Files
paperclip/adapter-plugin.md
HenkDz 14d59da316 feat(adapters): external adapter plugin system with dynamic UI parser
- Plugin loader: install/reload/remove/reinstall external adapters
  from npm packages or local directories
- Plugin store persisted at ~/.paperclip/adapter-plugins.json
- Self-healing UI parser resolution with version caching
- UI: Adapter Manager page, dynamic loader, display registry
  with humanized names for unknown adapter types
- Dev watch: exclude adapter-plugins dir from tsx watcher
  to prevent mid-request server restarts during reinstall
- All consumer fallbacks use getAdapterLabel() for consistent display
- AdapterTypeDropdown uses controlled open state for proper close behavior
- Remove hermes-local from built-in UI (externalized to plugin)
- Add docs for external adapters and UI parser contract
2026-04-03 21:11:20 +01:00

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Markdown

- Created branch: feat/external-adapter-phase1
I started phase 1 in the most merge-friendly way I could: small central changes, reusing existing registry patterns instead of inventing a whole new plugin system up front.
What I changed
1. Server adapter registry is now mutable
Files:
- server/src/adapters/registry.ts
- server/src/adapters/index.ts
Added:
- registerServerAdapter(adapter)
- unregisterServerAdapter(type)
- requireServerAdapter(type)
Kept the existing built-in registry shape, but changed initialization so built-ins are registered into a mutable map on startup.
Why this is merge-friendly:
- existing built-in adapter definitions stay where they already are
- existing lookup helpers still exist
- no big architectural rewrite yet
1. Runtime adapter validation moved to server routes
File:
- server/src/routes/agents.ts
Added:
- assertKnownAdapterType(...)
Used it in:
- /companies/:companyId/adapters/:type/models
- /companies/:companyId/adapters/:type/detect-model
- /companies/:companyId/adapters/:type/test-environment
- POST /companies/:companyId/agents
- POST /companies/:companyId/agent-hires
- PATCH /agents/:id when adapterType is touched
Why:
- shared schemas can now allow external adapter strings
- server becomes the real source of truth for “is this adapter actually registered?”
1. Shared adapterType validation is now open-ended for inputs
Files:
- packages/shared/src/adapter-type.ts
- packages/shared/src/validators/agent.ts
- packages/shared/src/validators/access.ts
- packages/shared/src/index.ts
Changed input validation from hardcoded z.enum(AGENT_ADAPTER_TYPES) to:
- agentAdapterTypeSchema
- optionalAgentAdapterTypeSchema
These accept any non-empty string.
Important:
- I did not remove AGENT_ADAPTER_TYPES from constants
- I did not change the built-in type unions yet
- this keeps the change minimal and limits blast radius
So:
- input payloads can carry external adapter types
- actual acceptance still depends on server registry validation
1. UI adapter registry is now mutable too
Files:
- ui/src/adapters/registry.ts
- ui/src/adapters/index.ts
Added:
- registerUIAdapter(adapter)
- unregisterUIAdapter(type)
- findUIAdapter(type)
Built-ins are still registered from the same file, same pattern as server.
1. Began switching UI adapter lists toward the registry
Files:
- ui/src/adapters/metadata.ts
- ui/src/components/AgentConfigForm.tsx
- ui/src/pages/NewAgent.tsx
Changed:
- AgentConfigForm adapter list now comes from registered UI adapters via metadata helper
- NewAgent supported adapter set now derives from listUIAdapters()
Why:
- phase 1 should start reducing hardcoded UI lists
- but without rewriting every page at once
1. Tests added first, then implementation
New tests:
- server/src/__tests__/adapter-registry.test.ts
- server/src/__tests__/agent-adapter-validation-routes.test.ts
- ui/src/adapters/registry.test.ts
- packages/shared/src/adapter-types.test.ts
Small test mock fix:
- server/src/__tests__/agent-skills-routes.test.ts
Current status
The branch is created and the phase-1 code is started.
I also followed TDD in spirit:
- wrote failing tests first for missing register/unregister APIs
- then implemented the registry changes
What is not finished yet
I have not finished the green/stabilization pass yet.
I still need to:
- run the targeted tests again after the implementation changes
- fix any TS / mocking fallout
- decide how far to take phase-1 UI wiring in this branch before stopping
Also, I intentionally did not yet touch the bigger hardcoded surfaces like:
- NewAgentDialog
- OnboardingWizard
- InviteLanding
- duplicated adapterLabels maps
- plugin manifest / plugin loader adapter contributions
That is deliberate.
For merge safety, I started with the smallest useful seam:
- dynamic server registry
- dynamic UI registry
- runtime validation based on registry
- first couple of UI consumers
One note
There was already an unrelated dirty change in:
- server/scripts/dev-watch.ts
I left that alone and did not make phase-1 changes there.
Recommended next move
I should keep going on this same branch and do the stabilization pass:
1. rerun server/ui/shared targeted tests
2. fix failures
3. run typechecks
4. then extend the same registry-driven approach to the next safest UI surfaces