This page explains how to prepare a SecRandom plugin development environment and create a minimal plugin project.

Prerequisites

• .NET 10 SDK or later.
• An IDE that supports .NET, such as JetBrains Rider or Visual Studio.
• Basic knowledge of C# and Avalonia (plugin pages are built with Avalonia controls).

Reference the SDK

SecRandom plugins reference the host API through the NuGet package SecRandom.PluginSdk. Add the following to your plugin project:

<PackageReference Include="SecRandom.PluginSdk" Version="3.0.0">
  <ExcludeAssets>runtime;native</ExcludeAssets>
</PackageReference>

• ExcludeAssets="runtime;native" keeps the SDK package compile-time only; the runtime assemblies your plugin needs (such as SecRandom.Core) are supplied in-process by the host.
• Package versions follow the main application. Use a version matching the application major version (for example 3.0.0). The current host API major version is 3.
• Plugins use the host-exposed capabilities through the SDK, which are the Core contracts the SDK references.

Use the local SDK during development

The repository template SecRandom.ExamplePlugin uses a local project reference (UseLocalPluginSdk=true) by default so it builds with the solution even before the SDK is published. Released plugins use the NuGet PackageReference above.

Get the Minimal Template

SecRandom.ExamplePlugin is the minimal plugin template maintained in the repository. It includes the entry class, manifest, an example settings page, and packaging configuration. You can use it as a starting point:

git clone https://github.com/SECTL/SecRandom.git
cd SecRandom/SecRandom.ExamplePlugin
dotnet build

The build produces srpx/SecRandom.ExamplePlugin.srpx.

Note

A more convenient dotnet new plugin template package (SecRandom.PluginTemplate) is planned; it will replace manual cloning once released.

Local Debugging

During development you don't need to repeatedly package and install:

• Use the startup argument --epp <directory> (or --externalPluginPath <directory>, repeatable) to add a development plugin directory. Plugins there are loaded in place; the host never moves or deletes them. Restart the application after changing code.
• Alternatively, place a packaged .srpx in data/cache/plugin-packages and restart the desktop application to install it.

Next Steps

Read Create a Plugin to learn the plugin project structure, or jump straight to the Plugin Entry Class and Capabilities.

Contributors

LeafS825

Changelog

8/16/26, 5:38 AM

View All Changelog

• 4088d-Update navbar links and remove Advanced Settingson 8/16/26

Copyright

Copyright Ownership:SECTL

License under:CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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