Feature/302 improve plugin ux

datalab/config.py

@@ -206,7 +206,9 @@ class MainSection(conf.Section, metaclass=conf.SectionMeta):
     current_tab = conf.Option()
     plugins_enabled = conf.Option()
     plugins_enabled_list = conf.Option()  # List of enabled plugin names
-    plugins_path = conf.Option()
+    plugins_path = conf.Option()  # Deprecated: single-directory string, kept for
+    # backward compatibility. Use plugins_path_list instead.
+    plugins_path_list = conf.Option()  # List of extra plugin directories
     tour_enabled = conf.Option()
     v020_plugins_warning_ignore = conf.Option()  # True: do not warn, False: warn
 
@@ -525,6 +527,59 @@ class Conf(conf.Configuration, metaclass=conf.ConfMeta):
     ai = AISection()
 
 
+def normalize_plugin_paths(paths: list[str] | tuple[str, ...] | None) -> list[str]:
+    """Normalize a list of plugin directories and drop duplicates/empties."""
+    normalized: list[str] = []
+    seen: set[str] = set()
+    for raw_path in paths or []:
+        if not raw_path:
+            continue
+        path = osp.normpath(osp.abspath(osp.expanduser(raw_path)))
+        if path in seen:
+            continue
+        seen.add(path)
+        normalized.append(path)
+    return normalized
+
+
+def get_user_plugin_paths() -> list[str]:
+    """Return user-configured extra plugin directories.
+
+    Reads from ``plugins_path_list`` (list of directories).  For backward
+    compatibility, the deprecated ``plugins_path`` single-directory string is
+    also merged into ``plugins_path_list`` if this is empty.
+    """
+    fixed_default = osp.normpath(Conf.get_path("plugins"))
+
+    # New list-based option (primary)
+    path_list = Conf.main.plugins_path_list.get([])
+    if path_list is None:
+        path_list = []
+    candidates = list(path_list)
+
+    # Migrate deprecated single-directory option into the list
+    legacy_path = Conf.main.plugins_path.get("")
+    if legacy_path and isinstance(legacy_path, str):
+        norm_legacy = osp.normpath(osp.abspath(osp.expanduser(legacy_path)))
+        if not candidates and norm_legacy != fixed_default:
+            candidates.append(legacy_path)
+            Conf.main.plugins_path_list.set(candidates)
+
+    normalized = normalize_plugin_paths(candidates)
+    return [path for path in normalized if path != fixed_default]
+
+
+def set_user_plugin_paths(paths: list[str] | tuple[str, ...]) -> None:
+    """Persist user-configured extra plugin directories.
+
+    Writes to ``plugins_path_list``.  The deprecated ``plugins_path`` is left
+    untouched so that older DataLab versions can still find at least one
+    user-configured directory.
+    """
+    normalized = normalize_plugin_paths(list(paths))
+    Conf.main.plugins_path_list.set(normalized)
+
+
 def get_old_log_fname(fname):
     """Return old log fname from current log fname"""
     return osp.splitext(fname)[0] + ".1.log"
@@ -555,7 +610,8 @@ def initialize():
     Conf.main.plugins_enabled_list.get(
         None
     )  # None = all enabled, [] = none, list = specific
-    Conf.main.plugins_path.get(Conf.get_path("plugins"))
+    Conf.main.plugins_path.get("")  # Deprecated: kept for backward compat
+    Conf.main.plugins_path_list.get([])
     Conf.main.tour_enabled.get(True)
     Conf.main.v020_plugins_warning_ignore.get(False)
     # Console section

datalab/gui/main.py

@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 import time
 import traceback
 import webbrowser
+from datetime import datetime
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 
 import guidata.dataset as gds
@@ -158,6 +159,8 @@ def __init__(self, console=None, hide_on_close=False):  # pylint: disable=too-ma
         execenv.log(self, "Starting initialization")
 
         self.ready_flag = True
+        self.started_at = datetime.now().astimezone()
+        self.plugins_last_load_at = self.started_at
 
         self.hide_on_close = hide_on_close
         self.__old_size: tuple[int, int] | None = None
@@ -1051,6 +1054,10 @@ def __register_plugins(self) -> None:
         # None = all plugins enabled (default), [] = no plugins, list = specific plugins
         enabled_list = Conf.main.plugins_enabled_list.get(None)
 
+        if not Conf.main.plugins_enabled.get():
+            self.plugins_last_load_at = datetime.now().astimezone()
+            return
+
         for plugin_class in PluginRegistry.get_plugin_classes():
             try:
                 # Check if plugin is enabled before instantiation
@@ -1092,6 +1099,8 @@ def __register_plugins(self) -> None:
                     plugin_class.__name__, filepath or "", tb_text
                 )
 
+        self.plugins_last_load_at = datetime.now().astimezone()
+
     def __flush_startup_errors(self) -> None:
         """Write any buffered startup errors to the internal console.
 
@@ -1129,6 +1138,11 @@ def __configure_plugins(self) -> None:
         dialog = PluginConfigDialog(self)
         dialog.exec()
 
+    def set_plugins_enabled(self, enabled: bool) -> None:
+        """Apply the global third-party plugin enabled state."""
+        Conf.main.plugins_enabled.set(enabled)
+        self.__apply_plugins_enabled_setting()
+
     def reload_plugins(self) -> None:
         """Reload third-party plugins at runtime.
 
@@ -1143,8 +1157,9 @@ def reload_plugins(self) -> None:
                     self,
                     _("Plugins"),
                     _(
-                        "Third-party plugins are disabled. Enable them in the "
-                        "Settings dialog to use this feature."
+                        "Third-party plugins are disabled. Enable them again "
+                        "from the plugin configuration dialog to use this "
+                        "feature."
                     ),
                 )
                 return
@@ -1220,6 +1235,7 @@ def reload_plugins(self) -> None:
             # Update plugin status in the status bar
             self.pluginstatus.update_status()
             self.__update_plugins_availability()
+            self.plugins_last_load_at = datetime.now().astimezone()
 
     def __configure_statusbar(self, console: bool) -> None:
         """Configure status bar
@@ -1255,12 +1271,11 @@ def __update_plugins_availability(self) -> None:
         """Update plugin-related UI according to third-party plugin setting."""
         plugins_enabled = Conf.main.plugins_enabled.get()
 
-        if self.plugins_menu is not None:
-            self.plugins_menu.setEnabled(plugins_enabled)
+        if self.reload_plugins_action is not None:
+            self.reload_plugins_action.setEnabled(plugins_enabled)
 
-        for action in (self.reload_plugins_action, self.configure_plugins_action):
-            if action is not None:
-                action.setEnabled(plugins_enabled)
+        if self.configure_plugins_action is not None:
+            self.configure_plugins_action.setEnabled(True)
 
         if hasattr(self, "pluginstatus") and self.pluginstatus is not None:
             self.pluginstatus.update_status()
@@ -1277,11 +1292,6 @@ def __apply_plugins_enabled_setting(self) -> None:
         for panel in (self.signalpanel, self.imagepanel):
             panel.acthandler.clear_plugin_actions()
 
-        PluginRegistry.clear_plugin_classes()
-        PluginRegistry.clear_failed_plugins()
-        PluginRegistry.clear_discovery_errors()
-        self._startup_errors.clear()
-
         self.__update_actions(update_other_data_panel=True)
         self.__update_plugins_availability()
 
@@ -1867,8 +1877,6 @@ def __update_actions(self, update_other_data_panel: bool = False) -> None:
         panel.selection_changed()
         self.signalpanel_toolbar.setVisible(is_signal)
         self.imagepanel_toolbar.setVisible(not is_signal)
-        if self.plugins_menu is not None:
-            self.plugins_menu.setEnabled(Conf.main.plugins_enabled.get())
 
     def __tab_index_changed(self, index: int) -> None:
         """Switch from signal to image mode, or vice-versa"""
@@ -1898,12 +1906,11 @@ def __update_generic_menu(self, menu: QW.QMenu | None = None) -> None:
         # no plugin has registered actions yet (so that new plugins can be
         # discovered after they are added on disk).
         if menu is self.plugins_menu:
-            if Conf.main.plugins_enabled.get():
-                actions = list(actions) + [
-                    None,
-                    self.configure_plugins_action,
-                    self.reload_plugins_action,
-                ]
+            actions = list(actions) + [
+                None,
+                self.configure_plugins_action,
+                self.reload_plugins_action,
+            ]
         add_actions(menu, actions)
 
     def __update_file_menu(self) -> None:
@@ -2513,8 +2520,6 @@ def __edit_settings(self) -> None:  # pylint: disable=too-many-branches,too-many
                 self.__update_color_mode()
             if option == "show_console_on_error":
                 self.__update_console_show_mode()
-            if option == "plugins_enabled":
-                self.__apply_plugins_enabled_setting()
             if option == "plot_toolbar_position":
                 for dock in self.docks.values():
                     widget = dock.widget()