Checking if a plugin is installed

Question

new user to ExpressionEngine here. I recently developed a plugin that I'm using to apply a filter to content, but I run into an issue when the plugin isn't installed. Is there a way to check if a plugin in installed and, if it is, apply the filter?

Right now, the syntax is similar to the following:

{exp:myFilter}
  {content}
{/exp:myFilter}

What I was looking for is something like this

{if pluginIsInstalled}
  {exp:myFilter}
    {content}
  {/exp:myFilter}
{elseif}
  {content}
{/if}

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

There is no EE tag (that I am aware of at least) that will report installed plugins directly. However, if you know the short_name of the plugin but you can get what you need using the exp:query tag thusly:

{exp:query 
    sql="SELECT plugin_package 
         FROM exp_plugins 
         WHERE plugin_package = 'plugin_short_name_here';"
}
    {plugin_package}
{/exp:query}

This would return the short_name of the plugin if the plugin is installed, and nothing if not. You can use this behaviour to drive your conditional.

So if the short_name of your plugin is cats_for_coding then your code would possibly look like this:

{exp:query 
    sql="SELECT plugin_package 
         FROM exp_plugins 
         WHERE plugin_package = 'cats_for_coding';"
}
    {if no_results}
        {content}
    {/if}
    {exp:cats_for_coding}
        {content}
    {/exp:cats_for_coding}
{/exp:query}

This works for plugins - if you want to do the same for modules use exp_modules and module_name in the SQL.

HTH

Answer 2

if you use the template manager it'll provide feedback (on hover i believe) if a plugin isn't installed. this kind of logic typically doesn't have a place in the templates: the one coding templates should know wether a plugin is installed i guess