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Creating your first plugin with Plugin Builder<\/a><\/li>
What is Plugin Builder?<\/a><\/li>
Installing Plugin Builder<\/a><\/li>
Launching the creation wizard<\/a><\/li>
General plugin information<\/a>
- Plugin name and description<\/a><\/li>
- Version and author<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Important technical settings<\/a>
  - Choosing a template<\/a><\/li>
  - Options to disable when starting<\/a><\/li>
  - Plugin class<\/a><\/li>
  - Menu and icon<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
  - Generating the plugin<\/a><\/li>
  - Where should the plugin be placed?<\/a><\/li>
  - Activating the plugin in QGIS<\/a><\/li>
  - Understanding what Plugin Builder created<\/a><\/li>
  - Common beginner mistakes<\/a><\/li>
  - What you have learned<\/a><\/li>
  - What\u2019s next?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n
    <\/span>Creating your first plugin with Plugin Builder<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    In the first article, we explained what QGIS plugins are used for and which files they are made of. Now it\u2019s time to move on to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    The objective of this article is simple: create a functional QGIS plugin without writing complex code<\/strong>, in order to understand the basic development cycle of a plugin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    To do this, we will use an essential tool for beginners: Plugin Builder<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n
    <\/span>What is Plugin Builder?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    Plugin Builder is an official QGIS plugin that automatically generates the skeleton of a QGIS plugin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    It creates for you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    \n
    the folder structure,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    the essential Python files,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    the `metadata.txt<\/code> file,<\/li>\n\n\n\n`
    `a plugin that can be immediately loaded into QGIS.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nPlugin Builder helps avoid common beginner mistakes and allows you to focus on what really matters: understanding and modifying an existing plugin<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n`
    <\/span>Installing Plugin Builder<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
    Open QGIS<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    Go to Plugins \u2192 Manage and Install Plugins<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    Search for Plugin Builder<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    Install it<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    Once installed, Plugin Builder is available from the Plugins<\/strong> menu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n
    <\/span>Launching the creation wizard<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
    Go to Plugins \u2192 Plugin Builder \u2192 Plugin Builder<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    The creation wizard opens<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    You will need to fill in several fields. Don\u2019t worry: some of them are purely descriptive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n
    <\/span>General plugin information<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    <\/span>Plugin name and description<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \n
    Plugin name<\/strong>: a user-friendly name (e.g. MyFirstPlugin<\/em>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    Description<\/strong>: a short sentence explaining what the plugin does<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    These details will appear in the QGIS Plugin Manager.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n
    <\/span>Version and author<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \n
    Version<\/strong>: start simply with `0.1<\/code><\/li>\n\n\n\n`
    Author<\/strong>: your name or your organization\u2019s name<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n<\/span>Important technical settings<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Choosing a template<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nPlugin Builder offers several templates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For beginners, it is strongly recommended<\/strong> to choose:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Template: Tool button with dialog<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This template is the most educational because:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nit creates a toolbar button in QGIS,<\/li>\n\n\n\n it prepares a simple graphical dialog,<\/li>\n\n\n\n it matches the structure of most common plugins.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nIt will serve as a solid foundation for the next articles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n<\/span>Options to disable when starting<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nFor a first plugin, it is recommended to disable all advanced options<\/strong>, especially:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nInternationalization (translations)<\/li>\n\n\n\n Help (embedded documentation)<\/li>\n\n\n\n Unit testing<\/li>\n\n\n\n Advanced packaging<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nThese features are useful for mature plugins, but they unnecessarily complicate the structure for beginners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We will come back to them later, once the basics are well understood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n<\/span>Plugin class<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nPlugin Builder asks for the name of the main plugin class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nPlugin name: MyFirstPlugin<\/code><\/li>\n\n\n\n Class: MyFirstPlugin<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nBy convention, using the same name and capitalization helps avoid confusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n<\/span>Menu and icon<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nYou can specify:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nthe menu where the plugin will appear (usually Plugins<\/strong>),<\/li>\n\n\n\n an icon (optional at this stage).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nThese choices can easily be changed later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n<\/span>Generating the plugin<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOnce all fields are filled:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nClick Generate<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n Choose the destination folder<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\nPlugin Builder automatically creates the plugin folder with all required files.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n<\/span>Where should the plugin be placed?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nFor QGIS to detect the plugin, it must be located in the user plugins directory<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Depending on your system:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nWindows<\/strong> C:\/Users\/...\/AppData\/Roaming\/QGIS\/QGIS3\/profiles\/default\/python\/plugins<\/code><\/li>\n\n\n\n Linux<\/strong> ~\/.local\/share\/QGIS\/QGIS3\/profiles\/default\/python\/plugins<\/code><\/li>\n\n\n\n macOS<\/strong> ~\/Library\/Application Support\/QGIS\/QGIS3\/profiles\/default\/python\/plugins<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n Tip: Plugin Builder usually suggests the correct folder by default.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n<\/span>Activating the plugin in QGIS<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\nOpen Plugins \u2192 Manage and Install Plugins<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n Go to the Installed<\/strong> tab<\/li>\n\n\n\n Check your plugin<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\nIf everything went well, the plugin appears in the menu and can be activated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n At this stage, the plugin does almost nothing\u2026 and that\u2019s perfectly normal.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n<\/span>Understanding what Plugin Builder created<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nBefore going any further, take some time to open the generated files:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ninit.py<\/code><\/li>\n\n\n\n metadata.txt<\/code><\/li>\n\n\n\n the main Python file<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nYou should now recognize the elements described in the previous article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n<\/span>Common beginner mistakes<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\nThe plugin does not appear \u2192 wrong folder<\/li>\n\n\n\n Error when loading \u2192 incorrect class name or capitalization<\/li>\n\n\n\n QGIS refuses the plugin \u2192 incorrect minimum QGIS version<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nThese errors are normal and part of the learning process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n<\/span>What you have learned<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nBy the end of this article, you now know how to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ninstall Plugin Builder,<\/li>\n\n\n\n generate an empty QGIS plugin,<\/li>\n\n\n\n install it locally,<\/li>\n\n\n\n activate it in QGIS.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nYou have crossed an important milestone: you are officially a QGIS plugin developer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n<\/span>What\u2019s next?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn the next article<\/a>, we will see:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nhow to add a button to QGIS,<\/li>\n\n\n\n how to display a simple dialog window,<\/li>\n\n\n\n how to structure the code without getting lost.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n A plugin that does nothing today can become a powerful tool tomorrow.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Creating a QGIS plugin is much easier than it may seem, especially when you are new to programming. Thanks to Plugin Builder, you can generate the complete structure of a QGIS plugin in just a few…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16328,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3394,1377],"tags":[4141,4143,4139,4137,4115,4145],"class_list":["post-16360","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pluigin-en","category-qgis-en","tag-develop-qgis-plugin","tag-qgis-plugin-beginner","tag-qgis-plugin-builder","tag-qgis-plugin-development","tag-qgis-plugin-tutorial","tag-qgis-python-plugin"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t

<\/span>Installing Plugin Builder<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\nOpen QGIS<\/li>\n\n\n\nGo to Plugins \u2192 Manage and Install Plugins<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\nSearch for Plugin Builder<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n