Building Extensions #4: Uploading new extensions and updating existing extensions in Sigma

This series aims to equip developers with all they need to build extensions for Zoho Desk in Zoho Sigma and publish them in Zoho Marketplace.

Welcome back, Developers!

Following up on our previous post on building and testing new extensions for Zoho Desk, this post will guide you through the steps to bundle and publish them in Zoho Sigma, either as private or public extensions based on your requirements.

To publish your extension, the extension project must be validated and packed as a zip file. After validation, it needs to be uploaded in Sigma, a unified developer platform from Zoho. In Zoho Sigma, every developer will be allocated a designated workspace to build and host their apps developed for Zoho products.

Validating the extension

The validation process checks that the extension complies with the configuration requirements of Zoho Desk. If there are any violations, they will be detected when you execute the validate command.

You can follow these steps to validate your extension.

Open the terminal/command prompt.
Navigate to your project folder.
Execute the following command.
$ zet validate

The results of the validation process will appear. Make changes, if required. Otherwise, you can proceed with packaging.

Packaging the extension

It's important to bundle all the relevant files of the extension project for proper execution. By invoking the pack command, a distribution folder (dist) including a ZIP file will be created that holds all the static assets generated by the developer. The ZIP file will be unpacked on Zoho's servers when the html widget in rendered in the iframe.

To package your extension as a zip file, follow the below steps:

Open the terminal/command prompt.
Navigate to your project folder.
Execute the following command.
$ zet pack

The zip file for your extension will be created in the dist folder of your project.

Uploading and publishing the extension

Once the extension is validated and packed, the zip file for the extension must be uploaded to Sigma. Extensions in Sigma can be published either as Public or Private extensions. Public extensions are hosted for a wider audience, and private extensions are limited to users who have the direct URL of the extension.

Private extensions can be installed and used only with the private installation URL. This URL will be generated once the extension is published privately in Sigma. Private extensions are readily available for use and do not undergo any review and approval process by our team of experts at Zoho. Sigma will do an automated validation when publishing the extension.

Public extensions are hosted through Zoho Marketplace, where users can see your extension along with other public extensions. From Zoho Marketplace, users will be able to view, install, and use your extension. You can track the usage statistics of your extension from Sigma.

To upload the zip file for your extension project:

Go to Sigma.
Click the New Extension button.
The upload process flow begins.
Provide the required details.

Name: Name of the extension
Description: A small brief on what the extension does
Service: Choose Zoho Desk
Upload File: Browse and upload the packaged zip file

Agree to the terms and conditions.
Click Save as Draft.
The extension details page will be displayed.
Verify the details, and click Publish.
In the Extension Visibility pop-up, choose Private or Public.

If you choose Private, click Publish.
If you choose Public.
The Marketplace details page will open. Fill in the details required for publishing the extension in Zoho Marketplace.

After you upload your extension on the Sigma site, the Zoho Marketplace team reviews it for functionality and usability and provides you with feedback if any enhancements are required. Once it passes the review and functions as intended, an installation URL will be generated and the extension is made available on Zoho Marketplace.

Updating your extension

Whenever you come up with new features, enhancements to existing extensions, or bug fixes, you can update your extension and improve its functionality and performance. Each update increments the version of the extension. The zip file for the updated extension has to be submitted in Sigma again to go through the review process.

To upload the updated version of your extension, perform the following steps:

Go to Sigma.
Hover over your extension and click the Extension Details button.
The extension information form with previously filled data appears.
Click the icon under the extension name.
Browse and upload the zip file for the updated extension project.

Once uploaded, one of these two events happens:

If the extension is public, the updated version will be published in Zoho Marketplace.
If the extension is private, the updated version is approved and the installation URL is displayed on the extension details page.