Plugin ABI is unstable

[TicClick]

it seems that we need more safeguards around all structures passed to the plugins -- for example, a new setting will crash any plugin hook if it's compiled against the old version, since it expects a different layout

potential leads built on top of libloading:

• https://github.com/ZettaScaleLabs/stabby
• https://github.com/rodrimati1992/abi_stable_crates

[TicClick]

for now, I have pinned the toolchain to 1.69.0 (which was the stable around Apr/May) to provide at least a weak resemblance of compatibility for people downloading releases from GitHub 9907aad5e863316fdc6ad6b6cae18afba355da77 b762c2f

[TicClick]

coming back, I question whether the plugin system should exist at all -- looking back, this was a solution for distributing optional functionality without bolting it up for everyone and revealing its internals at the same time. right now, the ABI incompatibility is a blocker for any further work on steel: I can't put out a new version without breaking existing stuff

plugins contain both relevant logic and the UI, which is problematic: while it's possible to put safeguards up around my own code, egui isn't ABI-safe, and I can't wrap stabby or abi_stable around its internals (that simply results in compilation errors, which is very fair). possible solutions:

• see what else can be done with plugins as they are -- prevent crashes, detect incompatibility and properly notify the user without using established solutions
• reduce flexibility of plugins by making UI the client's responsibility -- the end result will be universal but most likely suck at the same time
• rewrite the whole UI from scratch and use a different toolkit (such as https://github.com/lapce/floem). with amount of egui-specific code written this looks like a risky time investment
• find a different approach to publishing several client builds in a safe and consistent way, both publicly and privately

(oh, and toolchain pinning didn't fully work, at least in v0.6.12 → v.0.6.13 -- as a result of https://github.com/TicClick/steel/pull/45, I was able to produce a build incompatible with at least one plugin)

[TicClick]

I'll go with the plugin removal as a start, and distribute non-public functionality via a GitHub module + releases hosted in a private gist (which is a GitHub repo itself), since I managed to slap together an appropriate migration plan (can't find any glaring holes as of right now, at least)