Clarify plugin authoring and external dev workflow

packages/plugins/examples/plugin-authoring-smoke-example/.gitignore

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+dist
+node_modules

packages/plugins/examples/plugin-authoring-smoke-example/README.md

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+# Plugin Authoring Smoke Example
+
+A Paperclip plugin
+
+## Development
+
+```bash
+pnpm install
+pnpm dev            # watch builds
+pnpm dev:ui         # local dev server with hot-reload events
+pnpm test
+```
+
+## Install Into Paperclip
+
+```bash
+pnpm paperclipai plugin install ./
+```
+
+## Build Options
+
+- `pnpm build` uses esbuild presets from `@paperclipai/plugin-sdk/bundlers`.
+- `pnpm build:rollup` uses rollup presets from the same SDK.

packages/plugins/examples/plugin-authoring-smoke-example/esbuild.config.mjs

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+import esbuild from "esbuild";
+import { createPluginBundlerPresets } from "@paperclipai/plugin-sdk/bundlers";
+
+const presets = createPluginBundlerPresets({ uiEntry: "src/ui/index.tsx" });
+const watch = process.argv.includes("--watch");
+
+const workerCtx = await esbuild.context(presets.esbuild.worker);
+const manifestCtx = await esbuild.context(presets.esbuild.manifest);
+const uiCtx = await esbuild.context(presets.esbuild.ui);
+
+if (watch) {
+  await Promise.all([workerCtx.watch(), manifestCtx.watch(), uiCtx.watch()]);
+  console.log("esbuild watch mode enabled for worker, manifest, and ui");
+} else {
+  await Promise.all([workerCtx.rebuild(), manifestCtx.rebuild(), uiCtx.rebuild()]);
+  await Promise.all([workerCtx.dispose(), manifestCtx.dispose(), uiCtx.dispose()]);
+}

packages/plugins/examples/plugin-authoring-smoke-example/package.json

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+{
+  "name": "@paperclipai/plugin-authoring-smoke-example",
+  "version": "0.1.0",
+  "type": "module",
+  "private": true,
+  "description": "A Paperclip plugin",
+  "scripts": {
+    "build": "node ./esbuild.config.mjs",
+    "build:rollup": "rollup -c",
+    "dev": "node ./esbuild.config.mjs --watch",
+    "dev:ui": "paperclip-plugin-dev-server --root . --ui-dir dist/ui --port 4177",
+    "test": "vitest run --config ./vitest.config.ts",
+    "typecheck": "tsc --noEmit"
+  },
+  "paperclipPlugin": {
+    "manifest": "./dist/manifest.js",
+    "worker": "./dist/worker.js",
+    "ui": "./dist/ui/"
+  },
+  "keywords": [
+    "paperclip",
+    "plugin",
+    "connector"
+  ],
+  "author": "Plugin Author",
+  "license": "MIT",
+  "dependencies": {
+    "@paperclipai/plugin-sdk": "workspace:*"
+  },
+  "devDependencies": {
+    "@rollup/plugin-node-resolve": "^16.0.1",
+    "@rollup/plugin-typescript": "^12.1.2",
+    "@types/node": "^24.6.0",
+    "@types/react": "^19.0.8",
+    "esbuild": "^0.27.3",
+    "rollup": "^4.38.0",
+    "tslib": "^2.8.1",
+    "typescript": "^5.7.3",
+    "vitest": "^3.0.5"
+  },
+  "peerDependencies": {
+    "react": ">=18"
+  }
+}

packages/plugins/examples/plugin-authoring-smoke-example/rollup.config.mjs

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+import { nodeResolve } from "@rollup/plugin-node-resolve";
+import typescript from "@rollup/plugin-typescript";
+import { createPluginBundlerPresets } from "@paperclipai/plugin-sdk/bundlers";
+
+const presets = createPluginBundlerPresets({ uiEntry: "src/ui/index.tsx" });
+
+function withPlugins(config) {
+  if (!config) return null;
+  return {
+    ...config,
+    plugins: [
+      nodeResolve({
+        extensions: [".ts", ".tsx", ".js", ".jsx", ".mjs"],
+      }),
+      typescript({
+        tsconfig: "./tsconfig.json",
+        declaration: false,
+        declarationMap: false,
+      }),
+    ],
+  };
+}
+
+export default [
+  withPlugins(presets.rollup.manifest),
+  withPlugins(presets.rollup.worker),
+  withPlugins(presets.rollup.ui),
+].filter(Boolean);

packages/plugins/examples/plugin-authoring-smoke-example/src/manifest.ts

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+import type { PaperclipPluginManifestV1 } from "@paperclipai/plugin-sdk";
+
+const manifest: PaperclipPluginManifestV1 = {
+  id: "paperclipai.plugin-authoring-smoke-example",
+  apiVersion: 1,
+  version: "0.1.0",
+  displayName: "Plugin Authoring Smoke Example",
+  description: "A Paperclip plugin",
+  author: "Plugin Author",
+  categories: ["connector"],
+  capabilities: [
+    "events.subscribe",
+    "plugin.state.read",
+    "plugin.state.write"
+  ],
+  entrypoints: {
+    worker: "./dist/worker.js",
+    ui: "./dist/ui"
+  },
+  ui: {
+    slots: [
+      {
+        type: "dashboardWidget",
+        id: "health-widget",
+        displayName: "Plugin Authoring Smoke Example Health",
+        exportName: "DashboardWidget"
+      }
+    ]
+  }
+};
+
+export default manifest;

packages/plugins/examples/plugin-authoring-smoke-example/src/ui/index.tsx

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+import { usePluginAction, usePluginData, type PluginWidgetProps } from "@paperclipai/plugin-sdk/ui";
+
+type HealthData = {
+  status: "ok" | "degraded" | "error";
+  checkedAt: string;
+};
+
+export function DashboardWidget(_props: PluginWidgetProps) {
+  const { data, loading, error } = usePluginData<HealthData>("health");
+  const ping = usePluginAction("ping");
+
+  if (loading) return <div>Loading plugin health...</div>;
+  if (error) return <div>Plugin error: {error.message}</div>;
+
+  return (
+    <div style={{ display: "grid", gap: "0.5rem" }}>
+      <strong>Plugin Authoring Smoke Example</strong>
+      <div>Health: {data?.status ?? "unknown"}</div>
+      <div>Checked: {data?.checkedAt ?? "never"}</div>
+      <button onClick={() => void ping()}>Ping Worker</button>
+    </div>
+  );
+}

packages/plugins/examples/plugin-authoring-smoke-example/src/worker.ts

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+import { definePlugin, runWorker } from "@paperclipai/plugin-sdk";
+
+const plugin = definePlugin({
+  async setup(ctx) {
+    ctx.events.on("issue.created", async (event) => {
+      const issueId = event.entityId ?? "unknown";
+      await ctx.state.set({ scopeKind: "issue", scopeId: issueId, stateKey: "seen" }, true);
+      ctx.logger.info("Observed issue.created", { issueId });
+    });
+
+    ctx.data.register("health", async () => {
+      return { status: "ok", checkedAt: new Date().toISOString() };
+    });
+
+    ctx.actions.register("ping", async () => {
+      ctx.logger.info("Ping action invoked");
+      return { pong: true, at: new Date().toISOString() };
+    });
+  },
+
+  async onHealth() {
+    return { status: "ok", message: "Plugin worker is running" };
+  }
+});
+
+export default plugin;
+runWorker(plugin, import.meta.url);

packages/plugins/examples/plugin-authoring-smoke-example/tests/plugin.spec.ts

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+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { createTestHarness } from "@paperclipai/plugin-sdk/testing";
+import manifest from "../src/manifest.js";
+import plugin from "../src/worker.js";
+
+describe("plugin scaffold", () => {
+  it("registers data + actions and handles events", async () => {
+    const harness = createTestHarness({ manifest, capabilities: [...manifest.capabilities, "events.emit"] });
+    await plugin.definition.setup(harness.ctx);
+
+    await harness.emit("issue.created", { issueId: "iss_1" }, { entityId: "iss_1", entityType: "issue" });
+    expect(harness.getState({ scopeKind: "issue", scopeId: "iss_1", stateKey: "seen" })).toBe(true);
+
+    const data = await harness.getData<{ status: string }>("health");
+    expect(data.status).toBe("ok");
+
+    const action = await harness.performAction<{ pong: boolean }>("ping");
+    expect(action.pong).toBe(true);
+  });
+});

packages/plugins/examples/plugin-authoring-smoke-example/tsconfig.json

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+{
+  "compilerOptions": {
+    "target": "ES2022",
+    "module": "NodeNext",
+    "moduleResolution": "NodeNext",
+    "lib": [
+      "ES2022",
+      "DOM"
+    ],
+    "jsx": "react-jsx",
+    "strict": true,
+    "skipLibCheck": true,
+    "declaration": true,
+    "declarationMap": true,
+    "sourceMap": true,
+    "outDir": "dist",
+    "rootDir": "."
+  },
+  "include": [
+    "src",
+    "tests"
+  ],
+  "exclude": [
+    "dist",
+    "node_modules"
+  ]
+}

packages/plugins/examples/plugin-authoring-smoke-example/vitest.config.ts

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+import { defineConfig } from "vitest/config";
+
+export default defineConfig({
+  test: {
+    include: ["tests/**/*.spec.ts"],
+    environment: "node",
+  },
+});