| # Developers' Guide |
| |
| ## Steps to get an operational virtual environment: |
| |
| 1. `git clone https://github.com/apache/skywalking-python.git` |
| 1. Run the script(`setup-linux.sh`, `setup-windows.ps1`) for your relevant OS to create a virtual environment folder in the project root |
| (*skywalking-python/venv*) and install all the necessary requirements |
| 1. Set up your IDE to use the generated virtual environment of Python |
| |
| ## Developing a new plugin |
| |
| You can always take [the existing plugins](../skywalking/plugins) as examples, while there are some general ideas for all plugins. |
| 1. A plugin is a module under directory [`skywalking/plugins/`](../skywalking/plugins) with an `install` method; |
| 1. Inside the `install` method, you find out the relevant method(s) of the libraries that you plan to instrument, and create/close spans before/after those method(s). |
| 1. Every plugin requires a corresponding test under [`tests/plugin`](../tests/plugin) before it can be merged, refer to [the plugin test guide](PluginTest.md) when writing a plugin test. |
| 1. Update [the supported list](Plugins.md). |
| 1. Add the environment variables to [the list](EnvVars.md) if any. |
| |
| ## Steps after coding |
| |
| If your PR introduces the need for a new non-standard library which needs to be pulled via pip or if it removes the need for a previously-used library: |
| 1. Execute the [`build_requirements` script](../tools/env/build_requirements_linux.sh) relevant to your OS. |
| 1. Double check the `requirements.txt` file in the project root to ensure that the changes have been reflected. |
