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Software Evolution¶

Software tends to grow larger and larger. Even the small pet projects may end as the huge monsters. Software growth imposes new challenges:

Large amounts of code are hard to test and maintain.
Software is complex. Only small amount of functions is necessary for the single users' task. But all of them are present and consume the memory. Large amount of unused functions affect application load time.
Software should be extendable. Users would add the new functions to tie software to their needs. Third-party developers should offer the packs of the new functions.

Software developers adopted the modular approach decades ago. Functions may be groupped into larger units, called the modules. Sometimes, the modules form the groups, when each member of group interacts with the rest of application in similar way. The way of interaction is the interface. Interfaces are the barriers, separating parts of applications from each other. Each side of application may realize the part over the barries as the black box. Internals of the black box doesn't matter all all. Only the interface matters.

The breaktrough is the fact that such black boxes are changeable. Black box must perform some kind of function, regardless of implementation and of the final result. Just replace the box with another one and application will act differently. Black boxes is relatilevy small and observable and may be tested as the independed entity.

So the software may be designed as the orchestration core, which communnicates and distributes the tasks to the black boxes, leaving all the complexity and the dirty job to them.

We'd got rid of the complexity and the application may be extended in relatively easy way. But how to use only boxes necessary for the user's taks? How to replace the boxes? How to add the own ones?

Computer software industry has developed a mighty spell. Let's shout it: PLUGINS.

Plugins¶

Plugins are modules, sharing common interface and dedicated to particular kind of tasks. Developers may pack plugins along with application or distribute them as the separate packs.

The Loader¶

Gufo Loader is the simple Python library supplied with the best practices. Loader managed the Python plugins lifecycle in the clean and sound way. Application core may use the Loader to enumerate and load the plugins.

Depending on the requirements, Plugins may be:

Features¶

Clean dict-like API.
Full abstraction from the plugin internals.
Custom plugins.
Full Python typing support.
Editor completion.
Well-tested, battle-proven code.
100% test coverage.

On Gufo Stack¶

This product is a part of Gufo Stack - the collaborative effort led by Gufo Labs. Our goal is to create a robust and flexible set of tools to create network management software and automate routine administration tasks.

To do this, we extract the key technologies that have proven themselves in the NOC and bring them as separate packages. Then we work on API, performance tuning, documentation, and testing. The NOC uses the final result as the external dependencies.

Gufo Stack makes the NOC better, and this is our primary task. But other products can benefit from Gufo Stack too. So we believe that our effort will make the other network management products better.