buildInstructions.txt

add-on build instructions
Last updated: December 20, 2018 (paulber19)
Thank you for your interest in helping out with addon development, specificaly building the add-on for testing purposes.
There are two ways of building the add-on: manual or automated. 
Manual bundling is useful if you'd like to build the add-on bundle but do not wish to install extra software and wish to work with source code directly, whereas automated build is useful for publishing the add-on to websites and includes interface translations and documentation.

Manual bundling: 
- From the source code directory, open "addon" folder and create a text file named "manifest.ini". Alternatively, copy manifest.ini.tpl into "addon" folder and rename it to "manifest.ini". Then fill out the manifest file (be sure to quote strings). 
- Once the manifest file is ready,  transcripte all documentation files to HTML ,
- then zip the entire contents of the "addon" folder as a zip file, naming this whatever you want with the extensoin of .nvda-addon.

Automated bundling: 
To use this method, install Python 2.7 (www.python.org), Markdown, and SCons (www.scons.org).
- Install Python (if you haven't), then install SCons and Markdown, 
- run "makeAddon.bat" batche command.
If everything is working, after some progress messages, add-on installer (addonName-addonVersion.nvda-addon) will be created.
This method is based on buildVars.py file of add-on root folder  ( "addon\buildVars.py" file).
"makeAddon.bat file copy this file in repository source directory befor starting the process.
So, if you want to customize automated bundling variables, modify buildVars.py of add-on folder before running "makeAddon.bat" file.
The build variables dictionary allows you to control the same variables as manifest method above (name, description, version and so on).
After add-on creation, "makeAddon.bat" file does some clean-up.

Update repository:
 the readme.md file of repository must be  the readme.md file of current add-on\doc\en folder and it needs the style.css file. So if you do some changes in the readme.md file of the add-on , you must update the repository. Run "updateRepo.bat" batche command.
makeAddon.bat copy also this file  with "style.css" fileinto repository root.

To generate the  add-on  pot file, you can use "makePotFile.bat" batche command). 
If you pull a add-on version, you don't need to run makePotFile.bat to get pot file because this file is  placed  into addon\locale\en folder.

Lastly, to clean the build, you can also use "clean.bat" batche command).

Enjoy the add-on.