Submit to Extension Index Skill

Submit an extension to the 3D Slicer Extension Index.

When to Use

• Ready to submit extension to the Slicer Extension Index
• All validation checks pass (./scripts/validate_extension.sh)

Prerequisites

Before submitting:

1. Run validation: ./scripts/validate_extension.sh
2. All checks must pass (0 failures)
3. Extension JSON file exists in repository root

Submission Steps

Step 1: Validate

./scripts/validate_extension.sh

Must show "Ready for submission!" before proceeding.

Step 2: Fork ExtensionsIndex

gh repo fork Slicer/ExtensionsIndex --clone=false

Step 3: Clone Fork and Create Branch

Get the GitHub username and extension name, then clone:

# Get values from current repo
GITHUB_USER=$(gh api user -q .login)
EXT_NAME=$(grep -oP 'project\(\K[^)]+' CMakeLists.txt)

cd /tmp
rm -rf ExtensionsIndex
gh repo clone $GITHUB_USER/ExtensionsIndex
cd ExtensionsIndex
git remote add upstream https://github.com/Slicer/ExtensionsIndex.git 2>/dev/null || true
git fetch upstream
git checkout -b add-$EXT_NAME upstream/main

Step 4: Copy JSON and Commit

# Copy from the extension repository (adjust path as needed)
cp /path/to/extension/$EXT_NAME.json .
git add $EXT_NAME.json
git commit -m "Add $EXT_NAME extension"
git push -u origin add-$EXT_NAME

Step 5: Fetch Current PR Template

CRITICAL: Always fetch the latest PR template - it may have changed!

# Fetch and save the current PR template
curl -s "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Slicer/ExtensionsIndex/main/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md" > /tmp/pr_template.md

# Review the template
cat /tmp/pr_template.md

Step 6: Create PR Body

Read the fetched template and:

1. Keep the "# New extension" section
2. Mark completed items with [x]
3. Leave incomplete items as [ ]
4. Delete sections that don't apply

DO NOT hardcode the template - always use the fetched version as the authoritative source.

Step 7: Create PR

Option A: GitHub Web Interface (Recommended)

1. Go to https://github.com/Slicer/ExtensionsIndex/compare
2. Select your fork and branch
3. The PR template will auto-populate
4. Review each checklist item and mark [x] for completed items
5. Submit the PR

Option B: CLI

# Edit /tmp/pr_template.md to mark completed items with [x]
# Then create PR:
gh pr create --repo Slicer/ExtensionsIndex \
  --title "Add $EXT_NAME extension" \
  --body-file /tmp/pr_template.md

Post-Submission

1. Wait for automated build tests
2. Respond to reviewer feedback
3. Extension appears in Extensions Manager after merge

Monitor PR: https://github.com/Slicer/ExtensionsIndex/pulls

Troubleshooting

Build Fails

Check CDash logs. Common issues:

• Missing dependencies in build_dependencies
• Wrong build_subdirectory
• CMakeLists.txt errors

Extension Not Appearing

1. Verify PR was merged
2. Use Slicer Preview Release (not Stable)
3. Clear Extensions Manager cache