Publishing a SAMSON Extension

This page covers the publication workflow for a finished extension.

The process has two distinct parts:

1. package the built extension into the format expected by SAMSON Connect
2. upload that package and complete the extension metadata online

Use this page when your extension already builds and runs locally and you are preparing a release.

Step 1: Packaging a SAMSON Extension

SAMSON SDK provides the SAMSON SDK Extension packager, which prepares an uploadable package for SAMSON Connect.

Before you start:

• install the packager extension
• restart SAMSON if needed so the packager is available
• make sure the extension version you want to ship is already built and installed locally

In the SAMSON menu, go to Home > Apps > Developer > Package my extension.

Click Find my developed extensions. The packager scans your local development environment and lists the extensions it can package.

The scan results are split into two tabs:

• Valid: extensions that can be packaged immediately
• Error: extensions with missing or inconsistent metadata or build artifacts

Select the extension you want to package. The right-hand pane shows a summary so you can confirm you picked the correct one. You can also package several extensions in one pass.

In the Settings tab, choose the destination folder where packaged output should be written.

Click Pack. The selected extensions are written to the destination folder and listed in the Selection tab. The information box shows the output path.

The generated folder contains the packaged extension and some helpful template assets for publication, such as example image sizes.

The file you upload to SAMSON Connect is stored in a path like SAMSON_11.0.1/YourOS/11.0.1/ and is named with the extension UUID.

Step 2: Uploading a SAMSON Extension

Once you have the packaged file, switch to SAMSON Connect.

Sign in, open Account > Developed extension, then click Upload new extension and choose the packaged file.

If the package is valid, SAMSON Connect shows the extension information it extracted from the file. Verify it before continuing.

You can then upload images, add collaborators, and continue through the release form. These steps can also be completed later.

After the upload, the extension appears in Developed extension as a draft.

Open the extension entry and complete the public metadata:

• public name
• description, written in Markdown
• images and supporting material
• collaborators, if any
• access policy

Available access policies are:

• public: visible to everybody
• hidden: visible to people who know the URL
• shared: visible only to users you specify
• private: visible only to you

You can also restrict the extension to academic users only.

If you are uploading an update or a platform-specific build, use Add new version. To make existing users receive the update automatically, increase the extension version number in the descriptor header (SB_ELEMENT_VERSION_NUMBER) before packaging.

Click Submit to send the extension for review.

Once approved, the status changes from draft to published, and users can access it according to the access policy and platform compatibility you specified.

Practical release checklist

Before you submit a release, verify:

• the extension version number was increased if this is an update
• the packaged file corresponds to the intended SDK version and platform
• icons, screenshots, and description are up to date
• citations and references are present if the extension depends on published work

See Cite your research for the citation and documentation side of the release.