# Best way to share code from plugin project **URL:** \ **Category:** General JUCE discussion\ **Created:** [September 14, 2018, 1:00pm UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/best-way-to-share-code-from-plugin-project/29431 "2018-09-14T13:00:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DEADBEEF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8491ac/32.png) [@DEADBEEF](https://forum.juce.com/u/DEADBEEF)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2018, 1:00pm UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/best-way-to-share-code-from-plugin-project/29431/1 "2018-09-14T13:00:02Z")
Hi, I’ve a current project where I created a plugin. Now I will develop an other plugin but only the GUI will change and some values in the PluginProcessor. I would like to avoid rewritting everything so I’m looking for the most elegant solution to produce 2 different plugins from the same code. The only way I’ve found for the moment is to create 2 projucers for each skin. But I would have to modify both of them if I found a bug in the common code. Is it possible to create a library from a common project then use it into 2 projucers where each of them will use specific gui. So the `PluginProcessor` and `PluginEditor` will inherit from the `CommonPluginProcessor` and `CommonPluginEditor` ? That way I will end up with 3 projucers, one for the commun backend code, and 2 other for custom skin and specific backend custom code. ---
**Author:** ![ImJimmi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.juce.com/imjimmi/32/10843_2.png) [@ImJimmi](https://forum.juce.com/u/ImJimmi)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2018, 1:13pm UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/best-way-to-share-code-from-plugin-project/29431/2 "2018-09-14T13:13:12Z")
I reuse a lot of code across my projects and so I made myself a small JUCE module that holds all my cross-project code (mostly look-and-feel and filters). Copy the structure of the existing JUCE modules to setup your own module - it’s fairly straight forward if you look through it carefully! ---
**Author:** ![DEADBEEF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8491ac/32.png) [@DEADBEEF](https://forum.juce.com/u/DEADBEEF)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2018, 1:52pm UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/best-way-to-share-code-from-plugin-project/29431/3 "2018-09-14T13:52:34Z")
So, if I understood well you have a custom projucer where you create your classes. Then you packages them in a folder with the right structure to create a module then import this module inside your project. Right? ---
**Author:** ![ImJimmi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.juce.com/imjimmi/32/10843_2.png) [@ImJimmi](https://forum.juce.com/u/ImJimmi)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2018, 2:06pm UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/best-way-to-share-code-from-plugin-project/29431/4 "2018-09-14T14:06:23Z")
> [@DEADBEEF](#): > > custom projucer Not sure what you mean by ‘custom projucer’, I assume you mean a custom projucer (`.jucer`) project? If so, you don’t need a project to create a module - just all your source code in the right file structure (however I do have a testing project in my module). But yes, I have a folder on my desktop called “MyAwesomeJUCEModule” which I then add to the modules list of all my JUCE projects. If I need to fix or add something for all the projects I only need to make changes in the one place. ```auto MyModule/ +---Filters/ | +---CustomFilters.cpp | +---CustomFilters.h +---GUI/ | +---CustomLookAndFeel.cpp | +---CustomLookAndFeel.h +---MyModule.cpp +---MyModule.h ``` ---
**Author:** ![DEADBEEF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8491ac/32.png) [@DEADBEEF](https://forum.juce.com/u/DEADBEEF)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2018, 2:15pm UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/best-way-to-share-code-from-plugin-project/29431/5 "2018-09-14T14:15:28Z")
By “custom projucer” I meant a project to test your source. So yes it could be optional. Thank you for the details. I will do that. ---
**Author:** ![khuasw](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.juce.com/khuasw/32/4698_2.png) [@khuasw](https://forum.juce.com/u/khuasw)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2018, 3:15pm UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/best-way-to-share-code-from-plugin-project/29431/6 "2018-09-14T15:15:19Z")
If the two projects share a lot of common codes, then as [Im\_Jimmi](https://forum.juce.com/u/Im_Jimmi) suggested, it’s better to drop them into a new module. If it’s really just one or two headers or cpps - I’ve tried including a header from the other project’s directory but that’ll run into JUCE AppConfig.h conflicts. A simple and git-friendly workaround is to create a symbolic link across the source directories. ---
**Author:** ![DEADBEEF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8491ac/32.png) [@DEADBEEF](https://forum.juce.com/u/DEADBEEF)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2018, 3:27pm UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/best-way-to-share-code-from-plugin-project/29431/7 "2018-09-14T15:27:50Z")
Ah yeah, thanks for the workaround and your insight. But since I’ve like 90% of the project that is shared I will try the @Im_Jimmi solution. ---
**Author:** ![ImJimmi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.juce.com/imjimmi/32/10843_2.png) [@ImJimmi](https://forum.juce.com/u/ImJimmi)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2018, 3:28pm UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/best-way-to-share-code-from-plugin-project/29431/8 "2018-09-14T15:28:52Z")
> [@DEADBEEF](#): > > the @Im\_Jimmi solution. I am totally on board with this being called “the Im\_Jimmi solution” from now on! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![PeterRoos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@PeterRoos](https://forum.juce.com/u/PeterRoos)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2018, 3:39pm UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/best-way-to-share-code-from-plugin-project/29431/9 "2018-09-14T15:39:31Z")
What’s wrong with including files/folders like this in your Juce projects? ``` #include "../../Shared/ (etc) ``` ---
**Author:** ![DEADBEEF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8491ac/32.png) [@DEADBEEF](https://forum.juce.com/u/DEADBEEF)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2018, 4:13pm UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/best-way-to-share-code-from-plugin-project/29431/10 "2018-09-14T16:13:27Z")
Yes it’s a good idea too. But I would have to add this line in multiple file in addition to `#include "../JuceLibraryCode/JuceHeader.h"`. If I create a custom module, I add it in the projucer and adding `#include "../JuceLibraryCode/JuceHeader.h"` is enough. But if my shared code wouldn’t be juce related I would definitely use what you say. ---
**Author:** ![bwall](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.juce.com/bwall/32/618_2.png) [@bwall](https://forum.juce.com/u/bwall)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2018, 8:06pm UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/best-way-to-share-code-from-plugin-project/29431/11 "2018-09-14T20:06:38Z")
I just have a “Common” folder in my main projects folder. Any shared code is there and projects use the appropriate “includes”. Simple, and easy to maintain.