Dependencies

Dependencies are functional relationships between different code resources.

Optional dependencies

Optional dependencies are plugins, extensions, products, or third-party libraries that your code can use but does not require to work.

Generally an optional dependency means checking for the installation of another resource (i.e. plugin), and disabling or enabling features depending on its existence.

Basic plugin reference

A plugin reference field allows developers to magically reference another plugin. If the plugin is not available, the reference field will return null.

The name of the plugin reference field must match the class name of the plugin being referenced.

[PluginReference]
private Plugin EpicStuff;

private void Loaded()
{
    if (EpicStuff != null)
    {
        EpicStuff.Call("SomeMethod");
    }
}

Required dependencies

Resource requirements are plugins, extensions, products, or third-party libraries that a plugin must have in order to work.

Requirements are not optional, and the code must check for them and display a helpful error message when they are unavailable.

private void Loaded()
{
    if (EpicStuff == null)
    {
        LogError("Epic Stuff is not loaded, get it at https://umod.org");
    }
}

Hard dependencies

"Hard" dependencies are special cases where a resource (i.e. plugin) is compiled alongside another plugin and may be referenced directly (as opposed to indirectly through Oxide).

It is not recommended to use hard dependencies except when it is absolutely needed.

At the top of the plugin file, above using statements:

// Requires: EpicStuff

In the plugin body:

// EpicStuff may now be referenced directly
EpicStuff EpicStuff;

private void Loaded()
{
    EpicStuff = (EpicStuff)Manager.GetPlugin("EpicStuff");
}