15_Dynamic_Plugin_Internals

🔌 architecture: Dynamic Plugin Internals

BioPro's extensibility comes from its ability to discover, verify, and "hot-reload" Python packages at runtime. The ModuleManager acts as the gatekeeper for all third-party code.

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🏗 Plugin Discovery & Namespaces

BioPro looks for plugins in two distinct locations:

1. Internal Directory: Modules bundled with the application (e.g., in BioPro.app/Contents/Resources/biopro/plugins).
2. User Directory: Modules installed by the user (typically in ~/.biopro/plugins).

The Magic Namespace (biopro.plugins)

To make importing easy, BioPro dynamically merges these two folders into a single virtual Python namespace. This allows a plugin in your home folder to be imported as if it were part of the core package:

# Both internal and user-installed plugins are found here:
import biopro.plugins.my_cool_module

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🧪 The Loader Pipeline

When you click an Analysis Module in the Hub, BioPro triggers the Loader Pipeline:

1. Manifest Verification: The ModuleManager reads the manifest.json and ensures it satisfies the core version requirements.
2. Security Handover: The TrustManager verifies the plugin's signature and file integrity (see Security & Trust).
3. Dynamic Import: The importlib library loads the package into Python's memory.
4. Contract Enforcement: BioPro checks if the module satisfies the BioProPlugin Interface Contract (i.e., it has __version__, __plugin_id__, and get_panel_class()).
5. UI Injection: The main widget class is returned to the WorkspaceWindow and parented into the layout.

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🔥 Hot-Reloading

Unlike many legacy tools, BioPro doesn't require a restart when you install or update a plugin.

When the Nervous System (Event Bus) emits a PLUGIN_INSTALLED event:

1. ModuleManager clears its internal cache.
2. It uses importlib.reload logic to purge the old code from Python's sys.modules.
3. It rescans the disk for the new version.
4. The UI is updated instantly to reflect the change.

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🛠 Internal API Reference (biopro.core.module_manager)

ModuleManager(trust_manager)

Initializes the discovery engine and sets up the user-plugins namespace.

• get_available_modules(): Returns a list of all verified plugin manifests.
• load_module_ui(module_id): The "High-Risk" method. Performs security checks and imports the UI class into RAM.
• reload_modules(): Flushes the Python module cache and rescans the disk.
• trust_module(module_id): Upgrades an "Untrusted" module to "Personally Trusted" by snapshotting its current file hashes.