psychopy 2025.2.4__py3-none-any.whl

psychopy/plugins/__init__.py

@@ -0,0 +1,1397 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+# Part of the PsychoPy library
+# Copyright (C) 2002-2018 Jonathan Peirce (C) 2019-2025 Open Science Tools Ltd.
+# Distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL).
+"""Utilities for extending PsychoPy with plugins."""
+
+__all__ = [
+    'PluginStub',
+    'PluginRequiredError',
+    'loadPlugin',
+    'listPlugins',
+    'installPlugin',
+    'computeChecksum',
+    'startUpPlugins',
+    'pluginMetadata',
+    'pluginEntryPoints',
+    'scanPlugins',
+    'requirePlugin',
+    'isPluginLoaded',
+    'isStartUpPlugin',
+    'activatePlugins',
+    'discoverModuleClasses',
+    'getBundleInstallTarget',
+    'refreshBundlePaths'
+]
+
+import os
+from pathlib import Path
+import sys
+import inspect
+import collections
+import hashlib
+import importlib, importlib.metadata
+from psychopy import logging
+from psychopy.preferences import prefs
+from .util import PluginStub, PluginRequiredError
+
+# Configure the environment to use our custom site-packages location for
+# user-installed packages (i.e. plugins).
+USER_PACKAGES_PATH = str(prefs.paths['userPackages'])
+# check if we're in a virtual environment or not
+inVenv = hasattr(sys, 'real_prefix') or sys.prefix != sys.base_prefix
+
+# add the plugins folder to the path
+if not inVenv and USER_PACKAGES_PATH not in sys.path:
+    sys.path.insert(0, USER_PACKAGES_PATH)  # add to path
+
+# Keep track of plugins that have been loaded. Keys are plugin names and values
+# are their entry point mappings.
+_loaded_plugins_ = collections.OrderedDict()  # use OrderedDict for Py2 compatibility
+
+# Entry points for all plugins installed on the system, this is populated by
+# calling `scanPlugins`. We are caching entry points to avoid having to rescan
+# packages for them.
+_installed_plugins_ = collections.OrderedDict()
+
+# Keep track of plugins that failed to load here
+_failed_plugins_ = []
+
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Functions
+#
+
+def getEntryPointGroup(group, subgroups=False):
+    """
+    Get all entry points which target a specific group.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    group : str
+        Group to look for (e.g. "psychopy.experiment.components" for plugin Components)
+    subgroups : bool
+        If True, then will also look for subgroups (e.g. "psychopy.experiment" will also return
+        entry points for "psychopy.experiment.components")
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    list[importlib.metadata.Entrypoint]
+        List of EntryPoint objects for the given group
+    """
+    # start off with no entry points or sections
+    entryPoints = []
+
+    if subgroups:
+        # if searching subgroups, iterate through entry point groups
+        for thisGroup, eps in importlib.metadata.entry_points().items():
+            # get entry points within matching group
+            if thisGroup.startswith(group):
+                # add to list of all entry points
+                entryPoints += eps
+    else:
+        # otherwise, just get the requested group
+        entryPoints += importlib.metadata.entry_points().get(group, [])
+
+    return entryPoints
+
+
+def resolveObjectFromName(name, basename=None, resolve=True, error=True):
+    """Get an object within a module's namespace using a fully-qualified or
+    relative dotted name.
+
+    This function is mainly used to get objects associated with entry point
+    groups, so entry points can be assigned to them. It traverses through
+    objects along `name` until it reaches the end, then returns a reference to
+    that object.
+
+    You can also use this function to dynamically import modules and fully
+    realize target names without needing to call ``import`` on intermediate
+    modules. For instance, by calling the following::
+
+        Window = resolveObjectFromName('psychopy.visual.Window')
+
+    The function will first import `psychopy.visual` then get a reference to the
+    unbound `Window` class within it and assign it to `Window`.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    name : str
+        Fully-qualified or relative name to the object (eg.
+        `psychopy.visual.Window` or `.Window`). If name is relative, `basename`
+        must be specified.
+    basename : str, ModuleType or None
+        If `name` is relative (starts with '.'), `basename` should be the
+        `__name__` of the module or reference to the module itself `name` is
+        relative to. Leave `None` if `name` is already fully qualified.
+    resolve : bool
+        If `resolve=True`, any name encountered along the way that isn't present
+        will be assumed to be a module and imported. This guarantees the target
+        object is fully-realized and reachable if the target is valid. If
+        `False`, this function will fail if the `name` is not reachable and
+        raise an error or return `None` if `error=False`.
+    error : bool
+        Raise an error if an object is not reachable. If `False`, this function
+        will return `None` instead and suppress the error. This may be useful in
+        cases where having access to the target object is a "soft" requirement
+        and the program can still operate without it.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    object
+        Object referred to by the name. Returns `None` if the object is not
+        reachable and `error=False`.
+
+    Raises
+    ------
+    ModuleNotFoundError
+        The base module the FQN is referring to has not been imported.
+    NameError
+        The provided name does not point to a valid object.
+    ValueError
+        A relative name was given to `name` but `basename` was not specified.
+
+    Examples
+    --------
+    Get a reference to the `psychopy.visual.Window` class (will import `visual`
+    in doing so)::
+
+        Window = resolveObjectFromName('psychopy.visual.Window')
+
+    Get the `Window` class if `name` is relative to `basename`::
+
+        import psychopy.visual as visual
+        Window = resolveObjectFromName('.Window', visual)
+
+    Check if an object exists::
+
+        Window = resolveObjectFromName(
+            'psychopy.visual.Window',
+            resolve=False,  # False since we don't want to import anything
+            error=False)  # suppress error, makes function return None
+
+        if Window is None:
+            print('Window has not been imported yet!')
+
+    """
+    # make sure a basename is given if relative
+    if name.startswith('.') and basename is None:
+        raise ValueError('`name` specifies a relative name but `basename` is '
+                         'not specified.')
+
+    # if basename is a module object
+    if inspect.ismodule(basename):
+        basename = basename.__name__
+
+    # get fqn and split
+    fqn = (basename + name if basename is not None else name).split(".")
+
+    # get the object the fqn refers to
+    try:
+        objref = sys.modules[fqn[0]]  # base name
+    except KeyError:
+        raise ModuleNotFoundError(
+            'Base module cannot be found, has it been imported yet?')
+
+    # walk through the FQN to get the object it refers to
+    path = fqn[0]
+    for attr in fqn[1:]:
+        path += '.' + attr
+        if not hasattr(objref, attr):
+            # try importing the module
+            if resolve:
+                try:
+                    importlib.import_module(path)
+                except ImportError:
+                    if not error:  # return if suppressing error
+                        return None
+                    raise NameError(
+                        "Specified `name` does not reference a valid object or "
+                        "is unreachable.")
+            else:
+                if not error:  # return None if we want to suppress errors
+                    return None
+                raise NameError(
+                    "Specified `name` does not reference a valid object or is "
+                    "unreachable.")
+
+        objref = getattr(objref, attr)
+
+    return objref
+
+
+def computeChecksum(fpath, method='sha256', writeOut=None):
+    """Compute the checksum hash/key for a given package.
+
+    Authors of PsychoPy plugins can use this function to compute a checksum
+    hash and users can use it to check the integrity of their packages.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    fpath : str
+        Path to the plugin package or file.
+    method : str
+        Hashing method to use, values are 'md5' or 'sha256'. Default is
+        'sha256'.
+    writeOut : str
+        Path to a text file to write checksum data to. If the file exists, the
+        data will be written as a line at the end of the file.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    str
+        Checksum hash digested to hexadecimal format.
+
+    Examples
+    --------
+    Compute a checksum for a package and write it to a file::
+
+        with open('checksum.txt', 'w') as f:
+            f.write(computeChecksum(
+                '/path/to/plugin/psychopy_plugin-1.0-py3.6.egg'))
+
+    """
+    methodObj = {'md5': hashlib.md5,
+                 'sha256': hashlib.sha256}
+
+    hashobj = methodObj[method]()
+    with open(fpath, "rb") as f:
+        chunk = f.read(4096)
+        while chunk != b"":
+            chunk = f.read(4096)
+            hashobj.update(chunk)
+
+    checksumStr = hashobj.hexdigest()
+
+    if writeOut is not None:
+        with open(writeOut, 'a') as f:
+            f.write('\n' + checksumStr)
+
+    return checksumStr
+
+
+def getBundleInstallTarget(projectName):
+    """Get the path to a bundle given a package name.
+
+    This returns the installation path for a bundle with the specified project
+    name. This is used to either generate installation target directories.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    projectName : str
+        Project name for the main package within the bundle.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    str
+        Path to the bundle with a given project name. Project name is converted
+        to a 'safe name'.
+
+    """
+    return os.path.join(
+        prefs.paths['packages'], projectName)
+
+
+def refreshBundlePaths():
+    """Find package bundles within the PsychoPy user plugin directory.
+
+    This finds subdirectories inside the PsychoPy user package directory
+    containing distributions, then add them to the search path for packages.
+
+    These are referred to as 'bundles' since each subdirectory contains the
+    plugin package code and all extra dependencies related to it. This allows
+    plugins to be uninstalled cleanly along with all their supporting libraries.
+    A directory is considered a bundle if it contains a package at the top-level
+    whose project name matches the name of the directory. If not, the directory
+    will not be appended to `sys.path`.
+
+    This is called implicitly when :func:`scanPlugins()` is called.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    list
+        List of bundle names found in the plugin directory which have been
+        added to `sys.path`.
+
+    """
+    pluginBaseDir = prefs.paths['packages']  # directory packages are in
+
+    foundBundles = []
+    pluginTopLevelDirs = os.listdir(pluginBaseDir)
+    for pluginDir in pluginTopLevelDirs:
+        fullPath = os.path.join(pluginBaseDir, pluginDir)
+        allDists = importlib.metadata.distributions(path=pluginDir)
+        if not allDists:  # no packages found, move on
+            continue
+
+        # does the sud-directory contain an appropriately named distribution?
+        validDist = False
+        for dist in allDists:
+            if sys.version.startswith("3.8"):
+                distName = dist.metadata['name']
+            else:
+                distName = dist.name
+            validDist = validDist or distName == pluginDir
+        if not validDist:
+            continue
+
+        # add to path if the subdir has a valid distribution in it
+        if fullPath not in sys.path:
+            sys.path.append(fullPath)  # add to path
+
+        foundBundles.append(pluginDir)
+
+    # refresh package index since the working set is now stale
+    scanPlugins()
+
+    return foundBundles
+
+
+def getPluginConfigPath(plugin):
+    """Get the path to the configuration file for a plugin.
+
+    This function returns the path to folder alloted to a plugin for storing
+    configuration files. This is useful for plugins that require user settings
+    to be stored in a file.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    plugin : str
+        Name of the plugin package to get the configuration file for.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    str
+        Path to the configuration file for the plugin.
+
+    """
+    # check if the plugin is installed first
+    if plugin not in _installed_plugins_:
+        raise ValueError("Plugin `{}` is not installed.".format(plugin))
+    
+    # get the config directory
+    import pathlib
+    configDir = pathlib.Path(prefs.paths['configs']) / 'plugins' / plugin
+    configDir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+
+    return configDir
+
+
+def installPlugin(package, local=True, upgrade=False, forceReinstall=False,
+                  noDeps=False):
+    """Install a plugin package.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    package : str
+        Name or path to distribution of the plugin package to install.
+    local : bool
+        If `True`, install the package locally to the PsychoPy user plugin 
+        directory.
+    upgrade : bool
+        Upgrade the specified package to the newest available version.
+    forceReinstall : bool
+        If `True`, the package and all it's dependencies will be reinstalled if
+        they are present in the current distribution.
+    noDeps : bool
+        Don't install dependencies if `True`.
+
+    """
+    # determine where to install the package
+    installWhere = USER_PACKAGES_PATH if local else None
+    import psychopy.tools.pkgtools as pkgtools
+    pkgtools.installPackage(
+        package, 
+        target=installWhere,
+        upgrade=upgrade,
+        forceReinstall=forceReinstall,
+        noDeps=noDeps)
+
+
+def scanPlugins():
+    """Scan the system for installed plugins.
+
+    This function scans installed packages for the current Python environment
+    and looks for ones that specify PsychoPy entry points in their metadata.
+    Afterwards, you can call :func:`listPlugins()` to list them and
+    `loadPlugin()` to load them into the current session. This function is
+    called automatically when PsychoPy starts, so you do not need to call this
+    unless packages have been added since the session began.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    int
+        Number of plugins found during the scan. Calling `listPlugins()` will
+        return the names of the found plugins.
+
+    """
+    global _installed_plugins_
+    _installed_plugins_ = {}  # clear the cache
+    # iterate through installed packages
+    for dist in importlib.metadata.distributions(path=sys.path + [USER_PACKAGES_PATH]):
+        # map all entry points
+        for ep in dist.entry_points:
+            # skip entry points which don't target PsychoPy
+            if not ep.group.startswith("psychopy"):
+                continue
+            # make sure we have an entry for this distribution
+            if sys.version.startswith("3.8") or sys.version.startswith("3.9"):
+                distName = dist.metadata['name']
+            else:
+                distName = dist.name
+            if distName not in _installed_plugins_:
+                _installed_plugins_[distName] = {}
+            # make sure we have an entry for this group
+            if ep.group not in _installed_plugins_[distName]:
+                _installed_plugins_[distName][ep.group] = {}
+            # map entry point
+            _installed_plugins_[distName][ep.group][ep.name] = ep
+    
+    return len(_installed_plugins_)
+
+
+def listPlugins(which='all'):
+    """Get a list of installed or loaded PsychoPy plugins.
+
+    This function lists either all potential plugin packages installed on the
+    system, those registered to be loaded automatically when PsychoPy starts, or
+    those that have been previously loaded successfully this session.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    which : str
+        Category to list plugins. If 'all', all plugins installed on the system
+        will be listed, whether they have been loaded or not. If 'loaded', only
+        plugins that have been previously loaded successfully this session will
+        be listed. If 'startup', plugins registered to be loaded when a PsychoPy
+        session starts will be listed, whether or not they have been loaded this
+        session. If 'unloaded', plugins that have not been loaded but are
+        installed will be listed. If 'failed', returns a list of plugin names
+        that attempted to load this session but failed for some reason.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    list
+        Names of PsychoPy related plugins as strings. You can load all installed
+        plugins by passing list elements to `loadPlugin`.
+
+    See Also
+    --------
+    loadPlugin : Load a plugin into the current session.
+
+    Examples
+    --------
+    Load all plugins installed on the system into the current session (assumes
+    all plugins don't require any additional arguments passed to them)::
+
+        for plugin in plugins.listPlugins():
+            plugins.loadPlugin(plugin)
+
+    If certain plugins take arguments, you can do this give specific arguments
+    when loading all plugins::
+
+        pluginArgs = {'some-plugin': (('someArg',), {'setup': True, 'spam': 10})}
+        for plugin in plugins.listPlugins():
+            try:
+                args, kwargs = pluginArgs[plugin]
+                plugins.loadPlugin(plugin, *args, **kwargs)
+            except KeyError:
+                plugins.loadPlugin(plugin)
+
+    Check if a plugin package named `plugin-test` is installed on the system and
+    has entry points into PsychoPy::
+
+        if 'plugin-test' in plugins.listPlugins():
+            print("Plugin installed!")
+
+    Check if all plugins registered to be loaded on startup are currently
+    active::
+
+        if not all([p in listPlugins('loaded') for p in listPlugins('startup')]):
+            print('Please restart your PsychoPy session for plugins to take effect.')
+
+    """
+    if which not in ('all', 'startup', 'loaded', 'unloaded', 'failed'):
+        raise ValueError("Invalid value specified to argument `which`.")
+
+    if which == 'loaded':  # only list plugins we have already loaded
+        return list(_loaded_plugins_.keys())
+    elif which == 'startup':
+        return list(prefs.general['startUpPlugins'])  # copy this
+    elif which == 'unloaded':
+        return [p for p in listPlugins('all') if p in listPlugins('loaded')]
+    elif which == 'failed':
+        return list(_failed_plugins_)  # copy
+    else:
+        return list(_installed_plugins_.keys())
+
+
+def isPluginLoaded(plugin):
+    """Check if a plugin has been previously loaded successfully by a
+    :func:`loadPlugin` call.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    plugin : str
+        Name of the plugin package to check if loaded. This usually refers to
+        the package or project name.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    bool
+        `True` if a plugin was successfully loaded and active, else `False`.
+
+    See Also
+    --------
+    loadPlugin : Load a plugin into the current session.
+
+    """
+    return plugin in listPlugins(which='loaded')
+
+
+def isStartUpPlugin(plugin):
+    """Check if a plugin is registered to be loaded when PsychoPy starts.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    plugin : str
+        Name of the plugin package to check. This usually refers to the package
+        or project name.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    bool
+        `True` if a plugin is registered to be loaded when a PsychoPy session
+        starts, else `False`.
+
+    Examples
+    --------
+    Check if a plugin was loaded successfully at startup::
+
+        pluginName = 'psychopy-plugin'
+        if isStartUpPlugin(pluginName) and isPluginLoaded(pluginName):
+            print('Plugin successfully loaded at startup.')
+
+    """
+    return plugin in listPlugins(which='startup')
+
+
+def loadPlugin(plugin):
+    """Load a plugin to extend PsychoPy.
+
+    Plugins are packages which extend upon PsychoPy's existing functionality by
+    dynamically importing code at runtime, without modifying the existing
+    installation files. Plugins create or redefine objects in the namespaces
+    of modules (eg. `psychopy.visual`) and unbound classes, allowing them to be
+    used as if they were part of PsychoPy. In some cases, objects exported by
+    plugins will be registered for a particular function if they define entry
+    points into specific modules.
+
+    Plugins are simply Python packages,`loadPlugin` will search for them in
+    directories specified in `sys.path`. Only packages which define entry points
+    in their metadata which pertain to PsychoPy can be loaded with this
+    function. This function also permits passing optional arguments to a
+    callable object in the plugin module to run any initialization routines
+    prior to loading entry points.
+
+    This function is robust, simply returning `True` or `False` whether a
+    plugin has been fully loaded or not. If a plugin fails to load, the reason
+    for it will be written to the log as a warning or error, and the application
+    will continue running. This may be undesirable in some cases, since features
+    the plugin provides may be needed at some point and would lead to undefined
+    behavior if not present. If you want to halt the application if a plugin
+    fails to load, consider using :func:`requirePlugin` to assert that a plugin
+    is loaded before continuing.
+
+    It is advised that you use this function only when using PsychoPy as a
+    library. If using the Builder or Coder GUI, it is recommended that you use
+    the plugin dialog to enable plugins for PsychoPy sessions spawned by the
+    experiment runner. However, you can still use this function if you want to
+    load additional plugins for a given experiment, having their effects
+    isolated from the main application and other experiments.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    plugin : str
+        Name of the plugin package to load. This usually refers to the package
+        or project name.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    bool
+        `True` if the plugin has valid entry points and was loaded successfully.
+        Also returns `True` if the plugin was already loaded by a previous
+        `loadPlugin` call this session, this function will have no effect in
+        this case. `False` is returned if the plugin defines no entry points
+        specific to PsychoPy or crashed (an error is logged).
+
+    Warnings
+    --------
+    Make sure that plugins installed on your system are from reputable sources,
+    as they may contain malware! PsychoPy is not responsible for undefined
+    behaviour or bugs associated with the use of 3rd party plugins.
+
+    See Also
+    --------
+    listPlugins : Search for and list installed or loaded plugins.
+    requirePlugin : Require a plugin be previously loaded.
+
+    Examples
+    --------
+    Load a plugin by specifying its package/project name::
+
+        loadPlugin('psychopy-hardware-box')
+
+    You can give arguments to this function which are passed on to the plugin::
+
+        loadPlugin('psychopy-hardware-box', switchOn=True, baudrate=9600)
+
+    You can use the value returned from `loadPlugin` to determine if the plugin
+    is installed and supported by the platform::
+
+        hasPlugin = loadPlugin('psychopy-hardware-box')
+        if hasPlugin:
+            # initialize objects which require the plugin here ...
+
+    """
+    global _loaded_plugins_, _failed_plugins_
+
+    if isPluginLoaded(plugin):
+        logging.info('Plugin `{}` already loaded. Skipping.'.format(plugin))
+        return True  # already loaded, return True
+
+    try:
+        entryMap = _installed_plugins_[plugin]
+    except KeyError:
+        logging.warning(
+            'Package `{}` does not appear to be a valid plugin. '
+            'Skipping.'.format(plugin))
+        if plugin not in _failed_plugins_:
+            _failed_plugins_.append(plugin)
+
+        return False
+
+    if not any([i.startswith('psychopy') for i in entryMap.keys()]):
+        logging.warning(
+            'Specified package `{}` defines no entry points for PsychoPy. '
+            'Skipping.'.format(plugin))
+
+        if plugin not in _failed_plugins_:
+            _failed_plugins_.append(plugin)
+
+        return False  # can't do anything more here, so return
+
+    # go over entry points, looking for objects explicitly for psychopy
+    validEntryPoints = collections.OrderedDict()  # entry points to assign
+    for fqn, attrs in entryMap.items():
+        if not fqn.startswith('psychopy'):
+            continue
+
+        # forbid plugins from modifying this module
+        if fqn.startswith('psychopy.plugins') or \
+                (fqn == 'psychopy' and 'plugins' in attrs):
+            logging.error(
+                "Plugin `{}` declares entry points into the `psychopy.plugins` "
+                "module which is forbidden. Skipping.".format(plugin))
+
+            if plugin not in _failed_plugins_:
+                _failed_plugins_.append(plugin)
+
+            return False
+
+        # Get the object the fully-qualified name points to the group which the
+        # plugin wants to modify.
+        targObj = resolveObjectFromName(fqn, error=False)
+        if targObj is None:
+            logging.error(
+                "Plugin `{}` specified entry point group `{}` that does not "
+                "exist or is unreachable.".format(plugin, fqn))
+
+            if plugin not in _failed_plugins_:
+                _failed_plugins_.append(plugin)
+
+            return False
+
+        validEntryPoints[fqn] = []
+
+        # Import modules assigned to entry points and load those entry points.
+        # We don't assign anything to PsychoPy's namespace until we are sure
+        # that the entry points are valid. This prevents plugins from being
+        # partially loaded which can cause all sorts of undefined behaviour.
+        for attr, ep in attrs.items():
+            try:
+                # parse the module name from the entry point value
+                if ':' in ep.value:
+                    module_name, _ = ep.value.split(':', 1)
+                else:
+                    module_name = ep.value
+                module_name = module_name.split(".")[0]
+            except ValueError:
+                logging.error(
+                    "Plugin `{}` entry point `{}` is not formatted correctly. "
+                    "Skipping.".format(plugin, ep))
+
+                if plugin not in _failed_plugins_:
+                    _failed_plugins_.append(plugin)
+
+                return False
+
+            # Load the module the entry point belongs to, this happens
+            # anyways when .load() is called, but we get to access it before
+            # we start binding. If the module has already been loaded, don't
+            # do this again.
+            if module_name not in sys.modules:
+                # Do stuff before loading entry points here, any executable code
+                # in the module will run to configure it.
+                try:
+                    imp = importlib.import_module(module_name)
+                except (ModuleNotFoundError, ImportError):
+                    importSuccess = False
+                    logging.error(
+                        "Plugin `{}` entry point requires module `{}`, but it "
+                        "cannot be imported.".format(plugin, module_name))
+                except:
+                    importSuccess = False
+                    logging.error(
+                        "Plugin `{}` entry point requires module `{}`, but an "
+                        "error occurred while loading it.".format(
+                            plugin, module_name))
+                else:
+                    importSuccess = True
+
+                if not importSuccess:  # if we failed to import
+                    if plugin not in _failed_plugins_:
+                        _failed_plugins_.append(plugin)
+
+                    return False
+
+            # Ensure that we are not wholesale replacing an existing module.
+            # We want plugins to be explicit about what they are changing.
+            # This makes sure plugins play nice with each other, only
+            # making changes to existing code where needed. However, plugins
+            # are allowed to add new modules to the namespaces of existing
+            # ones.
+            if hasattr(targObj, attr):
+                # handle what to do if an attribute exists already here ...
+                if inspect.ismodule(getattr(targObj, attr)):
+                    logging.warning(
+                        "Plugin `{}` attempted to override module `{}`.".format(
+                            plugin, fqn + '.' + attr))
+
+                    # if plugin not in _failed_plugins_:
+                    #     _failed_plugins_.append(plugin)
+                    #
+                    # return False
+            # log that we're loading the entry point
+            logging.debug(
+                f"Registering entry point {ep.value} (from {plugin}) to {ep.group}:{ep.name}"
+            )
+            try:
+                mod = ep.load()  # load the entry point
+
+                # Raise a warning if the plugin is being loaded from a zip file.
+                if '.zip' in inspect.getfile(mod):
+                    logging.warning(
+                        "Plugin `{}` is being loaded from a zip file. This may "
+                        "cause issues with the plugin's functionality.".format(plugin))
+            except Exception as err:
+                # generic start of message
+                msg = f"Skipping entry point {ep.value} (from {plugin}) to {ep.group}:{ep.name}"
+                # append reason
+                if isinstance(err, ImportError):
+                    msg += f" as {ep.value} cannot be imported ({err})."
+                else:
+                    msg += f", reason: {err}"
+                # log message
+                logging.error(msg)
+
+                if plugin not in _failed_plugins_:
+                    _failed_plugins_.append(plugin)
+
+                continue
+            else:
+                ep = mod
+
+            # If we get here, the entry point is valid and we can safely add it
+            # to PsychoPy's namespace.
+            validEntryPoints[fqn].append((targObj, attr, ep))
+
+    # Assign entry points that have been successfully loaded. We defer
+    # assignment until all entry points are deemed valid to prevent plugins
+    # from being partially loaded.
+    for fqn, vals in validEntryPoints.items():
+        for targObj, attr, ep in vals:
+            # add the object to the module or unbound class
+            setattr(targObj, attr, ep)
+            logging.debug(
+                "Assigning the entry point `{}` to `{}`.".format(
+                    ep.__name__, fqn + '.' + attr))
+
+            # --- handle special cases ---
+            # Note - We're going to handle special cases here for now, but
+            # this will eventually be handled by special functions in the 
+            # target modules (e.g. `getAllPhotometers()` in 
+            # `psychopy.hardware.photometer`) which can detect the loaded 
+            # attribute inside the module and add it to a collection.
+
+            if fqn == 'psychopy.visual.backends':  # if window backend
+                _registerWindowBackend(attr, ep)
+            elif fqn == 'psychopy.experiment.components':  # if component
+                _registerBuilderComponent(ep)
+            elif fqn == 'psychopy.experiment.routine':  # if component
+                _registerBuilderStandaloneRoutine(ep)
+            elif fqn == 'psychopy.hardware.photometer':  # photometer
+                _registerPhotometer(ep)
+            elif fqn == "psychopy.app.themes.icons":
+                # get module folder
+                folder = Path(ep.__file__).parent
+                # add all matching .png files from that folder
+                for file in folder.glob(f"**/*.png"):
+                    targObj.pluginIconFiles.append(file)
+
+    # Retain information about the plugin's entry points, we will use this for
+    # conflict resolution.
+    _loaded_plugins_[plugin] = entryMap
+
+    # If we made it here on a previously failed plugin, it was likely fixed and
+    # can be removed from the list.
+    if plugin not in _failed_plugins_:
+        try:
+            _failed_plugins_.remove(plugin)
+        except ValueError:
+            pass
+
+    return True
+
+
+def requirePlugin(plugin):
+    """Require a plugin to be already loaded.
+
+    This function can be used to ensure if a plugin has already been loaded and
+    is ready for use, raising an exception and ending the session if not.
+
+    This function compliments :func:`loadPlugin`, which does not halt the
+    application if plugin fails to load. This allows PsychoPy to continue
+    working, giving the user a chance to deal with the problem (either by
+    disabling or fixing the plugins). However, :func:`requirePlugin` can be used
+    to guard against undefined behavior caused by a failed or partially loaded
+    plugin by raising an exception before any code that uses the plugin's
+    features is executed.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    plugin : str
+        Name of the plugin package to require. This usually refers to the package
+        or project name.
+
+    Raises
+    ------
+    RuntimeError
+        Plugin has not been previously loaded this session.
+
+    See Also
+    --------
+    loadPlugin : Load a plugin into the current session.
+
+    Examples
+    --------
+    Ensure plugin `psychopy-plugin` is loaded at this point in the session::
+
+        requirePlugin('psychopy-plugin')  # error if not loaded
+
+    You can catch the error and try to handle the situation by::
+
+        try:
+            requirePlugin('psychopy-plugin')
+        except RuntimeError:
+            # do something about it ...
+
+    """
+    if not isPluginLoaded(plugin):
+        raise RuntimeError('Required plugin `{}` has not been loaded.'.format(
+            plugin))
+
+
+def startUpPlugins(plugins, add=True, verify=True):
+    """Specify which plugins should be loaded automatically when a PsychoPy
+    session starts.
+
+    This function edits ``psychopy.preferences.prefs.general['startUpPlugins']``
+    and provides a means to verify if entries are valid. The PsychoPy session
+    must be restarted for the plugins specified to take effect.
+
+    If using PsychoPy as a library, this function serves as a convenience to
+    avoid needing to explicitly call :func:`loadPlugin` every time to use your
+    favorite plugins.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    plugins : `str`, `list` or `None`
+        Name(s) of plugins to have load on startup.
+    add : bool
+        If `True` names of plugins will be appended to `startUpPlugins` unless a
+        name is already present. If `False`, `startUpPlugins` will be set to
+        `plugins`, overwriting the previous value. If `add=False` and
+        `plugins=[]` or `plugins=None`, no plugins will be loaded in the next
+        session.
+    verify : bool
+        Check if `plugins` are installed and have valid entry points to
+        PsychoPy. Raises an error if any are not. This prevents undefined
+        behavior arsing from invalid plugins being loaded in the next session.
+        If `False`, plugin names will be added regardless if they are installed
+        or not.
+
+    Raises
+    ------
+    RuntimeError
+        If `verify=True`, any of `plugins` is not installed or does not have
+        entry points to PsychoPy. This is raised to prevent issues in future
+        sessions where invalid plugins are written to the config file and are
+        automatically loaded.
+
+    Warnings
+    --------
+    Do not use this function within the builder or coder GUI! Use the plugin
+    dialog to specify which plugins to load on startup. Only use this function
+    when using PsychoPy as a library!
+
+    Examples
+    --------
+    Adding plugins to load on startup::
+
+        startUpPlugins(['plugin1', 'plugin2'])
+
+    Clearing the startup plugins list, no plugins will be loaded automatically
+    at the start of the next session::
+
+        plugins.startUpPlugins([], add=False)
+        # or ..
+        plugins.startUpPlugins(None, add=False)
+
+    If passing `None` or an empty list with `add=True`, the present value of
+    `prefs.general['startUpPlugins']` will remain as-is.
+
+    """
+    # check if there is a config entry
+    if 'startUpPlugins' not in prefs.general.keys():
+        logging.warning(
+            'Config file does not define `startUpPlugins`. Skipping.')
+
+        return
+
+    # if a string is specified
+    if isinstance(plugins, str):
+        plugins = [plugins]
+
+    # if the list is empty or None, just clear
+    if not plugins or plugins is None:
+        if not add:  # adding nothing gives the original
+            prefs.general['startUpPlugins'] = []
+            prefs.saveUserPrefs()
+
+        return
+
+    # check if the plugins are installed before adding to `startUpPlugins`
+    scanPlugins()
+    installedPlugins = listPlugins()
+    if verify:
+        notInstalled = [plugin not in installedPlugins for plugin in plugins]
+        if any(notInstalled):
+            missingIdx = [i for i, x in enumerate(notInstalled) if x]
+            errStr = ''  # build up an error string
+            for i, idx in enumerate(missingIdx):
+                if i < len(missingIdx) - 1:
+                    errStr += '`{}`, '.format(plugins[idx])
+                else:
+                    errStr += '`{}`;'.format(plugins[idx])
+
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                "Cannot add startup plugin(s): {} either not installed or has "
+                "no PsychoPy entry points.".format(errStr))
+
+    if add:  # adding plugin names to existing list
+        for plugin in plugins:
+            if plugin not in prefs.general['startUpPlugins']:
+                prefs.general['startUpPlugins'].append(plugin)
+    else:
+        prefs.general['startUpPlugins'] = plugins  # overwrite
+
+    prefs.saveUserPrefs()  # save after loading
+
+
+def pluginMetadata(plugin):
+    """Get metadata from a plugin package.
+
+    Reads the package's PKG_INFO and gets fields as a dictionary. Only packages
+    that have valid entry points to PsychoPy can be queried.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    plugin : str
+        Name of the plugin package to retrieve metadata from.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    dict
+        Metadata fields.
+
+    """
+    installedPlugins = listPlugins()
+    if plugin not in installedPlugins:
+        raise ModuleNotFoundError(
+            "Plugin `{}` is not installed or does not have entry points for "
+            "PsychoPy.".format(plugin))
+
+    pkg = importlib.metadata.distribution(plugin)
+    metadict = dict(pkg.metadata)
+
+    return metadict
+
+
+def pluginEntryPoints(plugin, parse=False):
+    """Get the entry point mapping for a specified plugin.
+
+    You must call `scanPlugins` before calling this function to get the entry
+    points for a given plugin.
+
+    Note this function is intended for internal use by the PsychoPy plugin
+    system only.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    plugin : str
+        Name of the plugin package to get advertised entry points.
+    parse : bool
+        Parse the entry point specifiers and convert them to fully-qualified
+        names.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    dict
+        Dictionary of target groups/attributes and entry points objects.
+
+    """
+    global _installed_plugins_
+    if plugin in _installed_plugins_.keys():
+        if not parse:
+            return _installed_plugins_[plugin]
+        else:
+            toReturn = {}
+            for group, val in _installed_plugins_[plugin].items():
+                if group not in toReturn.keys():
+                    toReturn[group] = {}  # create a new group entry
+
+                for attr, ep in val.items():
+                    # parse the entry point specifier
+                    ex = '.'.join(str(ep).split(' = ')[1].split(':'))  # make fqn
+                    toReturn[group].update({attr: ex})
+
+            return toReturn
+
+    logging.error("Cannot retrieve entry points for plugin `{}`, either not "
+                  " installed or reachable.")
+
+    return None
+
+
+def activatePlugins(which='all'):
+    """Activate plugins.
+
+    Calling this routine will load all startup plugins into the current process.
+
+    Warnings
+    --------
+    This should only be called outside of PsychoPy sub-packages as plugins may
+    import them, causing a circular import condition.
+
+    """
+    if not scanPlugins():
+        logging.info(
+            'Calling `psychopy.plugins.activatePlugins()`, but no plugins have '
+            'been found in active distributions.')
+        return  # nop if no plugins
+
+    # load each plugin and apply any changes to Builder
+    for plugin in listPlugins(which):
+        loadPlugin(plugin)
+
+
+# Keep track of currently installed window backends. When a window is loaded,
+# its `winType` is looked up here and the matching backend is loaded. Plugins
+# which define entry points into this module will update `winTypes` if they
+# define subclasses of `BaseBackend` that have valid names.
+_winTypes = {
+    'pyglet': '.pygletbackend.PygletBackend',
+    'glfw': '.glfwbackend.GLFWBackend',  # moved to plugin
+    'pygame': '.pygamebackend.PygameBackend'
+}
+
+
+def getWindowBackends():
+    # Return winTypes array from backend object
+    return _winTypes
+
+
+def discoverModuleClasses(nameSpace, classType, includeUnbound=True):
+    """Discover classes and sub-classes matching a specific type within a
+    namespace.
+
+    This function is used to scan a namespace for references to specific classes
+    and sub-classes. Classes may be either bound or unbound. This is useful for
+    scanning namespaces for plugins which have loaded their entry points into
+    them at runtime.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    nameSpace : str or ModuleType
+        Fully-qualified path to the namespace, or the reference itself. If the
+        specified module hasn't been loaded, it will be after calling this.
+    classType : Any
+        Which type of classes to get. Any value that `isinstance` or
+        `issubclass` expects as its second argument is valid.
+    includeUnbound : bool
+        Include unbound classes in the search. If `False` only bound objects are
+        returned. The default is `True`.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    dict
+        Mapping of names and associated classes.
+
+    Examples
+    --------
+    Get references to all visual stimuli classes. Since they all are derived
+    from `psychopy.visual.basevisual.BaseVisualStim`, we can specify that as
+    the type to search for::
+
+        import psychopy.plugins as plugins
+        import psychopy.visual as visual
+
+        foundClasses = plugins.discoverModuleClasses(
+            visual,   # base module to search
+            visual.basevisual.BaseVisualStim,  # type to search for
+            includeUnbound=True  # get unbound classes too
+        )
+
+    The resulting dictionary referenced by `foundClasses` will look like::
+
+        foundClasses = {
+           'BaseShapeStim': <class 'psychopy.visual.shape.BaseShapeStim'>,
+           'BaseVisualStim': <class 'psychopy.visual.basevisual.BaseVisualStim'>
+           # ~~~ snip ~~~
+           'TextStim': <class 'psychopy.visual.text.TextStim'>,
+           'VlcMovieStim': <class 'psychopy.visual.vlcmoviestim.VlcMovieStim'>
+        }
+
+    To search for classes more broadly, pass `object` as the type to search
+    for::
+
+        foundClasses = plugins.discoverModuleClasses(visual, object)
+
+    """
+    if isinstance(nameSpace, str):
+        module = resolveObjectFromName(
+            nameSpace,
+            resolve=(nameSpace not in sys.modules),
+            error=False)  # catch error below
+    elif inspect.ismodule(nameSpace):
+        module = nameSpace
+    else:
+        raise TypeError(
+            'Invalid type for parameter `nameSpace`. Must be `str` or '
+            '`ModuleType`')
+
+    if module is None:
+        raise ImportError("Cannot resolve namespace `{}`".format(nameSpace))
+
+    foundClasses = {}
+
+    if includeUnbound:  # get unbound classes in a module
+        for name, attr in inspect.getmembers(module):
+            if inspect.isclass(attr) and issubclass(attr, classType):
+                foundClasses[name] = attr
+
+    # now get bound objects, overwrites unbound names if they show up
+    for name in dir(module):
+        attr = getattr(module, name)
+        if inspect.isclass(attr) and issubclass(attr, classType):
+            foundClasses[name] = attr
+
+    return foundClasses
+
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Registration functions
+#
+# These functions are called to perform additional operations when a plugin is
+# loaded. Most plugins that specify an entry point elsewhere will not need to
+# use these functions to appear in the application.
+#
+
+def _registerWindowBackend(attr, ep):
+    """Make an entry point discoverable as a window backend.
+
+    This allows it the given entry point to be used as a window backend by
+    specifying `winType`. All window backends must be subclasses of `BaseBackend`
+    and define a `winTypeName` attribute. The value of `winTypeName` will be
+    used for selecting `winType`.
+
+    This function is called by :func:`loadPlugin`, it should not be used for any
+    other purpose.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    attr : str
+        Attribute name the backend is being assigned in
+        'psychopy.visual.backends'.
+    ep : ModuleType or ClassType
+        Entry point which defines an object with window backends. Can be a class
+        or module. If a module, the module will be scanned for subclasses of
+        `BaseBackend` and they will be added as backends.
+
+    """
+    # get reference to the backend class
+    fqn = 'psychopy.visual.backends'
+    backend = resolveObjectFromName(
+        fqn, resolve=(fqn not in sys.modules), error=False)
+
+    if backend is None:
+        logging.error("Failed to resolve name `{}`.".format(fqn))
+        return   # something weird happened, just exit
+
+    # if a module, scan it for valid backends
+    foundBackends = {}
+    if inspect.ismodule(ep):  # if the backend is a module
+        for attrName in dir(ep):
+            _attr = getattr(ep, attrName)
+            if not inspect.isclass(_attr):  # skip if not class
+                continue
+            if not issubclass(_attr, backend.BaseBackend):  # not backend
+                continue
+            # check if the class defines a name for `winType`
+            if not hasattr(_attr, 'winTypeName'):  # has no backend name
+                continue
+            # found something that can be a backend
+            foundBackends[_attr.winTypeName] = '.' + attr + '.' + attrName
+            logging.debug(
+                "Registered window backend class `{}` for `winType={}`.".format(
+                    foundBackends[_attr.winTypeName], _attr.winTypeName))
+    elif inspect.isclass(ep):  # backend passed as a class
+        if not issubclass(ep, backend.BaseBackend):
+            return
+        if not hasattr(ep, 'winTypeName'):
+            return
+        foundBackends[ep.winTypeName] = '.' + attr
+        logging.debug(
+            "Registered window backend class `{}` for `winType={}`.".format(
+                foundBackends[ep.winTypeName], ep.winTypeName))
+
+    backend.winTypes.update(foundBackends)  # update installed backends
+
+
+def _registerBuilderComponent(ep):
+    """Register a PsychoPy builder component module.
+
+    This function is called by :func:`loadPlugin` when encountering an entry
+    point group for :mod:`psychopy.experiment.components`. It searches the
+    module at the entry point for sub-classes of `BaseComponent` and registers
+    it as a builder component. It will also search the module for any resources
+    associated with the component (eg. icons and tooltip text) and register them
+    for use.
+
+    Builder component modules in plugins should follow the conventions and
+    structure of a normal, stand-alone components. Any plugins that adds
+    components to PsychoPy must be registered to load on startup.
+
+    This function is called by :func:`loadPlugin`, it should not be used for any
+    other purpose.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    ep : ClassType
+        Class defining the component.
+
+    """
+    # get reference to the backend class
+    fqn = 'psychopy.experiment.components'
+    compPkg = resolveObjectFromName(
+        fqn, resolve=(fqn not in sys.modules), error=False)
+
+    if compPkg is None:
+        logging.error("Failed to resolve name `{}`.".format(fqn))
+        return
+
+    if hasattr(compPkg, 'addComponent'):
+        compPkg.addComponent(ep)
+    else:
+        raise AttributeError(
+            "Cannot find function `addComponent()` in namespace "
+            "`{}`".format(fqn))
+
+
+def _registerBuilderStandaloneRoutine(ep):
+    """Register a PsychoPy builder standalone routine module.
+
+    This function is called by :func:`loadPlugin` when encountering an entry
+    point group for :mod:`psychopy.experiment.routine`.
+
+    This function is called by :func:`loadPlugin`, it should not be used for any
+    other purpose.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    ep : ClassType
+        Class defining the standalone routine.
+
+    """
+    # get reference to the backend class
+    fqn = 'psychopy.experiment.routines'
+    routinePkg = resolveObjectFromName(
+        fqn, resolve=(fqn not in sys.modules), error=False)
+
+    if routinePkg is None:
+        logging.error("Failed to resolve name `{}`.".format(fqn))
+        return
+
+    if hasattr(routinePkg, 'addStandaloneRoutine'):
+        routinePkg.addStandaloneRoutine(ep)
+    else:
+        raise AttributeError(
+            "Cannot find function `addStandaloneRoutine()` in namespace "
+            "`{}`".format(fqn))
+
+
+def _registerPhotometer(ep):
+    """Register a photometer class.
+
+    This is called when the plugin specifies an entry point into
+    :class:`~psychopy.hardware.photometers`.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    ep : ModuleType or ClassType
+        Entry point which defines an object serving as the interface for the
+        photometer.
+
+    """
+    # get reference to the backend class
+    fqn = 'psychopy.hardware.photometer'
+    photPkg = resolveObjectFromName(
+        fqn, resolve=(fqn not in sys.modules), error=False)
+
+    if photPkg is None:
+        logging.error("Failed to resolve name `{}`.".format(fqn))
+        return
+
+    if hasattr(photPkg, 'addPhotometer'):
+        photPkg.addPhotometer(ep)
+    else:
+        raise AttributeError(
+            "Cannot find function `addPhotometer()` in namespace "
+            "`{}`".format(fqn))
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    pass