Package Manager
Visual package browsing
Card-based UI for discovering and installing JobFlow Pro packages. Replacing text lists with visual cards.
Why We're Building This
"The default package manager shows plain text lists. I can't tell what packages do without clicking through each one."
The default package manager is functional but basic. Text lists make it hard to browse. No visual previews. No rich metadata. No smart caching means slow loading.
We wanted something modern - visual cards showing what each package does, smart caching for speed, better search and filtering. Like browsing an app store instead of reading a phone book.
What It Will Become
Planned Features:
- Visual Cards: See package descriptions, screenshots, ratings
- Smart Caching: localStorage with TTL for fast browsing
- Advanced Search: Filter by category, tags, keywords
- One-Click Install: Streamlined installation workflow
- Dependency Preview: See what else gets installed
- Multi-Registry: Support for multiple package sources
Current Capabilities:
- Menu integration ("Manage Packages" replaces "Manage Palette")
- Full-screen modal UI framework
- Smart caching layer with TTL
- Modular architecture ready for features
Try the Early Version
You can install the current Phase 2 build to see progress. The UI framework is complete, browsing functionality is being added.
# Install current version cd ~/.node-red npm install @fierylab.io/fiery-contrib-plugin-package-manager node-red-restart
What Works Now:
- Menu item appears under "Manage Packages"
- Full-screen modal opens
- ESC key closes the modal
- Caching layer is functional
What's Coming:
- Card grid with package visualizations
- Search and filter controls
- Package installation (Phase 3)
Follow Development Progress
This is an active experiment. Features are being added regularly.