# Development & Debugging

## Dev Loop

```bash
# 1. Modify code in plugin/
# 2. Reinstall
node scripts/install.mjs --install

# 3. Restart gateway
openclaw gateway restart

# 4. Watch logs
openclaw logs --follow

# 5. Test
```

## Log Keywords

| Keyword | Meaning |
|---------|---------|
| `plugin registered` | register() completed |
| `startSideCar called` / `already running` | Sidecar status |
| `must NOT have additional properties` | Schema vs config mismatch |
| `EADDRINUSE` | Port conflict (sidecar or HTTP server) |

## Checklist Before Deploy

### General

- [ ] All hook handlers have event dedup (globalThis, not module-level)
- [ ] Gateway lifecycle events protected by globalThis flag
- [ ] Business state on globalThis
- [ ] `openclaw.plugin.json` schema matches actual config fields
- [ ] Install script doesn't set schema-absent fields
- [ ] Sensitive fields not set by install script
- [ ] Install script cleans old dist before copying

### Connection-type plugins

- [ ] Start flag on globalThis (not module-level `let`)
- [ ] Runtime reference on globalThis
- [ ] Shared registries/callbacks on globalThis, init once
- [ ] Cross-plugin API object overwritten every register() but runtime started once
- [ ] Consumer plugins defend against provider not loaded