Package-ize core plugins

[dgw]

Todo list, created for 8.x dev cycle based on 7.x core plugins:

• admin core bot-management, should stay part of core
• adminchannel
  Pros and cons to both keeping this as core and extracting it.
• announce
• bugzilla: removed from core in 8.0 (bugzilla: remove module extracted to separate package #2481); moved to https://github.com/sopel-irc/sopel-bugzilla and published to PyPI as sopel-bugzilla
• calc
• choose
• clock — the non-API-related stuff only; see Adopt clock features used by core into core #2467
• countdown
• currency
• dice
• emoticons
• find
• find_updates probably stay part of core
• help: due to be removed in 8.0 (help: replace with dependency on sopel-help #2332); extended version available at https://github.com/sopel-irc/sopel-help and published to PyPI as sopel-help
• instagram: removed from core in 7.1 (instagram: remove fragile plugin #2000), moved to https://github.com/sopel-irc/sopel-instagram in non-functional state in case it can be revived later (no PyPI package published)
• invite: possibly stay as part of core
• ip: removed from core for 8.0 (ip: remove plugin extracted to external package #2523); moved to https://github.com/sopel-irc/sopel-iplookup and published to PyPI as sopel-iplookup
• ipython: removed from core in 7.0 (ipython: remove plugin (moving to separate package) #1684); moved to https://github.com/sopel-irc/sopel-ipython and published to PyPI as sopel-ipython
• isup
• lmgtfy
• meetbot: removed from core in 8.0 (meetbot: remove in favor of external package #2477); moved to https://github.com/sopel-irc/sopel-meet bot and published to PyPI as sopel-meetbot
• ping
• pronouns
  Could stay as part of core if core starts making use of pronouns anywhere. Currently it's just a way to set your own pronouns so others can query the plugin if they don't know how to address you.
• py: removed from core in 8.0 (py, build: drop py plugin from core & require external package #2411); moved to https://github.com/sopel-irc/sopel-py and published to PyPI as sopel-py
• rand
• reddit: removed from core in 8.0 (reddit: extract to external package #2444); moved to https://github.com/sopel-irc/sopel-reddit and published to PyPI as sopel-reddit
• reload: should stay part of core, but shed the .update command that doesn't belong
• remind: removed from core in 8.0 (remind: remove plugin reimplemented as external package w/better tests #2478); moved to https://github.com/sopel-irc/sopel-remind and published to PyPI as sopel-remind with an option to migrate reminders from the old core plugin via CLI
• safety: safety: remove externalized plugin #2678 for 8.1.0; replacement at https://github.com/sopel-irc/sopel-safety and published to PyPI as sopel-safety
• search: search, xkcd: built-in search plugin has external replacement #2613 for 8.1.0; replacement at https://github.com/sopel-irc/sopel-search and published to PyPI as sopel-search
• seen
• spellcheck: removed from core in 7.0 (spellcheck: remove plugin (moving to separate package) #1675); replacement at https://github.com/sopel-irc/sopel-spellcheck and published to PyPI as sopel-spellcheck
• tell
• tld: tld: remove built-in plugin in favor of external package #2673 for 8.1.0; replacement at https://github.com/sopel-irc/sopel-tld and published to PyPI as sopel-tld
• translate
• unicode_info: unicode_info: remove plugin in favor of external package #2674 for 8.1.0; replacement at https://github.com/sopel-irc/sopel-unicode and published to PyPI as sopel-unicode
• units
• uptime
• url: url: remove built-in url plugin #2706 for 8.1.0; replacement at https://github.com/sopel-irc/sopel-url and published to PyPI as sopel-url
• version will stay; this is a core function
• wikipedia: Remove wikipedia, wiktionary plugins #2705 for 8.1.0; replacement at https://github.com/sopel-irc/sopel-wikimedia and published to PyPI as sopel-wikimedia
• wiktionary: Remove wikipedia, wiktionary plugins #2705 for 8.1.0; replacement at https://github.com/sopel-irc/sopel-wikimedia and published to PyPI as sopel-wikimedia
• xkcd

Original issue text follows.

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Assuming #1056 gets solved, it would be great to ship the core plugin set separately from Sopel itself. Doing so would make keeping plugins up to date simpler, since a broken plugin wouldn't then require an update to the whole Sopel package to fix it.

Again, this would require solving #1056 first so the core plugin reloading experience (reload.py and perhaps a couple other plugins would remain in core because they relate to administering the bot itself) remains usable. It's not acceptable to ship this before packaged plugins can be reloaded without duplicating their commands etc.

Optimistically slotted into the 7.0.0 milestone... Let's see what happens.

[dgw]

Version 7 is too soon. I was a little too optimistic about that…

Re-labeled as well. This is doable in version 8, but it might be a more gradual transition… Again, let's see what happens.

[Exirel]

After reading issues like #1435, #700, #1037, or code like the .py command, I wonder what should be a built-in module.

Here are some reasons I know (both the ones I thought about and the ones I've heard about):

• if they need configuration (like API key), they should be externals,
• if they rely on an API that is shutdown, they should be externals, or replaced promptly,
• the more complex they are, the more bug fix they might require,

Here are some advantages I can think of when doing that:

• external module can tell which version of Sopel it is compatible with,
• external module can be fixed and released without having to upgrade Sopel and all other modules,
• external module can be uninstalled without having to uninstall or modify Sopel's code,
• external module can be listed as Git Repository somewhere,
• they can have their own documentation,

Here are some issues or needs we need to address, now or later, in a near or distant future:

• "how to create a module" documentation,
• even more documentation,
• better test tools for developers of external modules,
• some documentation, too,
• a way to distribute and install single-file module without using pip install (even though pip install is the best option, not all users are able to use it properly),
• you know what? documentation,

And many more.

Oh, and while I'm here, listing things, here is how I would do the transition from "all is built-in" to "nothing is built-in":

• step 1: extract selected modules into their git repository, and their proper python package, that can be installed with a pip install sopel-module.<modname>
• step 2: in release 7.0.0, put all these ex-core modules into the setup.py's requirements,
• step 3: add a big warning message on the documentation
• step 4: remove them from the requirements of release 8.0.0

As a conclusion, I want to mention again that (we need documentation shhhh) I discuss further the needs for that to happen, rather than the if it should happen. It'll happen, but how to make sure it's a success is the question I'm interested in at the moment.

PS: I can't remember if I talked or not about documentation, which is something I want to work on myself.