This issue outlines the work breakdown for supporting NativeScript Plugins in the CLI

v1.1

Plugin commands

• add - will support everything npm install supports. Will save the installed plugin in package.json. The plugin itself will be installed in node_modules.
• remove - will remove the plugin. Basically npm uninstall ... --save with some other magic.
• prepare - hidden command that will do all the required mumbo-jumbo to install a plugin. Actually adding a plugin will be decomposed to npm install followed by tns plugin prepare

Supported functionality

• NPM based workflow.
• require of JavaScript files from the plugin. prepare will ensure the script files are in the native platform tns_modules folder, so that they can be required. The package.json of the plugin should also be there in case there is a main declared.
• Merging of native configuration files (AndroidManifest.xml and Info.plist)

v1.2

• Ability to package native libraries and frameworks in the plugin.
  • Android
    • Respect Android libraries added to platforms/android
    • Respect jars added to platforms/android/libs
    • Remove the library when removing the plugin
  • iOS
    • Support for dynamic libraries (*.framework)

v1.3

• Support for Cocoapods (Support for CocoaPods #729)
• Support for new Android Library format (AAR)

v1.4

• Support for static iOS libraries

v1.5

• Ability to package resources (images, xml files declaring native UI, etc.) in the plugin.
• Ability to define plugin variables (ex: API keys that should be defined per plugin installation)