Packaging a Module for Distribution

AuroraBackup-1.2.0.zip
 └─ coremio/
     └─ modules/
         └─ Addons/
             └─ AuroraBackup/
                 ├─ AuroraBackup.php     # the class; the loader looks for this exact name
                 ├─ config.php           # settings and meta; skipped by an update if present
                 ├─ manifest.json        # enrols the copy in the update check
                 ├─ hooks.php            # optional, loaded by the hook system
                 ├─ router.php           # optional, registers an admin page
                 ├─ AdminArea.php        # optional, the admin page itself
                 ├─ logo.png             # optional, picked up by name
                 ├─ lang/
                 │   ├─ en.php           # the fallback, always ship it
                 │   └─ tr.php
                 ├─ views/
                 │   └─ index.php
                 └─ src/
                     └─ ApiClient.php    # your own helper classes

# From the root of a clean installation, so the stored paths are root relative.
zip -r AuroraBackup-1.2.0.zip coremio/modules/Addons/AuroraBackup \
    -x '*/.git/*' '*/.DS_Store' '*/node_modules/*' '*.log' '*.map'

# Read the archive back and look at it. This is the only way to see what you
# actually shipped rather than what you meant to ship.
unzip -l AuroraBackup-1.2.0.zip

public function enable(): bool
{
    // Everything the module needs in order to exist: its tables, its notification
    // templates, its seed rows. Idempotent, because an operator can switch a module
    // off and on again as often as they like.
    $this->check_database();

    // Column repair runs after table creation, never inside it: a seed that writes a
    // column added later would die on an installation whose table predates it.
    $this->check_columns();

    // Returning false aborts the switch-on and leaves the module disabled, so use it
    // for a genuine blocker and never for a warning.
    return true;
}

<?php
require dirname(__DIR__) . '/bootstrap.php';

$type = 'Addons';
$key  = 'AuroraBackup';
$dir  = MODULE_DIR . $type . DS . $key;

$fail = [];

// 1. The four files the platform reads from fixed places.
foreach ([$key . '.php', 'config.php', 'manifest.json', 'lang' . DS . 'en.php'] as $file)
    if (!is_file($dir . DS . $file)) $fail[] = 'missing: ' . $file;

// 2. The loader's own answer, not our guess at it.
Modules::Load($type, $key, true);
$config = Modules::Config($type, $key);
if (!is_array($config)) $fail[] = 'config.php did not return an array';

// 3. Credentials that survived the build. Read the SHIPPED settings, not your notes.
foreach ((array) ($config['settings'] ?? []) as $name => $value)
    if (is_string($value) && $value !== '') $fail[] = 'setting not blank: ' . $name;

// 4. Update enrolment.
if (!ModuleUpdater::manifest($dir)) $fail[] = 'manifest.json unreadable: no updates would ever be offered';

echo $fail ? implode("\n", $fail) . "\n" : "package looks shippable\n";

// The archive handler both upload paths share. $name empty means "work the key out
// from the tree", which is why the manual path needs the full tree.
public function extract_archive($file = '', $name = '', $group = 'Addons'): string;

// Registry build: reads config.php, then lang/{active}.php with lang/en.php as the
// fallback, then includes {Name}.php unless the class is already declared.
public static function add($file, $type, $nominc = false, $status = '');
public static function Load($type = '', $name = '', $nominc = false, $status = '');

// getInstance takes the FIRST of these three class names that exists, in this order:
//   {Name}_Module  ->  {Name}  ->  WISECP\Modules\{Ucfirst Type}\{Name}
// Missing constructor arguments are padded with null, so a required parameter your
// class cannot cope with as null is a crash at instantiation, not a helpful error.
public static function getInstance(string $type, string $name, array $params = []): ?object;

// Switching an addon on. Calls activate() then enable() and writes the flag only if
// the last one returned true.
public function change_addon_status($arg = '');

// Written by the store install path, and by you inside the package for every other route.
public static function write_manifest(string $dir, array $manifest): bool;

$ unzip -l AuroraBackup-1.2.0.zip
  coremio/modules/Addons/AuroraBackup/AuroraBackup.php
  coremio/modules/Addons/AuroraBackup/config.php
  coremio/modules/Addons/AuroraBackup/manifest.json
  coremio/modules/Addons/AuroraBackup/hooks.php
  coremio/modules/Addons/AuroraBackup/logo.png
  coremio/modules/Addons/AuroraBackup/lang/en.php
  coremio/modules/Addons/AuroraBackup/lang/tr.php
  coremio/modules/Addons/AuroraBackup/views/index.php
  coremio/modules/Addons/AuroraBackup/views/unlicensed.php
  coremio/modules/Addons/AuroraBackup/src/ApiClient.php

# Nothing above coremio/modules/Addons/AuroraBackup. No .git, no node_modules,
# no temp scripts, no second archive, no storage output.

<?php
return [
    'created_at'         => 1785312000,
    'meta'               => [
        'name'         => 'Aurora Backup',
        'version'      => '1.2.0',
        'author'       => 'Aurora Systems',
        'opening-type' => 'normal',
        'icon_type'    => 'font',
        'icon'         => 'bi bi-cloud-arrow-up',
        'slug'         => 'aurora-backup',
    ],
    'show_on_adminArea'  => true,
    'show_on_clientArea' => false,

    // Ships disabled: the operator switches it on, and that is what calls enable().
    'status'             => false,
    'access_ps'          => [],

    // Every value blank. This array is written back verbatim from your disk.
    'settings'           => [
        'api_endpoint' => '',
        'api_key'      => '',
        'bucket'       => '',
    ],
];

{
    "type": "marketplace",
    "id": 42,
    "version": "1.2.0",
    "last_updated": "2026-08-03"
}