BigBlueButton SDK for HTML5 Client Plugins

This repository contains the SDK for developing BigBlueButton plugins. Plugins are React components that can be loaded from external sources by the BigBlueButton HTML5 client to extend its functionalities.

Examples

A variety of example implementations to manipulate different parts of the BBB client can be found in the samples folder.

Usage

This is a general instruction on how to use a plugin. For a detailed configuration example of each use case, have a look at the READMEs in the respective samples-folders.

Running the Plugin from Source

For development purposes you can run a plugin locally from source.

For example if you take the sample-action-button-dropdown-plugin, you do the following:

1. Start the development server:

   cd $HOME/src/bigbluebutton-html-plugin-sdk/samples/sample-action-button-dropdown-plugin
   npm install
   npm start

2. Add reference to it on BigBlueButton's settings.yml:

   public:
     plugins:
       - name: SampleActionButtonDropdownPlugin
         url: http://127.0.0.1:4701/static/SampleActionButtonDropdownPlugin.js

N.B.: Be aware that in this case the url is interpreted from the plugin in the browser, so the localhost is actually your local development machine.

Building the Plugin

To build a plugin for production use (again, using the example of sample-action-button-dropdown-plugin), follow these steps:

cd $HOME/src/bigbluebutton-html-plugin-sdk/samples/sample-action-button-dropdown-plugin
npm install
npm run build-bundle

The above command will generate the dist folder, containing the bundled JavaScript file named SampleActionButtonDropdownPlugin.js. This file can be hosted on any HTTPS server.

To use the plugin with BigBlueButton, add the plugin's URL to settings.yml as shown below:

public:
  app:
    ... // All app configurations
  plugins:
    - name: SampleActionButtonDropdownPlugin
      url: <<PLUGIN_URL>>
  ... // All other configurations

Hosting the Plugin on a BBB Server

While the plugin can be hosted on any Server, it is also possible to host the bundled file directly on a BigBlueButton server. For that you copy the dist/SampleActionButtonDropdownPlugin.js to the folder /var/www/bigbluebutton-default/assets/plugins. In this case, the <<PLUGIN_URL>> will be https://<your-host>/plugins/SampleActionButtonDropdownPlugin.js.

API

Extensible UI areas

Foreach of the following ui-extensible-area, we have a different setter function accessible via pluginApi.

Mind that, although each area has its own structure, all the functions follows a certain argument structure, and returns nothing, that would be:

pluginApi.setterFunctionExample([{
  objectProperty1: 'string',
  objectProperty2: 123,
}])

See, it is basicaly a function that requires an array as an argument, with which the more items you push to that array, the more of that extensible area you will have.

That being said, here are the extensible areas we have so far:

• Action bar items (button, separator)
• Action Button Dropdown Items (option, separator)
• Audio settings dropdown items (option, separator)
• Camera settings dropdown items (option, separator)
• Nav bar items (button, info)
• Presentation dropdown items (option, separator)
• Presentation toolbar items (button, separator, spinner)
• User camera settings dropdown items (option, separator)
• User list dropdown items (option, separator)
• User list item additional information (item, label)
• Floating window item (floatingWindow)
• Generic component (genericComponent)

Mind that no plugin will interfere into another's extensible area. So feel free to set whatever you need into a certain plugin with no worries.

Getters available through the API:

• getSessionToken: returns the user session token located on the user's URL.
• getJoinUrl: returns the join url associated with the parameters passed as an argument. Since it fetches the BigBlueButton API, this getter method is asynchronous.

Realtime data consumption

• useCurrentPresentation hook: provides information regarding the current presentation;
• useLoadedUserList hook: provides information regarding the loaded user list (displayed in the screen);
• useCurrentUser hook: provides information regarding the current user;
• useUsersBasicInfo hook: provides information regarding all users (only crucial information: userId, name and role);
• useLoadedChatMessages hook: provides information regarding the loaded chat messages;
• useCustomSubscription hook: with this hook, the developer can query pretty much anything graphql can provide. Note: Make sure that, on BBB version change, the custom subscriptions you make will work as expected.
• usePluginSettings hook: it provides all the specific settings regarding the current plugin it's been loaded from.
• useTalkingIndicator hook: it gives you invormation on the user-voice data, that is, who is talking or muted.
• useMeeting hook: it gives you information on the current meeting that the user is on.

So for these types of hooks, the return will follow the same structure:

export interface GraphqlResponseWrapper<TData> {
  loading: boolean;
  data?: TData;
  error?: ApolloError;
}

So we have the data, which is different for each hook, that's why it's a generic, the error, that will be set if, and only if, there is an error, otherwise it is undefined, and loading, which tells the developer if the query is still loading (being fetched) or not.

Real time data exchange

• useDataChannel hook: this will allow you to exchange information (Send and receive) amongst different users through the same plugin;

So for this hook to read the data from the data channel, the developer will be able to choose the format in which they want it.The possible formats are described down below:

• ALL_ITEMS: Fetches all items from specific data-channel and specific subchannel-name since the begining of the meeting from the newest to the latest (It can be used as a history);
• LATEST_ITEM: Fetches only the latest item pushed to the data-channel within a specific subchannel-name since the begining of the meeting;
• NEW_ITEMS: Fetches the new items pushed to the data-channel within a specific subchannel-name since the moment that the useDataChannel hook has been called (It will not see entries sent previous to that moment);

One can find examples of usage any of the plugin samples or official ones. The syntax is described ahead:

const [
  response, // Data that will be returned
  pushEntryFunction, // Function to push another item to the data-channel
  deleteEntryFunction, // Function to delete specific item or wipe all
] = useDataChannel(
  channelName, // Defined according to what is on settings.yml from bbb-htlm5
  DataChannelTypes.All_ITEMS, // | LATEST_ITEM | NEW_ITEMS -> ALL_ITEMS is default
  subChannelName = 'default', // If no subchannelName is specified, it will be 'default'
);

Wiping all data off will delete every item from the specific data-channel within the specific subchannel-name.

The data-channel name must be written in the settings.yml.

All the permission for writing and deleting must be in the yaml too just like the example below:

public:
  plugins:
    - name: PluginName
      url: http://<your-hosted-plugin>/PluginName.js
      dataChannels:
        - name: channel-name
          # writePermission options: moderator, presenter, all
          writePermission: ['moderator','presenter']
          # deletePermission options: moderator, sender, presenter, all
          deletePermission:
            - moderator
            - sender

If no permission is mentioned in the yaml (writing or deleting), no one will be able proceed with that specific action:

The pushEntryFunction has a minor detail to pay attention to, it is possible to specify the users who you want to send the item to, if none is specified, all will receive the item, such as done ahead:

pushEntryFunction(objectToBePushed: T, receivers?: ObjectTo[])
export interface ToUserId {
  userId: string;
}
export interface ToRole {
  role: DataChannelPushEntryFunctionUserRole;
}

export type ObjectTo = ToUserId | ToRole;

Real time ui data consumption

• useUiData hook: This will return certain data from the UI depending on the parameter the developer uses. It works just like the useUiEvent hook, but instead of passing a callback as a parameter to be run everytime the event occurs, it will return the data directly, keep in mind that the second parameter is the default value that this function will assume. Possible choices:
  • IntlLocaleUiDataNames.CURRENT_LOCALE;
  • ChatFormUiDataNames.CURRENT_CHAT_INPUT_TEXT;
  • ChatFormUiDataNames.CHAT_INPUT_IS_FOCUSED;
  • ExternalVideoVolumeUiDataNames.CURRENT_VOLUME_VALUE;
  • ExternalVideoVolumeUiDataNames.IS_VOLUME_MUTED;
  • UserListUiDataNames.USER_LIST_IS_OPEN;

Example of usage:

  const currentLocale = pluginApi.useUiData(IntlLocaleUiDataNames.CURRENT_LOCALE, {
    locale: 'en',
    fallbackLocale: 'en',
  });
  // Do something with the currentLocale:
  currentLocale.locale;
  currentLocale.fallbackLocale;

Mind that foreach enum we have, a different type of fallback is needed as the second argument. In the example above, we want the intl, so the second argument, will follow the structure depicted.

One other thing is that the type of the return is precisely the same type required as the second argument.

Ui Commands to automatize tasks in BBB

uiCommands object: It basically contains all the possible commands available to the developer to interact with the core BBB UI, see the ones implemented down below:

• chat:
  • form:
    • open: this function will open the sidebar chat panel automatically;
    • fill: this function will fill the form input field of the chat passed in the argument as {text: string}
• external-video:
  • volume:
    • set: this function will set the external video volume to a certain number between 0 and 1 (that is 0% and);

See usage ahead:

  pluginApi.uiCommands.chat.form.open();
  pluginApi.uiCommands.chat.form.fill({
    text: 'Just an example message filled by the plugin',
  });

So the idea is that we have a uiCommands object and at a point, there will be the command to do the intended action, such as open the chat form and/or fill it, as demonstrated above

Dom Element Manipulation

• useChatMessageDomElements hook: This hook will return the dom element of a chat message reactively, so one can modify whatever is inside, such as text, css, js, etc.;

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do I remove a certain extensible area that I don't want anymore? It is pretty simple: just set an empty array of elements of that specific extensible area. Or simply remove the specific item of the array and set the new array to that extensible area in the next iteration.

See example below:

// First iteration:
  // Define both variables:
  const dropdownToUserListItem = { ... };
  const buttonToUserListItem = { ... };
  pluginApi.setActionsBarItems([dropdownToUserListItem, buttonToUserListItem]);

// Second iteration:
  // Redefine variable(s):
  const newButtonToUserListItem = { ... };
  pluginApi.setActionsBarItems([newButtonToUserListItem]);

// Third iteration:
  // I don't want any of this extensible-area:
  pluginApi.setActionsBarItems([]);
  // All set from this plugin will disappear from the UI;

How to propperly build a plugin? Just go to your plugin folder, install dependencies and run the build command as follows:

cd my-plugin-folder/
npm i
npm run build-bundl

At this point, another folder will be created into the plugin directory called "dist/" inside of that folder you will find the plugin itself MyPlugin.js. Remember that the name of this file will be the same as defined in the webpack.config.js, such as:

module.exports = {
  // ... Other configurations
  output: {
    filename: 'MyPlugin.js'
  }
  // ... Other configurations
}

Does the builded plugin need to be in the same BBB server? No, feel free to host it anywhere you want, just make sure to point the URL from settings.ymlcorrectly.

I am making my plugin based on a sample inside the SDK, but somehow, the sample is not working properly, what do I do to run it in dev mode and make it work? Well there are several motives to why the sample is not working properly, so I will go through each one of them briefly:

• The config has not been set properly inside bbb-html5.yml, see this section to configure your plugin;
• The plugin is not even running in dev mode, it could be the port already in use, or typescript and/or javascript errors (Make sure to initialize the pluginApi as any of the samples inside a react function component);
• It could be an error with that sample indeed, or that feature the plugin uses broke (it is not usual, but can happen since BBB is constantly changing and enhancing its features with its wonderful community). If that happens, just open an issue in the SDK's github detailing the error you are facing. And thank you in advance for reporting it back to us so we can improve each time.

How to troubleshoot the plugins? See if it has loaded in the BBB, for instance. Well, each time a set of plugins are listed in the bbb-html5.yml, it will fire some logs based on the amount of plugins that it need to load inside the client. So open the console in the browser by pressing F12 key in your keyboard and search for the following log:

<ratio of loaded plugins> plugins loaded

If 1 out of 5 plugins loaded, you'll see "1/5 plugins loaded", and so on.

Also, when a plugin loaded, the client will log it's name like:

Loaded plugin MyPlugin

Sometimes, there could be the case of a plugin to not load properly and an error will log with the following message:

Error when loading plugin MyPlugin, error:  {"isTrusted":true}

In this case, the URL that leads to the plugin is not available or leads to an error. But it can log something different, so pay attention to what the error message will tell you.

Lastly, there are, of course, other scenarios and different informative logs, but these are the most common and important ones. Please contact us if you feel we left something out!