fix: simplify AutoUpdate code thanks to threadpool executor in BEC Connector

bec_widgets/cli/auto_updates.py

@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ class AutoUpdates:
         """
         return self._default_fig
 
-    def run(self, msg):
+    def do_update(self, msg):
         """
         Run the update function if enabled.
         """
@@ -76,20 +76,9 @@ class AutoUpdates:
         if msg.status != "open":
             return
         info = self.get_scan_info(msg)
-        self.handler(info)
+        return self.handler(info)
 
-    def process_queue(self):
+    def get_selected_device(self, monitored_devices, selected_device):
-        """
-        Process the message queue.
-        """
-        while True:
-            msg = self.msg_queue.get()
-            if msg is self._shutdown_sentinel:
-                break
-            self.run(msg)
-
-    @staticmethod
-    def get_selected_device(monitored_devices, selected_device):
         """
         Get the selected device for the plot. If no device is selected, the first
         device in the monitored devices list is selected.
@@ -106,14 +95,11 @@ class AutoUpdates:
         Default update function.
         """
         if info.scan_name == "line_scan" and info.scan_report_devices:
-            self.simple_line_scan(info)
+            return self.simple_line_scan(info)
-            return
         if info.scan_name == "grid_scan" and info.scan_report_devices:
-            self.simple_grid_scan(info)
+            return self.simple_grid_scan(info)
-            return
         if info.scan_report_devices:
-            self.best_effort(info)
+            return self.best_effort(info)
-            return
 
     def simple_line_scan(self, info: ScanInfo) -> None:
         """
@@ -123,12 +109,19 @@ class AutoUpdates:
         if not fig:
             return
         dev_x = info.scan_report_devices[0]
-        dev_y = self.get_selected_device(info.monitored_devices, self.gui.selected_device)
+        selected_device = self.gui.selected_device
+        dev_y = self.get_selected_device(info.monitored_devices, selected_device)
         if not dev_y:
             return
         fig.clear_all()
-        plt = fig.plot(x_name=dev_x, y_name=dev_y, label=f"Scan {info.scan_number} - {dev_y}")
+        fig.plot(
-        plt.set(title=f"Scan {info.scan_number}", x_label=dev_x, y_label=dev_y)
+            x_name=dev_x,
+            y_name=dev_y,
+            label=f"Scan {info.scan_number} - {dev_y}",
+            title=f"Scan {info.scan_number}",
+            x_label=dev_x,
+            y_label=dev_y,
+        )
 
     def simple_grid_scan(self, info: ScanInfo) -> None:
         """
@@ -139,12 +132,18 @@ class AutoUpdates:
             return
         dev_x = info.scan_report_devices[0]
         dev_y = info.scan_report_devices[1]
-        dev_z = self.get_selected_device(info.monitored_devices, self.gui.selected_device)
+        selected_device = self.gui.selected_device
+        dev_z = self.get_selected_device(info.monitored_devices, selected_device)
         fig.clear_all()
-        plt = fig.plot(
+        fig.plot(
-            x_name=dev_x, y_name=dev_y, z_name=dev_z, label=f"Scan {info.scan_number} - {dev_z}"
+            x_name=dev_x,
+            y_name=dev_y,
+            z_name=dev_z,
+            label=f"Scan {info.scan_number} - {dev_z}",
+            title=f"Scan {info.scan_number}",
+            x_label=dev_x,
+            y_label=dev_y,
         )
-        plt.set(title=f"Scan {info.scan_number}", x_label=dev_x, y_label=dev_y)
 
     def best_effort(self, info: ScanInfo) -> None:
         """
@@ -154,17 +153,16 @@ class AutoUpdates:
         if not fig:
             return
         dev_x = info.scan_report_devices[0]
-        dev_y = self.get_selected_device(info.monitored_devices, self.gui.selected_device)
+        selected_device = self.gui.selected_device
+        dev_y = self.get_selected_device(info.monitored_devices, selected_device)
         if not dev_y:
             return
         fig.clear_all()
-        plt = fig.plot(x_name=dev_x, y_name=dev_y, label=f"Scan {info.scan_number} - {dev_y}")
+        fig.plot(
-        plt.set(title=f"Scan {info.scan_number}", x_label=dev_x, y_label=dev_y)
+            x_name=dev_x,
-
+            y_name=dev_y,
-    def shutdown(self):
+            label=f"Scan {info.scan_number} - {dev_y}",
-        """
+            title=f"Scan {info.scan_number}",
-        Shutdown the auto update thread.
+            x_label=dev_x,
-        """
+            y_label=dev_y,
-        self.msg_queue.put(self._shutdown_sentinel)
+        )
-        if self.auto_update_thread:
-            self.auto_update_thread.join()

bec_widgets/cli/client_utils.py

@@ -340,12 +340,6 @@ class BECGuiClient(RPCBase):
             with wait_for_server(self):
                 return self._auto_updates
 
-    def _shutdown_auto_updates(self):
-        if self._auto_updates_enabled:
-            if self._auto_updates is not None:
-                self._auto_updates.shutdown()
-                self._auto_updates = None
-
     def _get_update_script(self) -> AutoUpdates | None:
         eps = imd.entry_points(group="bec.widgets.auto_updates")
         for ep in eps:
@@ -389,18 +383,17 @@ class BECGuiClient(RPCBase):
     def _start_update_script(self) -> None:
         self._client.connector.register(MessageEndpoints.scan_status(), cb=self._handle_msg_update)
 
-    @staticmethod
+    def _handle_msg_update(self, msg: MessageObject) -> None:
-    def _handle_msg_update(msg: MessageObject, parent: BECGuiClient) -> None:
+        if self.auto_updates is not None:
-        if parent.auto_updates is not None:
             # pylint: disable=protected-access
-            parent._update_script_msg_parser(msg.value)
+            return self._update_script_msg_parser(msg.value)
 
     def _update_script_msg_parser(self, msg: messages.BECMessage) -> None:
         if isinstance(msg, messages.ScanStatusMessage):
             if not self.gui_is_alive():
                 return
             if self._auto_updates_enabled:
-                self.auto_updates.msg_queue.put(msg)
+                return self.auto_updates.do_update(msg)
 
     def _gui_post_startup(self):
         self._top_level["main"] = WidgetDesc(
@@ -415,6 +408,7 @@ class BECGuiClient(RPCBase):
                     auto_updates = AutoUpdates(self._top_level["main"].widget)
                 if auto_updates.create_default_dock:
                     auto_updates.start_default_dock()
+                self._start_update_script()
                 self._auto_updates = auto_updates
         self._do_show_all()
         self._gui_started_event.set()
@@ -427,7 +421,6 @@ class BECGuiClient(RPCBase):
             logger.success("GUI starting...")
             self._startup_timeout = 5
             self._gui_started_event.clear()
-            self._start_update_script()
             self._process, self._process_output_processing_thread = _start_plot_process(
                 self._gui_id, self.__class__, self._client._service_config.config, logger=logger
             )
@@ -512,4 +505,3 @@ class BECGuiClient(RPCBase):
                 self._process_output_processing_thread.join()
             self._process.wait()
             self._process = None
-        self._shutdown_auto_updates()

bec_widgets/widgets/containers/dock/dock_area.py

@@ -219,9 +219,13 @@ class BECDockArea(BECWidget, QWidget):
     @property
     def selected_device(self) -> str:
         gui_id = QApplication.instance().gui_id
-        return self.client.connector.get(
+        auto_update_config = self.client.connector.get(
             MessageEndpoints.gui_auto_update_config(gui_id)
-        ).selected_device
+        )
+        try:
+            return auto_update_config.selected_device
+        except AttributeError:
+            return None
 
     @property
     def panels(self) -> dict[str, BECDock]:

tests/unit_tests/test_client_utils.py

@@ -70,8 +70,7 @@ def test_client_utils_passes_client_config_to_server(bec_dispatcher):
         mixin.gui_is_alive.side_effect = [True]
 
         try:
-            with mock.patch.object(mixin, "_start_update_script"):
+            yield mixin
-                yield mixin
         finally:
             mixin.close()
 
@@ -84,4 +83,3 @@ def test_client_utils_passes_client_config_to_server(bec_dispatcher):
             mock_start_plot.assert_called_once_with(
                 "gui_id", BECGuiClient, mixin._client._service_config.config, logger=mock.ANY
             )
-            mixin._start_update_script.assert_called_once()