4.0

Plug-In Object Naming Conventions
You must follow Java class naming conventions when you name all objects in plug-ins.
IMPORTANT Because of the way in which the workflow engine performs data serialization, do not use the
following string sequences in object names. Using these character sequences in object identifiers causes the
workflow engine to parse workflows incorrectly, which can cause unexpected behavior when you run the
workflows.
n
#;#
n
#,#
n
#=#
Use these guidelines when you name objects in plug-ins.
n
Use an initial uppercase letter for each word in the name.
n
Do not use spaces to separate words.
n
For letters, only use the standard characters A to Z and a to z.
n
Do not use special characters, such as accents.
n
Do not use a number as the first character of a name.
n
Where possible, use fewer than 10 characters.
Table 7-1 shows rules that apply to individual object types.
Table 7-1. Plug-In Object Naming Rules
Object Type Naming Rules
Plug-In
n
Defined in the <module> element in the vso.xml file.
n
Must adhere to Java class naming conventions.
n
Must be unique. You cannot run two plug-ins with the same name in an Orchestrator server.
Finder object
n
Defined in the <finder> elements in the vso.xml file.
n
Must adhere to Java class naming conventions.
n
Must be unique in the plug-in.
Orchestrator adds the plug-in name and a colon to the finder object names in the finder object
types in the Orchestrator scripting API. For example, the VirtualMachine object type from the
vCenter Server plug-in appears in the Orchestrator scripting API as VC:VirtualMachine.
Scripting object
n
Defined in the <scripting-object> elements in the vso.xml file.
n
Must adhere to Java class naming conventions.
n
Must be unique in the Orchestrator server.
n
To avoid confusing scripting objects with finder objects of the same name or with scripting
objects from other plug-ins, always prefix the scripting object name with the name of the
plug-in, but do not add a colon. For example, the VirtualMachine class from the vCenter
Server plug-in appears in the Orchestrator scripting API as the VcVirtualMachine class.
File Structure of the Plug-In
A plug-in must conform to a standard file structure and must include certain specific folders and files. You
deliver a plug-in as a standard Java archive (JAR) or ZIP file, that you must rename with the .dar extension.
The contents of the DAR archive must use the folder structure and naming conventions that Table 7-2 shows.
vCenter Orchestrator Developer's Guide
150 VMware, Inc.