Create a Liberty feature using developer tools

We can use the WebSphere Application Server Developer Tools to write our own features and install them into an existing Liberty server, or to package them for delivery to our users.

To develop a Liberty feature in the WebSphere Application Server Developer Tools, we create a Liberty feature project and target it to the WebSphere Application Server Liberty version 8.5.5 or later.

You add OSGi bundles that contain classes and services that implement the function provided by our Liberty feature. If the feature provides any API packages to OSGi applications, or SPI packages to features in other product extensions, we can declare those packages in the Liberty feature manifest file.

We can export our Liberty feature as a compressed file that can be extracted over an existing WebSphere Application Server Liberty to extend its capabilities.

For more information on creating Liberty features, see Product extension.

Create a Liberty feature using WebSphere Application Server Developer Tools is described in more detail in the following subtopics:

Create a Liberty feature project
To develop a Liberty feature using the WebSphere Application Server developer tools, create a Liberty feature project in your workspace.
Add OSGi bundles to a Liberty feature project
A Liberty feature includes OSGi bundles that contain classes and services. The classes and services implement the functions that the Liberty feature provides. We can include OSGi bundles in a Liberty feature that was created with the WebSphere Application Server Developer Tools by adding the bundles to the corresponding Liberty feature project.
Specifying API and SPI packages for a Liberty feature project
Use the Liberty feature manifest file to declare which packages we want to share as an API or SPI with other applications and features in the Liberty runtime environment.
Install a Liberty feature to Liberty V8.5.5
When you develop a Liberty feature using the WebSphere Application Server Developer Tools, we need to create a Liberty feature project that packages the Liberty feature. We can use the workbench to install Liberty features to Liberty runtime environments and enable installed features using the server configuration editor. Changes to features already installed on Liberty can be pushed to all respective runtime environments using the Update Feature menu option in the workbench.
Manually installing a Liberty feature to Liberty V8.5 or earlier
When you develop a Liberty feature using the WebSphere Application Server Developer Tools, we create a Liberty feature project that packages the Liberty feature in a compressed file. To install the Liberty feature, we must extract the contents of the compressed file to the Liberty environment.
Add OSGi metatype descriptions to a Liberty feature project
We can add OSGi metatype descriptions to a Liberty feature that was created with the WebSphere Application Server Developer Tools by creating a metatype XML file. We can package that file in an OSGi bundle project.

Parent topic: Develop a Liberty feature for Liberty