[adiman9]

What

Test an SDK extension in your app before publishing it, without a4 sdk create:

[dependencies.programs.ore]
source = { registry = "ore" }
version = "^1.0.0"
extensions = { path = "./extensions/ore" }

• a4 install stages the local bundle in place of the published extension for the bundle's target. It uses the same resolution as a4 sdk create --extensions: an extensions.json, or a single index.ts / extensions.rs / extensions.py entry, with the target taken from the bundle's language. The bundle's content hash goes on the lock entry as local_extension. Every published pin stays, as with local_build.
• The override isn't resolution input. resolution_hash ignores extensions, so adding or removing it leaves arete.lock fresh.
• These fail while a dependency uses a local extension:
  • a4 install --check: a problem for the manifest override or a leftover lock marker.
  • a4 protocol deploy: refused before it builds.
  • a4 dev promote --check: new local-extension item. The fix it prints is to publish the extension upstream, remove extensions, then a4 install --locked.
• a4 install --locked refuses while arete.toml still has an override. Once the override is removed, it drops local_extension along with local_build and restores the published extension.
• a4 dev up watches each bundle directory. On a change it regenerates only that dependency's SDK and updates the marker, via install_local_extensions, which resolves just that dependency at the lock's pins. That way a protocol client a4 dev generated from a local build stays as it is. When only extension files changed, it redeploys nothing. The up.rs change is a small block in watch_pass; the rest is in the new dev/local_extensions.rs.
• Docs: cli/commands.mdx (Configuration File and the new "Testing an unpublished SDK extension" section) and cli/local-development.mdx (dev up watch and the promote table row).

Tests

• installer: a_local_sdk_extension_is_installed_regenerated_and_restored_by_locked runs the whole roundtrip against the mock registry. It covers the published install, the override install with the marker and unchanged pins, --check, --locked and the deploy refusal, a dev regeneration after an edit, an idempotent no-op, then removing the override and running --locked. That restores the published extension, and the lock entry equals the published one again.
• manifest: which dependencies may declare extensions, and that the resolution hash ignores it.
• lockfile: validation of local_extension.
• dev::local_extensions: the watcher snapshot and the changed-path selection.
• dev::promote: the local-extension item.

Verification

The machine was overloaded, so I didn't build anything locally. I ran only rustfmt --edition 2021 on the changed files, plus prettier on the two docs pages. Compilation, clippy and every test ran only in CI.

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Project	Deployment	Actions	Updated
arete-docs	Ready	Preview	Oct 30, 2026 3:03am UTC

[greptile-apps]

Confidence Score: 5/5

[Medium impact] The PR appears safe to merge; the protocol-only deploy failure is fixed.

Summary

Adds local SDK extension overrides for registry program and stack dependencies.

• A local extension can replace the published extension for one SDK target.
• a4 dev up refreshes an SDK when its local extension changes.
• Release checks flag SDKs generated with local extensions.

Diagram

%%{init: {'theme': 'neutral'}}%%
flowchart LR
  A["arete.toml: extensions path"] --> B["Read local bundle"]
  B --> C["Generate SDK"]
  C --> D["Record local_extension"]
  E["Bundle file changes"] --> F["Refresh selected SDK"]
  F --> D
  D --> G["Deploy and publish checks refuse"]
  H["Remove override; install --locked"] --> I["Restore published SDK and clear marker"]

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_{Reviews (7) · Last reviewed commit: "fix(cli): a protocol-only arete.toml dec..." · Reviewed by Greptile}