How to install and activate all custom plugins with a single command in Shopware 6?

At times, when working with Shopware 6, especially in a development or QA environment, there arises a need to swiftly install and activate multiple custom plugins. Manually installing and activating each plugin can be time-consuming and error-prone.

To streamline this process, we can leverage Composer, a dependency manager for PHP, and the composer.json file to automate the installation and activation of custom plugins with just one command.

The Problem

Imagine a scenario where a Quality Assurance (QA) team needs to set up a Shopware 6 store with several custom plugins installed and activated for testing purposes. Doing this manually for each plugin is difficult and inefficient, demanding valuable time and effort.

The Solution

We can simplify this process by defining the installation and activation commands for all required plugins under the "post-install-cmd" section of the composer.json file. This way, whenever composer install is executed, Composer automatically triggers these commands, installing and activating the plugins seamlessly.

Implementation

Let’s take a look at an example composer.json snippet:

In this example:

•  "post-install-cmd" defines commands to be executed after Composer installs packages.
•  php bin/console plugin:install --activate PLUGIN_NAME installs and activates each specified plugin.
•  echo 'Shopware plugin installation completed' provides a confirmation message for the completion of the installation process.

How It Works

1.  Whenever composer install is executed, Composer processes the composer.json file.
2.  Upon successful package installation, Composer triggers the commands listed under "post-install-cmd".
3. Shopware’s console commands (plugin:install with --activate flag) are executed for each plugin specified.
4.  Once all commands are executed, a confirmation message is displayed.

Benefits

Efficiency: Saves time and effort by automating the plugin installation and activation process.

Consistency: Ensures all required plugins are installed and activated uniformly, reducing the chance of human error.

Convenience: Allows for easy management and scalability of plugin installations, especially in testing and development environments.

Conclusion

By incorporating the installation and activation commands of custom Shopware plugins into the Composer workflow. We can significantly enhance the efficiency and reliability of setting up Shopware stores. Especially in scenarios requiring the rapid deployment of multiple plugins. This approach not only streamlines the process but also promotes consistency and ease of management, ultimately contributing to a smoother development and testing experience for the Shopware developers.