Chore: Update TestData README (#77607)

Co-authored-by: Joseph Perez <45749060+josmperez@users.noreply.github.com>

docs/sources/datasources/testdata/_index.md

@@ -114,3 +114,28 @@ That makes it much easier for the developers to replicate and solve your issue.
 [panels-visualizations]: "/docs/grafana/ -> /docs/grafana/<GRAFANA VERSION>/panels-visualizations"
 [panels-visualizations]: "/docs/grafana-cloud/ -> /docs/grafana/<GRAFANA VERSION>/panels-visualizations"
 {{% /docs/reference %}}
+
+## Use a custom version of TestData
+
+{{% admonition type="note" %}}
+This feature is experimental and requires Grafana version 10.3.0 or later.
+{{% /admonition %}}
+
+If you want to use a version of TestData different from the one shipped with Grafana, follow these steps:
+
+1. Enable the [feature toggle](https://grafana.com/docs/grafana/latest/setup-grafana/configure-grafana/feature-toggles/) `externalCorePlugins`.
+1. Set the configuration field `as_external` for the plugin to `true`. An example configuration would be:
+
+   ```ini
+   [feature_toggles]
+   externalCorePlugins = true
+
+   [plugin.grafana-testdata-datasource]
+   as_external = true
+   ```
+
+1. Restart Grafana.
+
+These settings, if enabled, allow you to to install TestData as an external plugin and manage its lifecycle independently of Grafana.
+
+With the feature toggle disabled (default) TestData can still be installed as an external plugin, but it has no effect as the bundled, Core version of TestData is already installed and takes precedence.

docs/sources/developers/plugins/plugin.schema.json

@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@
         "grafanaDependency": {
           "type": "string",
           "description": "Required Grafana version for this plugin. Validated using https://github.com/npm/node-semver.",
-          "pattern": "^(<=|>=|<|>|=|~|\\^)?([0-9]+)(\\.[0-9x\\*]+)(\\.[0-9x\\*]+)?(\\s(<=|>=|<|=>)?([0-9]+)(\\.[0-9x]+)(\\.[0-9x]+))?$"
+          "pattern": "^(<=|>=|<|>|=|~|\\^)?([0-9]+)(\\.[0-9x\\*]+)(\\.[0-9x\\*]+)?(\\s(<=|>=|<|=>)?([0-9]+)(\\.[0-9x]+)(\\.[0-9x]+))?(\\-[0-9]+)?$"
         },
         "plugins": {
           "type": "array",

pkg/plugins/plugindef/plugindef.cue

@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ schemas: [{
 
 			// Required Grafana version for this plugin. Validated using
 			// https://github.com/npm/node-semver.
-			grafanaDependency?: =~"^(<=|>=|<|>|=|~|\\^)?([0-9]+)(\\.[0-9x\\*]+)(\\.[0-9x\\*]+)?(\\s(<=|>=|<|=>)?([0-9]+)(\\.[0-9x]+)(\\.[0-9x]+))?$"
+			grafanaDependency?: =~"^(<=|>=|<|>|=|~|\\^)?([0-9]+)(\\.[0-9x\\*]+)(\\.[0-9x\\*]+)?(\\s(<=|>=|<|=>)?([0-9]+)(\\.[0-9x]+)(\\.[0-9x]+))?(\\-[0-9]+)?$"
 
 			// An array of required plugins on which this plugin depends
 			plugins?: [...#Dependency]

pkg/tests/api/plugins/data/expectedListResp.json

@@ -1618,7 +1618,7 @@
       "updated": ""
     },
     "dependencies": {
-      "grafanaDependency": ">=5.0.0",
+      "grafanaDependency": ">=10.3.0-0",
       "grafanaVersion": "*",
       "plugins": []
     },

public/app/plugins/datasource/grafana-testdata-datasource/README.md

@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
 # Grafana TestData data source
 
 This data source is used for testing and development of Grafana. Generates test data in different forms.
+
+Grafana ships with _built-in_ support for TestData. You just have to add it as a data source and you will be ready to build dashboards.
+
+Read more about it here:
+
+[https://grafana.com/docs/grafana/latest/datasources/testdata/](https://grafana.com/docs/grafana/latest/datasources/testdata/)

public/app/plugins/datasource/grafana-testdata-datasource/plugin.json

@@ -38,6 +38,6 @@
   ],
 
   "dependencies": {
-    "grafanaDependency": ">=5.0.0"
+    "grafanaDependency": ">=10.3.0-0"
   }
 }