DOC: Clarify when local build is needed for extension development (#7501

)

(cherry picked from commit 8965eab)

Docs/developer_guide/extensions.md

@@ -13,13 +13,13 @@ If you have developed a script or module that you would like to share with other
   - [build Slicer application](build_instructions/index.md).
   - [build your extension](#build-an-extension)
 
+(extension-build)=
 ## Build an extension
 
 :::{note}
+To compile extensions containing C++-implemented modules, it's essential to [build Slicer from source](build_instructions/index.md) on your local machine. These extensions cannot be compiled against a binary download. However, if your modules are solely developed in Python, there's no need to build the extension.
 
-To build extensions that contain modules implemented in C++, you need to [build Slicer from source](build_instructions/index.md) on your machine; they cannot be built against a binary download.
-If developing modules in Python only, then it is not necessary to build the extension.
-
+Once your work is ready for sharing, refer to [](#extension-distribute) for guidelines.
 :::
 
 Similarly to the building of Slicer core, multi-configuration builds are not supported: one build tree can be only used for one build mode (Release or Debug or RelWithDebInfo or MinSizeRel). If a release and debug mode build are needed then the same source code folder can be used (e.g., `C:\D\SlicerHeart`) but a separate binary folder must be created for each build mode (e.g., `C:\D\SlicerHeart-R` and `C:\D\SlicerHeart-D` for release and debug modes).
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ Replace `Release` with the build mode of your extension build (`Debug`, `Release
 - Set the project as the StartUp Project (right-click -> Set As StartUp Project).
 - Start debugging (F5).
 
+(extension-continuous-integration)=
 ### Continuous integration
 
 If you shared your extension by using the ExtensionWizard, make sure you know about the Slicer testing dashboard:
@@ -194,6 +195,7 @@ Extension documentation examples:
 Thumbnails to YouTube videos can be generated by using an URL of the form `https://img.youtube.com/vi/<insert-youtube-video-id-here>/0.jpg` and
 adding a playback button using [this free service](https://addplaybuttontoimage.way4info.net/) (the second red arrow is recommended).
 
+(extension-distribute)=
 ## Distribute an extension
 
 - Upload source code of your extension to a publicly available repository. It is recommended to start the repository name with "Slicer" (to make Slicer extensions easier to identify) followed by your extension name (for example, "Sequences" extension is stored in "SlicerSequences" repository). However, this is not a mandatory requirement. If you have a compelling reason not to use Slicer prefix, please make a note while making the pull request. See more requirements in the [new extension submission checklist](https://github.com/Slicer/ExtensionsIndex/blob/main/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md#todo-list-for-submitting-a-new-extension).
@@ -213,6 +215,12 @@ adding a playback button using [this free service](https://addplaybuttontoimage.
   - Create a pull request: by clicking ''Create pull request'' button
   - Follow the instructions in the pull request template
 
+:::{tip}
+Once your extension is successfully integrated into the Extensions Index, you gain access to daily build and test reports for verification. For additional information, refer to [](#extension-continuous-integration).
+
+While it is possible to develop Python-based extensions without a [local extension build](#extension-build), creating one can significantly expedite the development cycle. This allows you to promptly confirm that the extension can be properly packaged and distributed, providing a quicker feedback loop compared to waiting for the daily build and test reports.
+:::
+
 ## Application settings
 
 After installing an extension, the directories are added to revision-specific settings: