Feature Request: Support branch specification when registering plugin marketplaces
Summary
When registering a plugin marketplace via /plugin, there is currently no way to specify a particular branch of a repository. It would be useful to support branch specification syntax so users can point to a specific branch without needing workarounds.
Current Behavior
The /plugin command accepts the following formats:
owner/repo(GitHub shorthand)git@github.com:owner/repo.git(SSH)https://example.com/marketplace.json(HTTPS URL)./path/to/marketplace(local path)
All remote repository formats default to the repository's default branch. There is no way to specify an alternative branch.
Proposed Behavior
Support branch specification syntax when adding a marketplace source. For example:
owner/repo#branch-name
git@github.com:owner/repo.git#branch-name
https://github.com/owner/repo#branch-name
This would allow users to register plugins from feature branches, development branches, or version-specific branches directly.
Use Cases
- Testing plugin changes: Plugin developers working on a feature branch want to test their changes before merging to main.
- Version pinning: Users may want to pin to a specific release branch (e.g.,
owner/repo#v2). - Staging/preview: Teams can share work-in-progress plugins from non-default branches for review.
Current Workarounds
- Clone the repo locally, checkout the desired branch, and register using a local path.
- Fork the repo and set the desired branch as the default branch, then register the fork.
Both workarounds add unnecessary friction compared to native branch support.
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