sc4pac browser extension

A browser extension to integrate sc4pac to SimCity 4 file exchanges.

Description

This browser extension adds buttons to a SimCity 4 plugin page that trigger actions on sc4pac.

Package mapping sources

The mapping between exchange packages and sc4pac packages is sourced from sebamarynissen/sc4pac-helpers repository. The extension uses these lists to map exchange files to their corresponding sc4pac package ID:

• Simtropolis
• SC4Evermore
  • BSC
  • Girafe

Features

• One-click installation buttons on supported SimCity 4 exchange sites
• Direct integration with sc4pac package manager
• Settings configuration for sc4pac server connection (hostname and port)

Supported exchanges

• Simtropolis
• SC4Evermore

Each exchange provides:

• Direct download integration
• One-click installation through sc4pac
• Package dependency management

Installation

1. Download the latest release from the releases page
2. Install the extension in your browser
3. Ensure sc4pac is installed on your system and its API server is running
4. Configure the server hostname and port in the extension settings
5. Add channels in the extension settings as required

Usage

Visit a supported file exchange page to see the sc4pac integration buttons:

• View Package: Opens the package in sc4pac
• Add Package: Installs the package using sc4pac

Requirements

• sc4pac installed and working
• Modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge)

Configuration

The extension requires the following settings to connect to your sc4pac server:

• Server hostnname: The hostname where sc4pac API server is running (default: localhost)
• Port: The port number which sc4pac API server is running (default: 51515)

You can configure these settings through the extension's options page in your browser:

1. Click the extension icon in your browser
2. Select "Options" or "Settings"
3. Enter your sc4pac server hostname and port
4. Click Save

This ensures the extension can communicate with your local sc4pac installation.

TO-DO

• Support multiple sc4pac packages per exchange file
  • Update package mapping structure
  • Update UI to show all available packages
• Add support for more SimCity 4 exchanges
  • ToutSimCities
• Swap add/remove buttons.
• Use configuration from profiles.
• Add server API version support.
• Use file IDs from channels instead of from sebarynissen/sc4pac-helpers (see sebamarynissen/sc4pac-helpers#4 (comment)).
• Add caching of fetched contents.

Package reference detection

• Implement scanning of comments and files description for package with detection from
  • Package ID pattern (group:name)
  • File URL
• Add inline buttons next to matched references
• Implementation steps:
  1. Create regex pattern matcher for package ID
  2. Scan text content for matches
  3. For each match:
     • Verify existence in sc4pac package list
     • Create inline button group using buttonHelper.createButtonGroup()
     • Position buttons next to matched text
     • Update button URLs using buttonHelper.updateButtonHref()

Technical considerations:

• Reuse existing button creation logic from buttonHelper.js
• Maintain consistent button styling and behavior
• Handle multiple matches in same description
• Consider performance impact of regex scanning

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to submit issues and pull requests.