17. Packaging your configuration for XXE add-on manager
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## 17. Packaging your configuration for XXE add-on manager

Packaging your configuration for XXE add-on manager is optional[2]. However, if you deploy XXE as a desktop application, this packaging allows your users to easily install, upgrade or uninstall your configuration using menu item Options → Install Add-ons.

An add-on is simply a Zip archive ("`zip`" file extension) where all the files and directories comprising the add-on are contained in a single topmost directory. Among these files, XXE must find a single file having a "`xxe_addon`" extension. For example, let's suppose the configuration based on the XML schema is found in `xsd_section_config.zip`. Unzipping this file would give:

    C:\> unzip xsd_section_config.zip
       creating: xsd_section_config/
      inflating: xsd_section_config/common.incl
      inflating: xsd_section_config/section.xsd
      ...
      inflating: xsd_section_config/xsd_section_config.xxe_addon
      ...
      inflating: xsd_section_config/catalog.xml

File `xsd_section_config.xxe_addon` contains:

    <a:addon xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"
             xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"
             xmlns:a="http://www.xmlmind.com/xmleditor/schema/addon">
      <a:category>
        <a:configuration />
      </a:category>

      <a:name>"Simple Section (XML Schema)" Configuration</a:name>

      <a:version>1.0.0</a:version>

      <a:abstract>Part of the tutorial explaining how to write a configuration for
      XMLmind XML Editor.</a:abstract>
    </a:addon>

The easiest way to create an `.xxe_addon` file is to use XXE:

1. Download and install the add-on called "XMLmind XML Editor Configuration Pack" using Options → Install Add-ons.

2. Restart XXE as instructed.

3. Select File → New and choose XMLmind XML Editor Add-on|Single Add-on.

Make sure to carefully choose a unique, descriptive, stable name for your add-on. Changing the name of an add-on from one release to another is likely to annoy your users. For example, this breaks the upgrade facility offered by XXE add-on manager.

More information in "XMLmind XML Editor - Developer's Guide", "Packaging an add-on for XMLmind XML Editor integrated add-on manager".

[2] This is even useless if you deploy XXE as an applet or using Java™ Web Start.

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