Alfred Bundler

Terminology

Asset: A generic term for anything that the bundler will download or create. Asset includes (not an exhaustive list): icons, icns files, utilities, Composer packages, generic libraries, PyPi packages, Python modules, Ruby libraries, Ruby gems.
Backend: Either the Bundler as a whole or the main file that the bundlet loads to access the functionality of the Bundler.
Bonus functions: Internal methods or functions that are necessary for the bundler to function but have been exposed for general use.
Bonus methods: Class based bonus functions. Available only in class-based implementations of the Bundler (PHP and Ruby).
Bundler: The "Bundler" is the entire bundler system. It is a generic term that includes all of the specific language implementations of the bundler as well as all supporting scripts.
Bundlers: When plural, the bundlers refer to the language-specific implementations of the bundler framework.
Bundler Instance: An object instance of the bundler. The instance exists only in implementations that are built on classes, currently: PHP and Ruby.
Bundlet: The entry-point to use the bundler. Specifically, a bundlet is the file that the workflow author includes to use the bundler. A different bundlet exists for Bash, PHP, Python, and Ruby. To use the Bundler framework, you should include the bundlet that your workflow is written in. If you want to use the bundler framework and are writing in a language that has not been implemented, then you can make limited use of the Bundler framework through the Bash bundlet. Note: in Aries, the bundlets were called wrappers.
Cache Directory: The bundler's directory for generated content and temporary files. Located at: ~/Library/Caches/com.runningwithcrayons.Alfred-2/Workflow Data/alfred.bundler-{major-version}. Major versions are lowercased names.
Caches: The different caches that the bundler uses. See: Cache Directory.
Color Cache: The set of files that translate a color value to its lighter or darker version.
Composer: Composer is a PHP dependency manager that interacts, mainly, with Packagist
Data Directory: The place where the Bundler saves all data that has been downloaded as well as "meta" files. Located at: ~/Library/Application Support/Alfred 2/Workflow Data/alfred.bundler-{major version}. Major versions are lowercased names.
Gatekeeper: Apple's security protocol that prevents unsigned applications from being opened unless white-listed. The Bundler will whitelist apps so that Gatekeeper will allow their use. Note: users must authorize whitelisting with an Administrator password.
Gem: A Ruby package. Gems are, by default, pulled from Rubygems.
Generated Asset: An asset that the Bundler generates rather than downloads.
Icon Server: An external server that has been setup as an endpoint to return icons to the Bundler.
Implementation: The language-specific form of the Bundler. Each of these relates to the bundlets, and each "backend" behaves differently in order to work with the specific language.
Instance: An instantiated object of the bundler in class-based implementations of the Bundler (PHP and Ruby).
Major Version: A named version of the Bundler (all are star-signs). Each major version has a consistent user-facing API. See the versioning page.
Minor Version: Subversions of a major version. Each minor version will not break the major version's API. Minor versions may included extended functionality or bug fixes / optimizations.
Library: A generic file that contains functions or classes that can be `included` or `required`. Pertains, mostly, to PHP and Bash.
LightOrDark: A command line utility used to determine the "value" of the background of the current Alfred theme.
Log Instance: An log object that has been instantiated in a class-based implementation of the Bundler (PHP and Ruby).
Path Cache: Paths to applications that have already been whitelisted with Gatekeeper.
Pip: The utility that the Python implementation uses to load Python dependencies.
Registry: Technically, the registry.json file maintained by the bundler. Whenever a workflow calls an asset, it is recorded so as to track just which assets are used. Icons are not registered. PyPi packages, Composer Packages, and Gems are not registered either, but the way the bundler treats them implies a registry.
Requirements.txt: The file needed for the Python bundler to download and install package dependencies.
Spctl: The command line utility used to whitelist apps with Gatekeeper.
Update Cache: An internal value of when the bundler last checked for a new minor version.
Utility: An application (command line utility or `.app` app) that needs to be invoked via a system command. Examples: CocoaDialog, Pashua, Terminal-Notifier.
Wrapper: A simplified method to interact with certain assets. Generally, these are utilities (currently: CocoaDialog and Terminal Notifier), and the wrappers provide ways to use these assets without the need to send system commands.

Terminology

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