feat: First tentative for Plugin Mapdl Mechanism python API

doc/changelog.d/3627.miscellaneous.md

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+feat: First tentative for Plugin Mapdl Mechanism python API

src/ansys/mapdl/core/mapdl_core.py

@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@
     from ansys.mapdl.core.parameters import Parameters
     from ansys.mapdl.core.solution import Solution
     from ansys.mapdl.core.xpl import ansXpl
+    from ansys.mapdl.core.plugin import ansPlugin
 
 from ansys.mapdl.core.post import PostProcessing
 
@@ -321,6 +322,8 @@ def __init__(
 
         self._xpl: Optional[ansXpl] = None  # Initialized in mapdl_grpc
 
+        self._plugin: Optional[ansPlugin] = None  # Initialized in mapdl_grpc
+
         from ansys.mapdl.core.component import ComponentManager
 
         self._componentmanager: ComponentManager = ComponentManager(self)

src/ansys/mapdl/core/mapdl_grpc.py

@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@
     from ansys.platform.instancemanagement import Instance as PIM_Instance
 
     from ansys.mapdl.core.database import MapdlDb
+    from ansys.mapdl.core.plugin import ansPlugin
     from ansys.mapdl.core.xpl import ansXpl
 
 TMP_VAR = "__tmpvar__"
@@ -2799,6 +2800,26 @@
             self._xpl = ansXpl(self)
         return self._xpl
 
+    @property
+    def plugin(self) -> "ansPlugin":
+        """MAPDL plugin handler
+
+        Plugin Manager for MAPDL
+
+        Examples
+        --------
+
+        >>> from ansys import Mapdl
+        >>> mapdl = Mapdl()
+        >>> plugin = mapdl.plugin
+        >>> plugin.load('PluginDPF')
+        """
+        if self._plugin is None:
+            from ansys.mapdl.core.plugin import ansPlugin
+
+            self._plugin = ansPlugin(self)
+        return self._plugin
+
     @protect_grpc
     def scalar_param(self, pname: str) -> float:
         """Return a scalar parameter as a float.

src/ansys/mapdl/core/plugin.py

@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+# Copyright (C) 2016 - 2025 ANSYS, Inc. and/or its affiliates.
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+#
+#
+# Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+# of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+# in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+# to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+# copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+# furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+#
+# The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
+# copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+#
+# THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+# IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+# FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+# AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+# LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+# OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+# SOFTWARE.
+
+"""Contains the ansPlugin class."""
+import json
+import pathlib
+import weakref
+
+from ansys.api.mapdl.v0 import mapdl_pb2
+
+from .common_grpc import ANSYS_VALUE_TYPE
+from .errors import MapdlRuntimeError
+from .misc import random_string
+
+
+class ansPlugin:
+    """
+    ANSYS MAPDL Plugin Manager.
+
+    Examples
+    --------
+    >>> from ansys.mapdl.core import launch_mapdl
+    >>> mapdl = launch_mapdl()
+    >>> plugin = mapdl.plugin
+
+    Load a plugin in the MAPDL Session
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, mapdl):
+        """Initialize the class."""
+        from ansys.mapdl.core.mapdl_grpc import MapdlGrpc
+
+        if not isinstance(mapdl, MapdlGrpc):  # pragma: no cover
+            raise TypeError("Must be initialized using MapdlGrpc class")
+
+        self._mapdl_weakref = weakref.ref(mapdl)
+        self._filename = None
+        self._open = False
+
+    @property
+    def _mapdl(self):
+        """Return the weakly referenced instance of mapdl."""
+        return self._mapdl_weakref()
+
+    def load(self, plugin_name: str, feature: str = "CMD") -> str:
+        """
+        Loads a plugin into MAPDL.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        plugin_name : str
+                Name of the plugin to load.
+        feature : str
+                Feature or module to activate in the plugin.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        str
+                Confirmation message about the loaded plugin.
+
+        Raises
+        ------
+        PluginLoadError
+                If the plugin fails to load.
+        """
+
+        command = f"*PLUG,LOAD,{plugin_name},{feature}"
+        response = self._mapdl.run(command)
+        if "error" in response.lower():
+            raise PluginLoadError(
+                f"Failed to load plugin '{plugin_name}' with feature '{feature}'."
+            )
+        return f"Plugin '{plugin_name}' with feature '{feature}' loaded successfully."
+
+    def unload(self, plugin_name: str) -> str:
+        """
+        Unloads a plugin from MAPDL.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        plugin_name : str
+            Name of the plugin to unload.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        str
+            Confirmation message about the unloaded plugin.
+
+        Raises
+        ------
+        PluginUnloadError
+            If the plugin fails to unload.
+        """
+
+        command = f"*PLUG,UNLOAD,{plugin_name}"
+        response = self._mapdl.run(command)
+        if "error" in response.lower():
+            raise PluginUnloadError(f"Failed to unload plugin '{plugin_name}'.")
+        return f"Plugin '{plugin_name}' unloaded successfully."
+
+    def list(self) -> list:
+        """
+        Lists all currently loaded plugins in MAPDL.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        list
+            A list of loaded plugin names.
+
+        Raises
+        ------
+        RuntimeError
+            If the plugin list cannot be retrieved.
+        """
+
+        command = "*PLUG,LIST"
+        response = self._mapdl.run(command)
+        if "error" in response.lower():
+            raise RuntimeError("Failed to retrieve the list of loaded plugins.")
+        # Parse response and extract plugin names (assuming response is newline-separated text)
+        plugins = [line.strip() for line in response.splitlines() if line.strip()]
+        return plugins