Nebula Logger Plugin Development

Building Plugins for Nebula Logger

Package Compatibility

The plugin framework is only available in the unlocked package. The managed package (namespace Nebula) does not currently expose the plugin extension points.

If you plan to write plugins, install the unlocked package. See nebula-logger-install for the choice.

Note that LoggerPlugin, LoggerPlugin.Triggerable, LoggerPlugin.Batchable, LoggerTriggerableContext, and LoggerBatchableContext are all public (not global). Everywhere else in this skill collection, the guidance is "only rely on global" (see the "Supported API Surface" section of nebula-logger-instrumentation). The plugin framework is a deliberate exception: the extension points are public because they're only reachable inside the unlocked package's own compilation unit. As with any public surface, breaking changes are possible - pin plugins to a Nebula Logger version you've tested against and re-verify after upgrades.

Plugin Framework Overview

Nebula Logger's plugin framework lets you register Apex classes to run inside two extension points:

1. Trigger extension point - Runs during LoggerSObjectHandler execution on LogEntryEvent__e, Log__c, LogEntry__c, LogEntryTag__c, LoggerScenario__c, and LoggerTag__c triggers. Use this to add fields, enrich data, or send external notifications when a log is created.
2. Batch extension point - Runs during LogBatchPurger execution. Use this to archive logs to an external system, apply custom purge policies, or emit metrics on purged records before they're deleted.

Both extension points are driven by LoggerPlugin__mdt records. Adding a plugin means: writing an Apex class that implements the right interface (or both, if the plugin has trigger and batch responsibilities), then creating a LoggerPlugin__mdt record that points at it.

Strongly prefer Apex over Flow for both extension points. The framework technically supports Flow-based plugins via SObjectHandlerFlowName__c / BatchPurgerFlowName__c, but Flow support currently has known issues with no fixed ETA - it may be deprecated altogether in a future release. New plugins should implement the Apex interfaces below and leave the Flow fields on the LoggerPlugin__mdt record blank.

The Two Interfaces

Both interfaces live on LoggerPlugin in the Nebula Logger - Core package.

LoggerPlugin.Triggerable (trigger extension point)

Implement one method:

void execute(LoggerPlugin__mdt configuration, LoggerTriggerableContext input);

• configuration is the LoggerPlugin__mdt record that registered the plugin - use it to read plugin-specific settings.
• input describes the current trigger context and exposes sobjectType, triggerOperationType, triggerNew, triggerNewMap, triggerOldMap, and a triggerRecords list that pairs old/new record versions per record (populated for Flow-friendly access).

LoggerPlugin.Batchable (batch extension point)

Implement three methods matching the Database.Batchable lifecycle:

void start(LoggerPlugin__mdt configuration, LoggerBatchableContext input);
void execute(LoggerPlugin__mdt configuration, LoggerBatchableContext input, List<SObject> scopeRecords);
void finish(LoggerPlugin__mdt configuration, LoggerBatchableContext input);

scopeRecords is the current batch of records LogBatchPurger is about to process. LogBatchPurger walks the object hierarchy from the lowest level up (LogEntryTag__c, then LogEntry__c, then Log__c), filtered to records whose parent Log__c.LogRetentionDate__c is past-due. Check input.sobjectType if the plugin behavior needs to differ per object.

LoggerPlugin__mdt Configuration

Every plugin gets one LoggerPlugin__mdt record. Key fields:

Set whichever combination of the Apex class fields matches what the class implements: SObjectHandlerApexClass__c for a LoggerPlugin.Triggerable, BatchPurgerApexClass__c for a LoggerPlugin.Batchable, or both fields pointing at the same class when it implements both interfaces (like LogEntryArchivePlugin). Leave the Flow fields null.

Plugin Folder Layout

Existing plugins under nebula-logger/plugins/<name>/ follow a consistent layout. When scaffolding a new plugin, mirror it:

nebula-logger/plugins/<name>/
  plugin/
    classes/               # Apex classes (both implementation and *_Tests.cls test classes)
    customMetadata/        # LoggerPlugin.<Name>.md-meta.xml
    objects/               # Any plugin-specific custom objects/fields (optional)
    permissionsets/        # <Name>PluginAdmin.permissionset-meta.xml (optional)
    testSuites/            # <Name>Plugin.testSuite-meta.xml grouping the plugin's test classes
  README.md

Test classes live in the same plugin/classes/ folder as the code under test - they aren't split into a separate top-level tests/ folder. The Slack plugin's plugin/slack/ subfolder is a plugin-specific quirk from packaging around some shared core/main metadata; new plugins should drop the extra nesting and put everything directly under plugin/.

The LoggerPlugin.<Name>.md-meta.xml file is the registration record - populate SObjectHandlerApexClass__c and/or BatchPurgerApexClass__c per the guidance above. Existing plugins to reference:

• nebula-logger/plugins/slack/ - trigger plugin that sends Slack notifications.
• nebula-logger/plugins/log-retention-rules/ - trigger plugin that sets LogRetentionDate__c based on CMDT rules.
• nebula-logger/plugins/big-object-archiving/ - implements BOTH interfaces on a single class (LogEntryArchivePlugin) - the trigger side captures records to the big object, the batch side archives before purge.
• nebula-logger/plugins/async-failure-additions/ - adds logging for FlowExecutionErrorEvent, unexpected batch failures, and Queueable finalizers.

Ordering and Composition

• Trigger plugins run after the built-in LoggerSObjectHandler logic for that object.
• Multiple plugins on the same handler run in SObjectHandlerExecutionOrder__c order (nulls last, then by DeveloperName).
• Plugins that mutate the trigger records (adding tags, populating fields) should run before plugins that publish outbound notifications, so notifications see the enriched data.

Testing Plugins

• Ship each plugin with a matching <PluginClass>_Tests.cls alongside the implementation class in plugin/classes/.
• Add the plugin's test classes to a <Name>Plugin.testSuite-meta.xml under plugin/testSuites/ (see LoggerLogEntryArchivePlugin.testSuite-meta.xml and LoggerLogRetentionRulesPlugin.testSuite-meta.xml for the pattern). The suite becomes the target of a sf apex run test --suite-names <Name>Plugin invocation. Only the core package currently has a dedicated npm run test:apex:suite:core script; plugin suites are exercised through npm run test:apex (which runs RunLocalTests) or an ad-hoc sf apex run test --suite-names call.
• For trigger plugins, construct a LoggerTriggerableContext manually with the trigger records you want to exercise, then call execute(configuration, input) directly. Do not require a real trigger fire in tests.
• For batch plugins, construct a LoggerBatchableContext and pass a synthesized scopeRecords list. Assert on the side effects (DML, callouts via System.Test.setMock, published events).

New Plugin Checklist

Before shipping a new plugin:

1. Apex class implements at least one of LoggerPlugin.Triggerable / LoggerPlugin.Batchable - both is fine when a single class needs to react to trigger events and participate in the purge batch.
2. LoggerPlugin.<Name>.md-meta.xml exists, has IsEnabled__c=true (or false if opt-in), and populates the class-name field(s) that match the interfaces the class implements: SObjectHandlerApexClass__c for Triggerable, BatchPurgerApexClass__c for Batchable, or both fields when the class implements both interfaces.
3. <Name>PluginAdmin.permissionset-meta.xml grants full access on plugin-owned objects and CMDT.
4. <PluginClass>_Tests.cls covers happy path, empty scope, and disabled-configuration cases.
5. README.md in the plugin folder documents install steps and any prerequisites.
6. sfdx-project.json has a packageDirectories entry for the plugin so it can be built and installed as its own unlocked package.

Related Skills

• nebula-logger-console - The LoggerPlugin__mdt list view in the console is where admins toggle plugins on and off.
• nebula-logger-purging-and-retention - Where LoggerPlugin.Batchable plugins slot in.