Get started
Create, understand, build and install your first AirDeck plugin.
Your first result
You will create a plugin named Hello AirDeck with one button, Say hello. Its action prints Hello from AirDeck! to stderr, which is the diagnostic output stream. AirDeck's protocol stays on stdout.
The starter needs no broker permissions. Once this works, you can replace the hello action with your own logic or add a typed core capability call.
The path through this section
| Step | What you do | What you should have afterward |
|---|---|---|
| Set up | Install a toolchain and clone the public SDK | A working terminal in the SDK folder |
| Create a starter | Generate a new project and inspect its files | Your own manifest and source code |
| Choose Go, Python, Java or C++ | Understand and run a complete implementation | A standalone .deckPlugin package |
| Build and install | Verify the package and add its button to a deck | A working action on the phone |
| Debug | Read responses/logs and fix common mistakes | A repeatable development loop |
| Next steps | Add real actions, permissions and tests | A plan for your first useful release |
Choose one language. The four language chapters implement the same action; they are alternatives, not four steps you must complete.
Commands and working directory
Commands run from the root of the cloned SDK unless the page explicitly says otherwise. That root contains deck-plugins, capabilities, docs and tools.
On macOS use python3. On Windows, use python if that is how your Python installation is exposed on PATH. The documentation writes python3 to keep commands consistent.
The new starter projects are generated in deck-plugins/plugins/<project-name>. They live there so the included build tooling can use the local SDK without downloading an unreleased module version. You can move a production project into your own repository later; see project structure and SDK dependencies.
Already have a plugin?
Skip to manifest reference, SDK reference, or packaging. The existing Echo Beep examples remain available for comparing implementations, but the guided path starts with a new Hello AirDeck project.