How does Dify's plugin system work? How to develop and use plugins to extend Dify's functionality?

Dify provides plugin extension functionality that allows developers to extend platform capabilities through plugins. Core concepts of the plugin system include:

1. Plugin Types

   • Tool Plugins: Provide additional tools and features
   • Model Plugins: Integrate new LLM models
   • Data Source Plugins: Connect to external data sources
   • Output Plugins: Customize output formats and channels

2. Plugin Development

   • Develop plugins using Python
   • Follow Dify plugin specifications
   • Implement necessary interfaces and methods
   • Provide plugin configuration interface

3. Plugin Management

   • Plugin installation and uninstallation
   • Plugin enablement and disablement
   • Plugin version management
   • Plugin dependency management

4. Common Plugin Use Cases

   • Search Tools: Google Search, Bing Search
   • Data Processing: Excel processing, PDF parsing
   • External APIs: Call third-party services
   • Message Push: Slack, DingTalk, WeChat Work

Plugin development example (Python):

python
from typing import Any, Dict
from dify_plugin import Tool

class MyCustomTool(Tool):
    def get_runtime_parameters(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
        return {
            "name": "my_tool",
            "description": "My custom tool",
            "parameters": {
                "input": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "description": "Input parameter"
                }
            }
        }
    
    def invoke(self, parameters: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
        input_data = parameters.get("input", "")
        # Processing logic
        result = f"Processed: {input_data}"
        return {"result": result}

Best practices:

• Plugins should have clear documentation and examples
• Handle errors and exceptions properly
• Provide reasonable default configurations
• Consider performance and resource consumption

Candidates should understand the basic concepts of Dify's plugin system and how to develop and use plugins to extend Dify's functionality.