Extension Architecture

Goals

  • Extension changes should be predictable and localized.
  • New features should not break stable paths.

Guidance

  • Use a registry or mapping instead of long if-else chains.
  • Expose extension points as explicit interfaces.
  • Keep the default path simple; add extensions as optional paths.
  • If you use plugin loading, define when and how it loads.

Example

A growing if-else chain spreads change across the core path:

# main.py
import itertools
from sources import HNSource, V2Source, RedditSource

class NewsGrabber:
    def get_news(self, source: Optional[str] = None) -> Iterable[News]:
        if source is None:
            return itertools.chain(HNSource().iter_news(), V2Source().iter_news(), RedditSource().iter_news())
        if source == 'HN':
            return HNSource().iter_news()
        elif source == 'V2':
            return V2Source().iternews()
        elif source == 'Reddit':
            return RedditSource().iternews()
        else:
            raise ValueError(f"Not supported source: {source}")

A registry centralizes extension points:

# sources/base.py
source_map: Dict[str, BaseSource] = {}

def register(source_cls):
    source_map[source_cls.name] = source_cls()
    return source_cls

# sources/hn.py
from sources.base import BaseSource, register

@register
class HNSource(BaseSource):
    name = "HN"

    # omitted

Sources & References