Node Dev Guideline

※ This page is for discussing how to make Node Development Guideline.
※ Please do not edit this page.
※ If you have any opinions or ideas, please share on Slack # docs.
※ If you want to add something new, please write and share it.
※ This discussion will be reflected ideas from users once at the end of February.
※ After reflection, we will review the page and finish this discussion around March 10.

This page is for discussing about enhancing Creating Nodes. Although the existing “Creating Nodes” covers developing process and development guides, more extra practices can also be added.

We are writing our practices that can be added into “Creating Nodes” in this wiki page. If you have comments and ideas, please let us know them on Slack # docs

Table of Contents

• Naming rules
• Testing
• Node Generator

Naming rules

Description about contents

If the category name or node name of your node is exactly the same as that of other developers, one of them cannot be displayed on the palette. Therefore, names of nodes need to be unique.

In addition, developers of a node have to consider some points about the appearance of the node. For example, when category name and node name are similar to ones made by other developers, it is difficult for other users to distinguish them. Also, too long names reduce visibility.

This section will describe a recommended naming rule for these problems.

There are two policies. Firstly, the node’s name should be able to be distinguished with category name/ node name. (but do not name it according to icon or color). And make the name as short as possible.

• Only verbs
• Only nouns
• Verbs and nouns·The first letter of a word is lowercase.
• Put a space between the word and the word.

It must be uniquely identifiable together with category name and node name. And it is recommended that the node name be short so that the whole can be seen at a glance. And this part introduces bad cases also.

Position to add

Creating Nodes
-> Packaging

Testing

There are contents about tests on Creating Nodes arleady. However, we thought the official documents can be enhanced more as adding this part.

Description about contents

This chapter decribes some points to be noted in automatic and manual tests.

-Precondition -Preparing the environment -Libraries required -Multilingualization

Position to add

Creating Nodes
-> Creating your first node

or

Creating Nodes
-> Creating your first node -> Testing your node in Node-RED(add as “Note”)

Creating Nodes
-> Creating your first node -> Unit Testing(add as “Note”)

Node Generator

Description about contents

Our company's(Hitachi, Ltd.) researchers have developed a new feature of Node-RED. This feature allows developers to create new nodes easily by using function node. This will help to both professional and less experienced developers.

This chapter will describe the guide for using feature named Node Generator.

Flow for developing a new node from a Swagger file

Generate a new node by using a node generator command

Add a node description, test cases, etc.

Position to add

Creating Nodes
-> Node Generator(This chapter will be added as new table on the sidebar)