# stevedore – Manage Dynamic Plugins for Python Applications

Python makes loading code dynamically easy, allowing you to configure and extend your application by discovering and loading extensions (”plugins”) at runtime. Many applications implement their own library for doing this, using `__import__` or `importlib`. stevedore avoids creating yet another extension mechanism by building on top of entry points. The code for managing entry points tends to be repetitive, though, so stevedore provides manager classes for implementing common patterns for using dynamically loaded extensions.

- stevedore User Guide
  - Patterns for Loading
  - Patterns for Enabling
  - Using Stevedore in Your Application
  - Sphinx Integration
  - Dynamic Code Patterns: Extending Your Applications with Plugins
  - ChangeLog
- Extension Manager Classes
  - DriverManager
  - HookManager
  - NamedExtensionManager
  - EnabledExtensionManager
  - DispatchExtensionManager
  - NameDispatchExtensionManager
  - ExtensionManager
  - Extension
  - TestExtensionManager
- Installation
  - Python Versions
  - Basic Installation
  - Download
  - Source Code
  - Entry point inspector
  - Reporting Bugs

Indices and tables

- Index

- Search Page

this page last updated: 2026-07-13 22:23:38

Except where otherwise noted, this document is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. See all OpenStack Legal Documents.

found an error? report a bug