Adobe Indesign does not recognise xxx as a valid plugin.

[Chamari253904353k85]

Hi all, 
We have a set of 9 c++ plugins developed for InDesign and I have updated them with the new SDK 20.0.0.95 version and tried using with InDesign 2025 (20.0). Out of 9 plugins, 2 of them give me the "Adobe Indesign does not recognise xxx as a valid plugin." error. They were working ok with the SDK 19 and InDesign 2024. 
These two plugins are doing some file related operations and uses boost libraries in the SDK. 
Can anyone think of a reason why this is happening?

Thank you.

[Eugene Tyson]

Don't really know enough about this stuff but the release notes might help understand what has changed or updated

https://developer.adobe.com/document-services/docs/overview/releasenotes/

Not even sure if that is a helpful link

Could you maybe verify that any version-specific paths or configurations for Boost are up to date in your build environment?

Do the manifest files match the new SDK?

Sorry that's all I've got - I dabble a little and know far less - this is interesting for me.

[Lawrence Horwitz]

Are you getting this error on Win, Mac, or both?

We've encountered this error at various points in the past. Make sure you've cleaned your build folder - try deleting it entirely, rather than just using the Clean command in the IDE.  That's a basic first step.

[Chamari253904353k85]

Thanks for the reply.
Win builds are ok. Problem happens only in mac.

Also we use a fresh instance of a github runner everytime. So it's a fresh checkout.

[Chamari253904353k85]

Thanks

[Chamari253904353k85]

Thank you for the reply.
I am trying to perform a test by removing all the code that uses boost to see if it is the cause of the problem. 

[Dirk Becker]

Forget about manifest files, those are for UXP plugins.

Compare your resource folder with a previous version. This error can happen when resources are not correctly built, e.g. your version resource. On the Mac, these are buried within the plug-in bundle. Right-click in Finder, then show package contents.

When you launch InDesign from the IDE or from the command line, watch for additional error messages.

The Mac also has ways to observe the dynamic linker via more diagnostic output.

type "man dyld" in the terminal, e.g. see DYLD_PRINT_LIBRARIES.

You can set these variables in Xcode Scheme >> Run >> Arguments >> Environment Variables

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

. 

[Chamari253904353k85]

I was able to find a difference in the created plugin. If I see the package content, plugins with no issues looks like this.

But plugin with the issue, looks like this.

There are no issues in Building the plugin. No build errors. 

Also package contents->Resources folders do not have a difference when compared with previous version.

[Dirk Becker · Accepted solution]

The entire binary is missing.

Remove any debris: Product >> Clean Build Folder

Then Product >> Build

Revisit your build log. Use the "report navigator" (rightmost icon in left sidebar, rectangular bullet list), not the issue navigator (the warning triangle)

Select the most recent report "Build".

Within the build log, show "All" rather than "Recent", and "All Messages".

Expand "Build target yourPlugin"

See various "Make symlink …" lines - these symlinks (with the tiny bottom right link sub-icon) are already missing in your "issue" build.

Select the line with the linker. In the far right of it there should be some "more" button, to reveil the full command and output.

At the end of the enormous command, see the output location -o "…yourPlugin.InDesignPlugin/Versions/A/yourPlugin"

Verify that is the expected path, and that the file was created (expand the A triangle of your screenshot).

Btw, in Finder you can option-click a triangle to expand/collapse all below.

Repeat with your non-issue project, compare.

[Chamari253904353k85]

Thanks @Dirk Becker, you were absolutelly correct. Most of the make symlink lines were missing in the "issue" build. 

The issue had nothing to do with boost libraries but with the build directory. Your clear reply made it really easier to identify the problem and sort it out. Thank you so much.