Dev workflow

Use unpacked loading while you iterate on a plugin. HarborClient reads your project directory directly — the same layout as inside a .hcp file, with manifest.json at the folder root — instead of copying files into userData/plugins/.

Create a plugin project folder with manifest.json at the root (see Manifest), then add a package.json like this to install the type definitions and bundle your renderer entry:

{
  "name": "my-harborclient-plugin",
  "private": true,
  "type": "module",
  "devDependencies": {
    "@harborclient/sdk": "^0.2.0",
    "@types/react": "^19.0.0",
    "esbuild": "^0.25.0",
    "typescript": "^5.0.0"
  },
  "scripts": {
    "build": "esbuild src/renderer.tsx --bundle --outfile=dist/renderer.js --format=esm --jsx=automatic --jsx-import-source=@harborclient/sdk --external:react --external:react-dom",
    "dev": "esbuild src/renderer.tsx --bundle --outfile=dist/renderer.js --format=esm --jsx=automatic --jsx-import-source=@harborclient/sdk --external:react --external:react-dom --watch",
    "pack": "pnpm build && zip -r ../my-plugin.hcp manifest.json README.md assets dist"
  }
}

Run pnpm install, add src/renderer.tsx (exporting activate(hc) with installReact(hc.react)), then pnpm build or pnpm dev before loading the folder in HarborClient. Mark react and react-dom as external and use the JSX import source shown above. See Building and React and JSX.

Load unpacked

Build your plugin at least once so dist/ exists (pnpm build or pnpm dev), then register the project folder through Settings → Plugins (Load unpacked…) or via the startup options below. For UI plugins, open a contributed surface (for example your settings section) to trigger activation. Main-only plugins activate as soon as they are enabled.

HarborClient stores unpacked paths in a dev registry under userData and restores them on the next launch.

Hot reload

When an unpacked plugin is enabled, the host watches:

• manifest.json
• Entry files referenced by the manifest (renderer, main, stylesheet, and similar)

When a watched file changes, HarborClient debounces briefly (so multi-file writes finish), then:

1. Calls deactivate() and disposes hc.subscriptions
2. Clears the cached entry module
3. Re-validates the manifest
4. Calls activate(hc) again

Leave the relevant Settings or UI panel open to see UI updates after each rebuild. If reload fails (syntax error, invalid manifest), the previous activation is torn down and an inline error is shown in Settings → Plugins. Use Reload on the plugin row to force the same sequence manually.

Recommended dev workflow

Terminal 1 — watch-build the main entry:

cd request-logger
pnpm dev

Terminal 2 — run HarborClient (from your app checkout or installed build):

pnpm dev

If your plugin also has a main entry, add a second esbuild target (or use --watch on both outputs) so HTTP hooks reload during development.

Load unpacked at startup (optional)

For day-to-day work on the same plugin, you can register an unpacked path before launch:

Mechanism	Example
Environment variable	HARBOR_PLUGINS_DEV=~/projects/request-logger pnpm dev
CLI flag	harborclient --plugin-dev ~/projects/request-logger

Multiple paths are separated by : on Linux and macOS, or ; on Windows. Paths registered this way appear in Settings → Plugins the same as plugins loaded through Load unpacked….

Unpacked vs installed

	Unpacked (development)	Installed (.hcp)
Source	Your project directory	Copy under userData/plugins/<id>/
Updates	Rebuild dist/; host reloads	Install newer .hcp
Distribution	Not for end users	Ship .hcp to users
Same manifest	Yes	Yes

Installing a .hcp for the same id as an unpacked dev plugin replaces the dev registration with a normal installed copy.

Host IPC (development)

These channels support the Settings UI and file watcher; plugin code does not call them directly:

Channel	Purpose
plugins:loadUnpacked	Register an absolute directory path
plugins:reload	Reload one plugin by id
plugins:removeUnpacked	Remove dev registration for id
plugins:list	Includes source: 'installed' | 'unpacked' and path for unpacked entries