can't import mini panels from code

I really need to update the documentation.

You need to implement hook_ctools_plugin_api($module, $api) so that it will read your stuff. This is similar to the Views function that can be used to keep APIs in sync. Also it can be used to put the defaults into their own file for easy storage. Here's a sample:

/**
 * Implementation of hook_ctools_plugin_api().
 */
function ptest_ctools_plugin_api($module, $api) {
  if ($module == 'panels_mini' && $api == 'panels_default') {
    return array('version' => 1);
  }
  if ($module == 'page_manager' && $api == 'pages_default') {
    return array('version' => 1);
  }
}

Patch also works for me. Thanks!

Committed! Thanks!

Can someone clarify the format needed to define mini panels in code?

<?php
/**
* Implementation of hook_ctools_plugin_api().
*/
function ptest_ctools_plugin_api($module, $api) {
  if ($module == 'panels_mini' && $api == 'panels_default') {
    return array('version' => 1);
  }
  if ($module == 'page_manager' && $api == 'pages_default') {
    return array('version' => 1);
  }
}
?>

looks good, but what is the name and format of the default .inc file for mini panels?

can anyone provide a working example?

Create a mini panel and use the bulk export module; it will provide all the working code you need, tailored to your mini panel.

Thanks for your help,
I can import the code via the import form, no problem.
I am looking to include a mini panel in a module but the example in ctools doesnt quite work..
here is an example:
the first panel is a page and it works fine, the second is a mini panel which does not show up.

function example_panels_default_page_manager_pages() {

 $page = new stdClass;
$page->disabled = FALSE; /* Edit this to true to make a default page disabled initially */
$page->api_version = 1;
$page->name = 'our_shows';
$page->task = 'page';
$page->admin_title = 'Our Shows';
$page->admin_description = '';
$page->path = 'our_shows';
$page->access = array();
$page->menu = array();
$page->arguments = array();
$page->conf = array();
$page->default_handlers = array();
$handler = new stdClass;
$handler->disabled = FALSE; /* Edit this to true to make a default handler disabled initially */
$handler->api_version = 1;
$handler->name = 'page_our_shows_panel_context';
$handler->task = 'page';
$handler->subtask = 'our_shows';
$handler->handler = 'panel_context';
$handler->weight = 0;
$handler->conf = array(
  'title' => 'Panel',
  'no_blocks' => FALSE,
  'css_id' => '',
  'css' => '',
  'contexts' => array(),
  'relationships' => array(),
);
$display = new panels_display;
$display->layout = 'flexible';
$display->layout_settings = array(
  'items' => array(
    'canvas' => array(
      'type' => 'row',
      'contains' => 'column',
      'children' => array(
        '0' => 'main',
      ),
      'parent' => NULL,
    ),
    'main' => array(
      'type' => 'column',
      'width' => 100,
      'width_type' => '%',
      'children' => array(
        '0' => 'main-row',
      ),
      'parent' => 'canvas',
    ),
    'main-row' => array(
      'type' => 'row',
      'contains' => 'region',
      'children' => array(
        '0' => 'left',
        '1' => 'center',
      ),
      'parent' => 'main',
    ),
    'center' => array(
      'type' => 'region',
      'title' => 'Center',
      'width' => '100',
      'width_type' => '%',
      'parent' => 'main-row',
    ),
    'left' => array(
      'type' => 'region',
      'title' => 'Left',
      'width' => '220',
      'width_type' => 'px',
      'parent' => 'main-row',
    ),
  ),
);
$display->panel_settings = array(
  'center' => array(
    'style' => '-1',
  ),
  'style_settings' => array(),
);
$display->cache = array();
$display->title = 'Our Shows';
$display->hide_title = TRUE;
$display->content = array();
$display->panels = array();
  $pane = new stdClass;
  $pane->pid = 'new-1';
  $pane->panel = 'center';
  $pane->type = 'views';
  $pane->subtype = 'homepage_featured_shows';
  $pane->shown = TRUE;
  $pane->access = array();
  $pane->configuration = array(
    'nodes_per_page' => '10',
    'pager_id' => '1',
    'use_pager' => 0,
    'offset' => '0',
    'more_link' => 0,
    'feed_icons' => 0,
    'panel_args' => 0,
    'link_to_view' => 0,
    'args' => '',
    'url' => '',
    'display' => 'block_1',
    'override_title' => 1,
    'override_title_text' => 'Featured Shows',
  );
  $pane->cache = array();
  $pane->style = array();
  $pane->css = array();
  $pane->extras = array();
  $pane->position = 0;
  $display->content['new-1'] = $pane;
  $display->panels['center'][0] = 'new-1';
  $pane = new stdClass;
  $pane->pid = 'new-2';
  $pane->panel = 'center';
  $pane->type = 'panels_mini';
  $pane->subtype = 'our_shows_tabs';
  $pane->shown = TRUE;
  $pane->access = array();
  $pane->configuration = array(
    'override_title' => 1,
    'override_title_text' => 'Popular Shows',
  );
  $pane->cache = array();
  $pane->style = array();
  $pane->css = array();
  $pane->extras = array();
  $pane->position = 1;
  $display->content['new-2'] = $pane;
  $display->panels['center'][1] = 'new-2';
  $pane = new stdClass;
  $pane->pid = 'new-3';
  $pane->panel = 'left';
  $pane->type = 'block';
  $pane->subtype = 'taxonomy_list-7';
  $pane->shown = TRUE;
  $pane->access = array();
  $pane->configuration = array(
    'override_title' => 1,
    'override_title_text' => 'Categories',
  );
  $pane->cache = array();
  $pane->style = array();
  $pane->css = array();
  $pane->extras = array();
  $pane->position = 0;
  $display->content['new-3'] = $pane;
  $display->panels['left'][0] = 'new-3';
$handler->conf['display'] = $display;
$page->default_handlers[$handler->name] = $handler;
  $pages['our_shows'] = $page;




/*Tabs for the our shows page*/

$mini = new stdClass;
$mini->disabled = FALSE; /* Edit this to true to make a default mini disabled initially */
$mini->api_version = 1;
$mini->name = 'our_shows_tabs';
$mini->category = 'our shows';
$mini->title = 'Our Shows Tabs';
$mini->requiredcontexts = FALSE;
$mini->contexts = FALSE;
$mini->relationships = FALSE;
$display = new panels_display;
$display->layout = 'onecol';
$display->layout_settings = array();
$display->panel_settings = array(
  'middle' => array(
    'style' => 'tabs',
  ),
  'style_settings' => array(
    'middle' => array(
      'filling_tabs' => 'equal',
    ),
  ),
);
$display->cache = array();
$display->title = '';
$display->hide_title = FALSE;
$display->content = array();
$display->panels = array();
  $pane = new stdClass;
  $pane->pid = 'new-1';
  $pane->panel = 'middle';
  $pane->type = 'views';
  $pane->subtype = 'example_our_shows';
  $pane->shown = TRUE;
  $pane->access = array();
  $pane->configuration = array(
    'nodes_per_page' => '10',
    'pager_id' => '1',
    'use_pager' => 0,
    'offset' => '0',
    'more_link' => 0,
    'feed_icons' => 0,
    'panel_args' => 1,
    'link_to_view' => 0,
    'args' => 'biographies',
    'url' => '',
    'display' => 'page_1',
    'override_title' => 1,
    'override_title_text' => 'Biographies',
  );
  $pane->cache = array();
  $pane->style = array();
  $pane->css = array();
  $pane->extras = array();
  $pane->position = 0;
  $display->content['new-1'] = $pane;
  $display->panels['middle'][0] = 'new-1';
  $pane = new stdClass;
  $pane->pid = 'new-2';
  $pane->panel = 'middle';
  $pane->type = 'views';
  $pane->subtype = 'example_our_shows';
  $pane->shown = TRUE;
  $pane->access = array();
  $pane->configuration = array(
    'nodes_per_page' => '10',
    'pager_id' => '1',
    'use_pager' => 0,
    'offset' => '0',
    'more_link' => 0,
    'feed_icons' => 0,
    'panel_args' => 1,
    'link_to_view' => 0,
    'args' => 'entertainment',
    'url' => '',
    'display' => 'page_1',
    'override_title' => 1,
    'override_title_text' => 'Entertainment',
  );
  $pane->cache = array();
  $pane->style = array();
  $pane->css = array();
  $pane->extras = array();
  $pane->position = 1;
  $display->content['new-2'] = $pane;
  $display->panels['middle'][1] = 'new-2';
  $pane = new stdClass;
  $pane->pid = 'new-3';
  $pane->panel = 'middle';
  $pane->type = 'views';
  $pane->subtype = 'example_our_shows';
  $pane->shown = TRUE;
  $pane->access = array();
  $pane->configuration = array(
    'nodes_per_page' => '10',
    'pager_id' => '1',
    'use_pager' => 0,
    'offset' => '0',
    'more_link' => 0,
    'feed_icons' => 0,
    'panel_args' => 1,
    'link_to_view' => 0,
    'args' => 'music',
    'url' => '',
    'display' => 'page_1',
    'override_title' => 1,
    'override_title_text' => 'Music',
  );
  $pane->cache = array();
  $pane->style = array();
  $pane->css = array();
  $pane->extras = array();
  $pane->position = 2;
  $display->content['new-3'] = $pane;
  $display->panels['middle'][2] = 'new-3';
  $pane = new stdClass;
  $pane->pid = 'new-4';
  $pane->panel = 'middle';
  $pane->type = 'views';
  $pane->subtype = 'example_our_shows';
  $pane->shown = TRUE;
  $pane->access = array();
  $pane->configuration = array(
    'nodes_per_page' => '10',
    'pager_id' => '1',
    'use_pager' => 0,
    'offset' => '0',
    'more_link' => 0,
    'feed_icons' => 0,
    'panel_args' => 1,
    'link_to_view' => 0,
    'args' => 'comedy',
    'url' => '',
    'display' => 'page_1',
    'override_title' => 1,
    'override_title_text' => 'Comedy',
  );
  $pane->cache = array();
  $pane->style = array();
  $pane->css = array();
  $pane->extras = array();
  $pane->position = 3;
  $display->content['new-4'] = $pane;
  $display->panels['middle'][3] = 'new-4';
  $pane = new stdClass;
  $pane->pid = 'new-5';
  $pane->panel = 'middle';
  $pane->type = 'views';
  $pane->subtype = 'example_our_shows';
  $pane->shown = TRUE;
  $pane->access = array();
  $pane->configuration = array(
    'nodes_per_page' => '10',
    'pager_id' => '1',
    'use_pager' => 0,
    'offset' => '0',
    'more_link' => 0,
    'feed_icons' => 0,
    'panel_args' => 1,
    'link_to_view' => 0,
    'args' => 'inside stories',
    'url' => '',
    'display' => 'page_1',
    'override_title' => 1,
    'override_title_text' => 'Inside Stories',
  );
  $pane->cache = array();
  $pane->style = array();
  $pane->css = array();
  $pane->extras = array();
  $pane->position = 4;
  $display->content['new-5'] = $pane;
  $display->panels['middle'][4] = 'new-5';
  $mini->display = $display;
  
    $pages['our_shows_tabs'] = $page;


// END PAGE EXPORT ******************************************************/
 
  return $pages;
}

Seriously, the bulk export tool provides all the module hooks too. Try it.