go-plugin-tryout

go-plugin-tryout

trying out plugin mechanisms:

• https://github.com/hashicorp/go-plugin
• https://golang.org/pkg/plugin

on windows, run:

demo.bat

on *X:

./demo.sh

Plugin Approaches Comparison

hashicorp/go-plugin (RPC-based)

Pros:

• ✅ Cross-platform: Works on all platforms (Windows, Linux, macOS)
• ✅ Process isolation: Plugins run in separate processes, providing better isolation and crash protection
• ✅ Version flexibility: Can work with different Go versions between host and plugin
• ✅ Network support: Can run plugins over network
• ✅ Better error handling: Process crashes don't affect the main application

Cons:

• ❌ Performance overhead: RPC communication adds latency compared to in-process calls
• ❌ Resource usage: Each plugin runs as a separate process
• ❌ Complexity: Requires more boilerplate code (RPC wrappers, handshake configs)
• ❌ Startup time: Process spawning adds initialization overhead

golang.org/pkg/plugin (Native)

Pros:

• ✅ Performance: Direct in-process calls, no RPC overhead
• ✅ Low latency: Function calls are as fast as regular Go function calls
• ✅ Resource efficiency: Shared memory space, no separate processes
• ✅ Simplicity: Simpler API, less boilerplate code

Cons:

• ❌ Platform limitations: NOT supported on Windows/amd64 (see demo.bat line 15)
• ❌ Go version lock: Plugin and host must be compiled with the same Go version
• ❌ No isolation: Plugin crashes can bring down the main application
• ❌ Build constraints: Requires -buildmode=plugin flag and platform-specific file extensions (.so, .dylib)

Platform Support Summary

Structure

• interfaces/randomizer.go - pure Go interface of the plugin functionality
• randomizer - plugin-independent interface implementation
• interfaces/randomizer_rpc.go - go-plugin RPC wrapper
• randomizer_rpc - go-plugin plugin main
• randomizer_native - golang.org/pkg/plugin plugin entry point
• main.go - demo