Introduction

As we saw in the previous chapter, the JIRA plugin development process is probably an easier task than we expected it to be. With the help of Atlassian Plugin SDK, developers can spend more time worrying about the plugin logic than on the troublesome deployment activities. And yes, after all, it is the plugin logic that is going to make an impact!

This chapter details how the various components fit into JIRA's architecture and how JIRA exposes the various pluggable points. We will also look at an overview of JIRA's system plugins to find out how JIRA uses the plugin architecture to its own benefit, followed by some useful recipes.

JIRA architecture

We will quickly see how the various components within JIRA fit in to form the JIRA we know. It is best described in a diagram, and Atlassian has a neat one along with a detailed explanation at https://developer.atlassian.com/display/JIRADEV/JIRA+Architectural+Overview. We will redraw the diagram a little bit to explain it in a brief...