ide extension: config overwrites

[felixhaeberle]

Problem

Currently, multiple plugins can define ide extension config objects which causes bugs / unexpected behavior.
Additionally, we allow users to provide their own ide extension config.

We once defined that the last one wins but we also have scenarios like:

https://github.com/inlang/inlang/blob/cb71e4e1fd334687f06e8fe03f54e0d98036b124/source-code/sdk-js-plugin/src/plugin.ts#L15

where this is not true.

Potential Solutions

@openscript 4 options

1. Plugins always overwrite the ide-extension configuration (ugly because the user should have the "power")
2. All ide-extension configurations are passed to the ide-extension. This contains decision logic. (Breaking change for all previous configs)
3. Plugins only define a configuration if no user configuration already exists. (this is currently not possible because the configuration of a plugin is evaluated as a user configuration)
4. Without breaking change you could still allow a customIdeExtension in inlang.config.js, and the IDE Extension would use it if defined – I don't like that we take the possibility away for the user to define their own config

@felixhaeberle view

1. a plugin always mirrors pretty closely what a library does. Specifically: sdk-js plugin knows which notation sdk-js library uses. Therefore: no need for the user to override it as it just works ootb.

2. Using multiple plugins that provide the same behavior makes no sense in the long run and should be avoided. The fact that the JSON plugin and the SDK plugin are currently used together is a hindrance and is not recommended in terms of separation of concerns.

Conclusion:

• The last plugin (/ user provided ide extension config) that will be defined wins

Expected behavior

tbd.

[samuelstroschein]

Last plugin wins.

The SDK-JS defining using conditional logic to define the ide extension config is a mistake. I mentioned that somewhere already.

[openscript]

Yes, we talked already about it, but there is more to discuss:

• Does the last plugin also win against the users config?

[samuelstroschein]

Does the last plugin also win against the users config?

Wait till users request the ability to overwrite plugin configs.

• vite doesn't seem to allow users to overwrite plugin configs
• introduces complexity because the user config is passed to plugins and would then need to be "used again"

[samuelstroschein]

Off-topic:

FYI @felixhaeberle Multiple statements from you are wrong:

a plugin always mirrors pretty closely what a library does. Specifically: sdk-js plugin knows which notation sdk-js library uses. Therefore: no need for the user to override it as it just works ootb.

Incorrect. The plugin JSON does not know anything about the sdk-js and vice versa.

Using multiple plugins that provide the same behavior makes no sense in the long run and should be avoided. The fact that the JSON plugin and the SDK plugin are currently used together is a hindrance and is not recommended in terms of separation of concerns.

The plugin JSON and SDK-JS plugins define different things.

The SDK-JS defines a fallback if readResources and writeResources are not defined. In theory, the SDK-JS can be used with any "resource plugin". If someone wants to use the i18next format, no problem. Use the i18next plugin with the sdk-js plugin.

[felixhaeberle]

Incorrect.

No, not incorrect - I guess you misunderstood me.
The plugin-i18next mirrors how the i18next library works like namespaces, t function syntax & more.
plugin-i18next doesn't work for example in isolation with inlang/sdk, and therefore sdk-js-plugin exists. otherwise we would have super plugin which rules them (libraries) all.

Use the i18next plugin with the sdk-js plugin.

This makes no sense because they are competing libraries.

[samuelstroschein]

You are incorrect, trust me :)

plugin-i18next doesn't work for example in isolation with inlang/sdk

It does. The plugin-sdk-js would (if fixed) overwrite the ide extension config.

Use the i18next plugin with the sdk-js plugin.
This makes no sense because they are competing libraries.

Yes and no.

Yes, the sdk-js will likely turn into a superplugin that defines everything, including a default resource format.

No, The SDK-JS is agnostic to the resource format. If someone wants to use the i18next JSON format, both plugins can be used at the same time.

[felixhaeberle]

Yes, the sdk-js will likely turn into a superplugin that defines everything, including a default resource format.

Yep 👍

It does. The plugin-sdk-js would (if fixed) overwrite the ide extension config.

Ok! Theoretically, yes, but imho, that's a scenario we should not advertise or recommend – because why should anybody use our sdk-js and i18next together? Nice that we have this possibility/flexibility because that allows every i18next user to switch to inlang with very low cost – which is a very good thing!