Developer overview

NOMAD is open source

NOMAD’s core platform is open source under the permissive Apache 2.0 license. The plugins developed through FAIRmat are open source as well, and community contributions—from focused fixes to new domain support—are welcome across the ecosystem.

Development paths

Extend NOMAD—or work on the platform itself

Use plugins to add domain- or institute-specific functionality. Choose core development when you need to work directly on NOMAD’s backend services, data model, processing, search, or supporting infrastructure.

Recommended route

Develop a NOMAD plugin

The recommended route for adding institute- or domain-specific functionality without changing the core platform.

Add parsers, schema packages, normalizers, apps, dashboards, APIs, actions, or NORTH tools
Develop, test, document, and publish a reusable Python package
Improve an existing FAIRmat plugin and contribute the change upstream

Core platform

Contribute to the core software

Choose this route when a change belongs in NOMAD’s shared framework, backend services, infrastructure, or documentation.

Set up the Python environment and supporting services
Navigate the data model, processing, search, APIs, and infrastructure code
Create a branch, run the relevant tests, and prepare the change for review

Planning a core contribution?

Core changes are less common than plugin development. We suggest contacting the NOMAD maintainers early to discuss the scope and contribution route.

Start developing a plugin

Begin with a maintained starting point

Plugins are the primary way for data stewards and infrastructure developers to adapt NOMAD for an institute, scientific domain, or data workflow.

nomad-distro-dev Set up a local NOMAD distribution where you can develop, install, and test one or more plugins together with the platform. Open catalogue entry → nomad-plugin-template Start through GitHub and Codespaces to create a new plugin repository with guided configuration. Open catalogue entry → pynxtools-plugin-template Start a pynxtools-based plugin for converting experimental data into NeXus and NOMAD. Open catalogue entry →

Browse all official software and templates →

Instrument development

Extending instrument control with CAMELS?

NOMAD CAMELS has a separate development workflow for creating and sharing instrument drivers or contributing to the measurement software itself. Its contribution guide is the primary starting point for this workflow.

Develop CAMELS instrument drivers

Add support for laboratory instruments using the CAMELS driver tools and community workflow.