Arduino announced that it has released a new update to its Arduino library submissions workflow. The new update is designed to make the submissions process more efficient and transparent for its extensive open-source library system. Arduino currently has 3,780 open-source libraries, which allow users to communicate with external components as well as use algorithms for data processing without needing to write low-level code. The new Arduino Library Manager lets users instantly find, install and update both official and third-party libraries.
The original submission process required users to send a request via the Arduino IDE repository, where the issue would then be manually addressed by the Arduino team. A new official GitHub repository now makes it possible to manage and organize Arduino’s large library registry. Now, users can submit a new library through this repository by adding the URL to the list through a pull request. A bot then automates the checking process, which helps to fast-track the merging of the request. According to Arduino, a new library can now be listed in the Arduino library directory within a day. This also means it will be available in the IDE, the Arduino CLI command line tool, as well as the Web Editor.
The automated Library Manager index system is responsible for managing the data for every release of each library that is added to the Library Manager list. The system checks every repository in the Library Manager list hourly for new tags and automatically updates the logs. This index is then used by the system to provide library installations and updates while also generating automated documentation pages for the Arduino Library Reference.
New versions that are compliant according to Arduino’s library registry requirement are automatically identified and published when an existing library is indexed. This means that users will not need to perform any additional changes or actions. Users also have the option of setting preferences to display update notifications whenever a new version of any installed library on the list is available, allowing them to easily update with just a few clicks.
Some key requirements for a new library to be added to the Library Manager include:
- The library must have a library.properties file, in compliance with the Arduino Library 1.5 format.
- The library.properties file must be located in the root of the repository.
- The library must not have the same library.properties name value (regardless of case) as another library previously added to the Library Manager list.
- For third-party libraries, the name field in library.properties must not start with Arduino.
- The library repository must be hosted on a major Git-hosting website like GitHub, Bitbucket or GitLab (other hosting sites may be considered on request).
The integration of these new management tools help simplify and automate the process, making the entire system more efficient and accessible for Arduino’s community of users. According to Arduino, its team will continue monitoring the entire process to prevent abuses within the system and to ensure that assistance is always available to its users.