---
title: "Guide: lifecycle"
description: "smabar plugin reference: Guide: lifecycle"
canonical: "https://smabar.com/docs/plugin-ref-guide-lifecycle/"
lang: en
---

# Guide: lifecycle

> smabar plugin reference: Guide: lifecycle

Canonical HTML version: https://smabar.com/docs/plugin-ref-guide-lifecycle/ · Language: en · Publisher: smabar (https://smabar.com)

---

[Build my plugin](https://smabar.com/build-my-plugin.md) · [All references](https://smabar.com/docs/plugin-ref-index.md) · [Install the ZIP](https://smabar.com/docs/install-plugin-zip.md)

Source: smabar 1.5.0, revision `a019f2563965edc37a5e8d84742ea1ff2fa6f824`. [Export metadata and checksums](https://smabar.com/plugin-reference/export.json).

This is an offline reference. MCP calls quoted below describe the connected workflow; use the linked documents and create local files instead. Live state, installed plugins, available providers and the user's active theme are unknown. Never claim a live check.

Read with [styling](https://smabar.com/docs/plugin-ref-styling.md) and [examples](https://smabar.com/docs/plugin-ref-examples.md).

## order

```json
"The core sends initialize (id, data_dir, plugin_dir, settings, language, advertised providers) → available provider subscriptions are set up → @app.on_ready runs → @app.every timers start → the plugin serves until shutdown."
```

## concurrency

```json
"All handlers share ONE lock: exactly one runs at a time. A slow handler blocks every timer and action of that plugin, so move anything long (network, subprocesses, big files) into a thread and only publish the result back into your state."
```

## errors

```json
"A handler exception is logged as an error and the plugin keeps running. Crashing at import time is different: the process is restarted with a backoff and gives up after repeated failures."
```

## shutdown

```json
"There is NO shutdown hook. Code after app.run() runs on a graceful stop, but not on a kill. If you spawn child processes, make them safe on their own (own process group plus a timeout) — smabar signals the plugin's process group, so well-behaved children die with it."
```

## reload

```json
"Writing any file in your CODE folder (app.plugin_dir) restarts the plugin — that is hot reload. A malformed replacement manifest is the exception: smabar logs it and keeps the last valid instance running. Writing in app.data_dir never restarts. State in memory is lost on a successful restart; anything that must survive belongs in app.data_dir or settings."
```

## tileChanges

```json
"A manifest that declares fewer tiles than before removes the dropped ones from the bar immediately — no restart needed."
```

## capabilities

```json
"initialize.capabilities advertises commands, popups and audio when supported. Older hosts may omit it; desktop SDK calls reject unavailable services. The host assigns session identities; audio/toasts are cleaned up after stop, crash, reload or deactivation."
```

## uninstall

```json
"All plugins, including bundled ones, can be removed. A previously seeded plugin that is absent stays absent on restart and after bundle updates; explicitly reinstall its folder to use it again."
```