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When developing a plugin it must be tested again and again. The problem is that when the netbeans module is regenerated it will not be accepted if it hasn't got a higher version number. Net even if I manually point out it can I install it. It should ask me if I want to install it even though it is the same version. I think that netbeans should even ask me if I want to update if it reads that the timestamp on the file has increased.
To clarify, the problem is that the versioning of the plugin will get out of sync with the intended versioning on the module, just because of testing. This is not desired.
This issue you talk about is related to the NetBeans core when doing module development. The "pluginportal" component is for problems adding/changing plugins on the Plugin Portal web site at http://plugins.netbeans.org/PluginPortal.
Normally you would not be testing a module by installing an NBM; the module development support is designed to have you test the target platform with an unpacked module. That said, the Plugin Manager should probably special-case the handling of NBMs pointed to in the Downloaded tab, and always install them even if the module already appears to be installed in the same (or later?) version.
I think it makes sense in plugin's developing phase. Something like Reinstall option in Download tab.
Reassigning to the new "autoupdate/*" owner dlipin.
I am not going to spend time on this, but I am ready to accept a patch.