The file io-package.json

Besides the usualpackage.json Each adapter contains a second file: theio-package.json It contains everything ioBroker needs to know about the adapter that npm doesn't care about. This determines the entry in the adapter list, the instance objects, the icons on the tile, and the startup behavior.

The Adapter Creator sets them up completely. Anyone who later modifies them manually should know what the fields do.

The file has few blocks at the top level:

block	Contents
`common`	The main part: name, operating mode, interface, dependencies.
`native`	The configuration defaults. At runtime as`this.config.<feld>` readable.
`encryptedNative`	fields from`native` , which are stored in encrypted form.
`protectedNative`	fields from`native` , which only the adapter itself is allowed to read.
`objects`	Objects that are created once per system.
`instanceObjects`	Objects that are created with each new instance.
`notifications`	Custom notification categories. See Notifications .

The fields that matter

identifier

common.name is the adapter name without the prefaceioBroker. It is written in lowercase. It is the identifier everywhere: in the object tree, in the npm package, in the repository. It cannot be changed later.

common.titleLang is the display name, multilingual.common.desc The short description, also multilingual.

common.version must be switched to the version in thepackage.json They fit. The adapter checker verifies this.

Operating mode

common.mode Determines how ioBroker starts the instance:

mode	Behave
`daemon`	It runs continuously. It restarts when the process ends. This is the normal behavior.
`schedule`	It runs according to a schedule; the schedule is stored in the instance object and can be changed in the admin panel.
`once`	It runs once after every change to the instance object and is not restarted afterwards.
`subscribe`	Starts when`.alive` It is set to true, and ends when it goes to false.
`extension`	It is not started by ioBroker, but loaded from a web instance. This is how it works.`simple-api` and similar extensions.
`none`	It doesn't start any process at all.

Atschedule The default setting belongs tocommon.schedule as a CRON expression.

common.compact This allows the instance to run in the same process as others. On small computers, this noticeably saves memory, but requires the adapter to completely clean up upon termination.

surface

common.adminUI.config says what the configuration looks like:

json The adapter bringsadmin/jsonConfig.json with. Today's route.
materialize : the oldadmin/index_m.html .
html : the even olderadmin/index.html .
none The adapter has no configuration.

common.icon is the symbol in the folderadmin ,common.extIcon its address on GitHub, so that the adapter list can also display it for uninstalled adapters.

What controls the symbols on the tile

The small characters under the adapter name in the admin panel come from this file:

common.connectionType :local orcloud Whether the adapter communicates directly with the device or via a service provided by the manufacturer.
common.dataSource :push ,poll orassumption Whether values are generated automatically, queried, or merely assumed.
common.plugins.sentry Enables crash notifications. See Crash Notifications .

These three pieces of information are often forgotten. They only take three lines and save users from having to ask a question in the forum.

Dependencies

common.dependencies names what must be present on the same host, for example[{"js-controller": ">=5.0.19"}] .common.globalDependencies names what needs to run somewhere in the system, typically[{"admin": ">=6.0.0"}] .

common.osDependencies.linux lists operating system packages that are installed during installation.

Configuration values

Everything undernative This is the default configuration setting. At runtime, it is as follows:this.config.<feld> ready.

Every password and every access credential belongs in both lists:encryptedNative andprotectedNative The first setting ensures that the value is encrypted in the database, the second prevents any other adapter from reading it. Setting only one setting creates a vulnerability.

Example from BackItUp:

"encryptedNative": ["cifsPassword", "ftpPassword", "webdavPassword"],
"protectedNative": ["cifsPassword", "ftpPassword", "webdavPassword"]

Objects that arise spontaneously

instanceObjects This is a list of objects that ioBroker creates with each new instance. This is the clean way to handle anything that should always be there anyway, such as the branch.info with the connection status:

"instanceObjects": [
  {
    "_id": "info",
    "type": "channel",
    "common": { "name": "Information" },
    "native": {}
  },
  {
    "_id": "info.connection",
    "type": "state",
    "common": {
      "role": "indicator.connected",
      "name": "Verbindung zum Gerät",
      "type": "boolean",
      "read": true,
      "write": false,
      "def": false
    },
    "native": {}
  }
]

?>info.connection This is more than just decorative: The administrator colors the instance green or yellow afterward, and other adapters can react accordingly. An adapter establishing a connection should be in this state.

News

common.messagebox: true Creates a message box for each instance. Without this entry, no message will arrive.sendTo See Inter-Instance Messages .

Translations

All multilingual fields are not maintained manually. The project includes...@iobroker/adapter-dev , and the appeal

npm run translate

translates the new English texts from theio-package.json and from the i18n files into all supported languages. New texts are therefore only entered in English ; the command handles the rest.

The complete list

This chapter lists the fields you will need in everyday use. The complete list of all attributes and their special cases can be found in the object schema .