This PR introduces a revised mechanism for installing visualization plugins that eliminates the previous split between the Galaxy core repository and the galaxy-visualizations repository. Previously, XML files and logo assets were manually added to the Galaxy core repo, while the actual plugin code was maintained and installed from the galaxy-visualizations repository via npm. This separation can lead to confusion and potential discrepancies between the declared metadata and the functional plugin code. It also makes it cumbersome for administrators who want to add new visualizations. With the revised approach, visualizations are fully self-contained within their npm packages, including all necessary assets such as the XML file and logo file. They are installed directly into Galaxy by specifying the corresponding npm package and version, without requiring any manual intervention or coordination across repositories. This process ensures consistency, reduces maintenance overhead, and simplifies the deployment pipeline. The change is demonstrated here for the aceeditor and tabulator visualization. Moving forward we could introduce a visualization_conf.yml file to allow administrators to explicitly specify the packages and versions to be installed without having to touch the gulp file.

How to test the changes?

(Select all options that apply)

• I've included appropriate automated tests.
• This is a refactoring of components with existing test coverage.
• Instructions for manual testing are as follows:
  1. [add testing steps and prerequisites here if you didn't write automated tests covering all your changes]

License

• I agree to license these and all my past contributions to the core galaxy codebase under the MIT license.