry.class);
        commands.register(new MyCommand());
    }
}

5. Build and run

mvn package
cp target/MyPlugin-1.0.0.jar /path/to/server/plugins/

Start the server. The banner you defined in banner() will appear in the console on startup.

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Module order matters

Modules are enabled in the order you declare them in modules() and disabled in reverse order. Always declare foundation modules (config, messages, scheduler) before the modules that depend on them.

return new CoreModule[]{
        new FoundationModule(this),    // provides ConfigManager, MessageService, SchedulerService
        new DatabaseModule(this),      // requires SchedulerService → must come after Foundation
        new MenuModule(this),          // requires MenuManager
        new CommandModule(this)        // requires everything above
};