WIP ignore duplicate plugin files

Automatically generated by python-semantic-release

.gitlab-ci.yml

@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ variables:
     description: ophyd_devices branch
     value: main
   CHILD_PIPELINE_BRANCH: $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH
+  CHECK_PKG_VERSIONS:
+    description: Whether to run additional tests against min/max/random selection of dependencies. Set to 1 for running. 
+    value: 0
 
 workflow:
   rules:
@@ -31,8 +34,9 @@ include:
     inputs:
       stage: test
       path: "."
-      pytest_args: "-v --random-order tests/"
-      exclude_packages: ""
+      pytest_args: "-v,--random-order,tests/unit_tests"
+      ignore_dep_group: "pyqt6"
+      pip_args: ".[dev,pyside6]"
 
 # different stages in the pipeline
 stages:
@@ -57,6 +61,7 @@ stages:
   - pip install -e ./ophyd_devices
   - pip install -e ./bec/bec_lib[dev]
   - pip install -e ./bec/bec_ipython_client
+  - pip install -e ./bec/pytest_bec_e2e
 
 .install-os-packages: &install-os-packages
   - apt-get update
@@ -73,9 +78,9 @@ formatter:
   stage: Formatter
   needs: []
   script:
-    - pip install black isort
-    - isort --check --diff ./
-    - black --check --diff --color ./
+    - pip install bec_lib[dev]
+    - isort --check --diff --line-length=100 --profile=black --multi-line=3 --trailing-comma ./
+    - black --check --diff --color --line-length=100 --skip-magic-trailing-comma ./
   rules:
     - if: $CI_PROJECT_PATH == "bec/bec_widgets"
 
@@ -143,7 +148,7 @@ tests:
     - *clone-repos
     - *install-os-packages
     - *install-repos
-    - pip install -e .[dev,pyqt6]
+    - pip install -e .[dev,pyside6]
     - coverage run --source=./bec_widgets -m pytest -v --junitxml=report.xml --maxfail=2 --random-order --full-trace ./tests/unit_tests
     - coverage report
     - coverage xml
@@ -167,7 +172,6 @@ test-matrix:
           - "3.12"
         QT_PCKG:
           - "pyside6"
-          - "pyqt6"
 
   stage: AdditionalTests
   needs: []
@@ -193,7 +197,13 @@ end-2-end-conda:
   script:
     - *clone-repos
     - *install-os-packages
-    - conda config --prepend channels conda-forge
+    - conda config --show-sources
+    - conda config --add channels conda-forge
+    - conda config --system --remove channels https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main
+    - conda config --system --remove channels https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/r
+    - conda config --remove channels https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main
+    - conda config --remove channels https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/r
+    - conda config --show-sources
     - conda config --set channel_priority strict
     - conda config --set always_yes yes --set changeps1 no
     - conda create -q -n test-environment python=3.11
@@ -206,9 +216,8 @@ end-2-end-conda:
     - cd ../
     - pip install -e ./ophyd_devices
 
-    - pip install -e .[dev,pyqt6]
-    - cd ./tests/end-2-end
-    - pytest -v --start-servers --flush-redis --random-order
+    - pip install -e .[dev,pyside6]
+    - pytest -v --files-path ./ --start-servers --flush-redis --random-order  ./tests/end-2-end
 
   artifacts:
     when: on_failure
@@ -223,6 +232,7 @@ end-2-end-conda:
     - if: '$CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "parent_pipeline"'
     - if: '$CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TARGET_BRANCH_NAME == "main"'
     - if: '$CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TARGET_BRANCH_NAME == "production"'
+    - if: '$CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TARGET_BRANCH_NAME =~ /^pre_release.*$/'
 
 semver:
   stage: Deploy

README.md

@@ -1,12 +1,17 @@
 # BEC Widgets
 
+**⚠️ Important Notice:**
+
+🚨 **PyQt6 is no longer supported** due to incompatibilities with Qt Designer. Please use **PySide6** instead. 🚨
+
 BEC Widgets is a GUI framework designed for interaction with [BEC (Beamline Experiment Control)](https://gitlab.psi.ch/bec/bec).
+
 ## Installation
 
 Use the package manager [pip](https://pip.pypa.io/en/stable/) to install BEC Widgets:
 
 ```bash
-pip install bec_widgets PyQt6
+pip install bec_widgets[pyside6]
 ```
 
 For development purposes, you can clone the repository and install the package locally in editable mode:
@@ -14,22 +19,12 @@ For development purposes, you can clone the repository and install the package l
 ```bash
 git clone https://gitlab.psi.ch/bec/bec-widgets
 cd bec_widgets
-pip install -e .[dev,pyqt6]
+pip install -e .[dev,pyside6]
 ```
 
-BEC Widgets currently supports both Pyside6 and PyQt6, however, no default distribution is specified. As a result, users must install one of the supported
-Python Qt distributions manually.
+BEC Widgets now **only supports PySide6**. Users must manually install PySide6 as no default Qt distribution is
+specified.
 
-To select a specific Python Qt distribution, install the package with an additional tag:
-
-```bash
-pip install bec_widgets[pyqt6]
-```
-or 
-
-```bash
-pip install bec_widgets[pyside6]
-```
 ## Documentation
 
 Documentation of BEC Widgets can be found [here](https://bec-widgets.readthedocs.io/en/latest/). The documentation of the BEC can be found [here](https://bec.readthedocs.io/en/latest/).
@@ -39,7 +34,7 @@ Documentation of BEC Widgets can be found [here](https://bec-widgets.readthedocs
 All commits should use the Angular commit scheme:
 
 > #### <a name="commit-header"></a>Angular Commit Message Header
-> 
+>
 > ```
 > <type>(<scope>): <short summary>
 >   │       │             │
@@ -53,13 +48,13 @@ All commits should use the Angular commit scheme:
 >   │
 >   └─⫸ Commit Type: build|ci|docs|feat|fix|perf|refactor|test
 > ```
-> 
+>
 > The `<type>` and `<summary>` fields are mandatory, the `(<scope>)` field is optional.
 
 > ##### Type
-> 
+>
 > Must be one of the following:
-> 
+>
 > * **build**: Changes that affect the build system or external dependencies (example scopes: gulp, broccoli, npm)
 > * **ci**: Changes to our CI configuration files and scripts (examples: CircleCi, SauceLabs)
 > * **docs**: Documentation only changes
@@ -71,4 +66,5 @@ All commits should use the Angular commit scheme:
 
 ## License
 
-[BSD-3-Clause](https://choosealicense.com/licenses/bsd-3-clause/)
+[BSD-3-Clause](https://choosealicense.com/licenses/bsd-3-clause/)
+

bec_widgets/__init__.py

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+from bec_widgets.utils.bec_widget import BECWidget
+from bec_widgets.utils.error_popups import SafeProperty, SafeSlot
+
+__all__ = ["BECWidget", "SafeSlot", "SafeProperty"]

bec_widgets/applications/alignment/alignment_1d/alignment_1d.py

@@ -5,48 +5,47 @@ It is a preliminary version of the GUI, which will be added to the main branch a
 import os
 from typing import Optional
 
-from bec_lib.device import Positioner as BECPositioner
 from bec_lib.device import Signal as BECSignal
 from bec_lib.endpoints import MessageEndpoints
-from qtpy.QtCore import QSize, Signal
+from bec_lib.logger import bec_logger
+from qtpy.QtCore import QSize
 from qtpy.QtGui import QIcon
-from qtpy.QtWidgets import QCheckBox, QDoubleSpinBox, QMainWindow, QPushButton, QSpinBox
+from qtpy.QtWidgets import QApplication
 
 import bec_widgets
-from bec_widgets.qt_utils.error_popups import SafeSlot as Slot
-from bec_widgets.qt_utils.toolbar import WidgetAction
 from bec_widgets.utils import UILoader
-from bec_widgets.utils.bec_widget import BECWidget
+from bec_widgets.utils.bec_dispatcher import BECDispatcher
 from bec_widgets.utils.colors import get_accent_colors
-from bec_widgets.widgets.bec_progressbar.bec_progressbar import BECProgressBar
-from bec_widgets.widgets.device_line_edit.device_line_edit import DeviceLineEdit
-from bec_widgets.widgets.lmfit_dialog.lmfit_dialog import LMFitDialog
-from bec_widgets.widgets.positioner_box.positioner_box import PositionerBox
-from bec_widgets.widgets.stop_button.stop_button import StopButton
-from bec_widgets.widgets.toggle.toggle import ToggleSwitch
-from bec_widgets.widgets.waveform.waveform_widget import BECWaveformWidget
+from bec_widgets.utils.error_popups import SafeSlot as Slot
+from bec_widgets.widgets.control.buttons.stop_button.stop_button import StopButton
+from bec_widgets.widgets.control.device_control.positioner_group.positioner_group import (
+    PositionerGroup,
+)
+from bec_widgets.widgets.dap.lmfit_dialog.lmfit_dialog import LMFitDialog
+from bec_widgets.widgets.plots.waveform.waveform_widget import BECWaveformWidget
+from bec_widgets.widgets.progress.bec_progressbar.bec_progressbar import BECProgressBar
 
 MODULE_PATH = os.path.dirname(bec_widgets.__file__)
+logger = bec_logger.logger
 
 
-class Alignment1D(BECWidget, QMainWindow):
+# FIXME BECWaveFormWidget is gone, this app will not work until adapted to new Waveform
+class Alignment1D:
     """Alignment GUI to perform 1D scans"""
 
-    # Emit a signal when a motion is ongoing
-    motion_is_active = Signal(bool)
-
     def __init__(self, client=None, gui_id: Optional[str] = None) -> None:
-        """Initialise the widget
+        """Initialization
 
         Args:
-            parent: Parent widget.
-            config: Configuration of the widget.
+            config: Configuration of the application.
             client: BEC client object.
             gui_id: GUI ID.
         """
-        super().__init__(client=client, gui_id=gui_id)
-        QMainWindow.__init__(self)
-        self.get_bec_shortcuts()
+        self.bec_dispatcher = BECDispatcher(client=client)
+        self.client = self.bec_dispatcher.client if client is None else client
+        QApplication.instance().aboutToQuit.connect(self.close)
+        self.dev = self.client.device_manager.devices
+
         self._accent_colors = get_accent_colors()
         self.ui_file = "alignment_1d.ui"
         self.ui = None
@@ -57,28 +56,25 @@ class Alignment1D(BECWidget, QMainWindow):
     def init_ui(self):
         """Initialise the UI from QT Designer file"""
         current_path = os.path.dirname(__file__)
-        self.ui = UILoader(self).loader(os.path.join(current_path, self.ui_file))
-        self.setCentralWidget(self.ui)
+        self.ui = UILoader(None).loader(os.path.join(current_path, self.ui_file))
         # Customize the plotting widget
         self.waveform = self.ui.findChild(BECWaveformWidget, "bec_waveform_widget")
         self._customise_bec_waveform_widget()
         # Setup comboboxes for motor and signal selection
         # FIXME after changing the filtering in the combobox
-        self._setup_motor_combobox()
         self._setup_signal_combobox()
         # Setup motor indicator
         self._setup_motor_indicator()
-        # Connect spinboxes to scan Control
-        self._setup_scan_control()
         # Setup progress bar
         self._setup_progress_bar()
         # Add actions buttons
         self._customise_buttons()
-        # Customize the positioner box
-        self._customize_positioner_box()
         # Hook scaninfo updates
         self.bec_dispatcher.connect_slot(self.scan_status_callback, MessageEndpoints.scan_status())
 
+    def show(self):
+        return self.ui.show()
+
     ##############################
     ############ SLOTS ###########
     ##############################
@@ -87,10 +83,8 @@ class Alignment1D(BECWidget, QMainWindow):
     def scan_status_callback(self, content: dict, _) -> None:
         """This slot allows to enable/disable the UI critical components when a scan is running"""
         if content["status"] in ["open"]:
-            self.motion_is_active.emit(True)
             self.enable_ui(False)
         elif content["status"] in ["aborted", "halted", "closed"]:
-            self.motion_is_active.emit(False)
             self.enable_ui(True)
 
     @Slot(tuple)
@@ -133,15 +127,11 @@ class Alignment1D(BECWidget, QMainWindow):
     def enable_ui(self, enable: bool) -> None:
         """Enable or disable the UI components"""
         # Enable/disable motor and signal selection
-        self.ui.device_combobox.setEnabled(enable)
         self.ui.device_combobox_2.setEnabled(enable)
         # Enable/disable DAP selection
         self.ui.dap_combo_box.setEnabled(enable)
         # Enable/disable Scan Button
-        self.ui.scan_button.setEnabled(enable)
-        # Positioner control line
-        # pylint: disable=protected-access
-        self.ui.positioner_box._toogle_enable_buttons(enable)
+        # self.ui.scan_button.setEnabled(enable)
         # Disable move to buttons in LMFitDialog
         self.ui.findChild(LMFitDialog).set_actions_enabled(enable)
 
@@ -154,49 +144,20 @@ class Alignment1D(BECWidget, QMainWindow):
         fit_dialog = self.ui.findChild(LMFitDialog)
         fit_dialog.active_action_list = ["center", "center1", "center2"]
         fit_dialog.move_action.connect(self.move_to_center)
-        scan_button = self.ui.findChild(QPushButton, "scan_button")
-        scan_button.setStyleSheet(
-            f"""
-            QPushButton:enabled {{ background-color: {self._accent_colors.success.name()};color: white; }}
-            QPushButton:disabled {{ background-color: grey;color: white; }}
-            """
-        )
         stop_button = self.ui.findChild(StopButton)
         stop_button.button.setText("Stop and Clear Queue")
         stop_button.button.clicked.connect(self.clear_queue)
 
     def _customise_bec_waveform_widget(self) -> None:
-        """Customise the BEC Waveform Widget, i.e. clear the toolbar, add the DAP ROI selection to the toolbar.
-        We also move the scan_control widget which is fully hidden and solely used for setting up the scan parameters to the toolbar.
-        """
+        """Customise the BEC Waveform Widget, i.e. clear the toolbar"""
         self.waveform.toolbar.clear()
-        toggle_switch = self.ui.findChild(ToggleSwitch, "toggle_switch")
-        scan_control = self.ui.scan_control
-        self.waveform.toolbar.populate_toolbar(
-            {
-                "label": WidgetAction(label="ENABLE DAP ROI", widget=toggle_switch),
-                "scan_control": WidgetAction(widget=scan_control),
-            },
-            self.waveform,
-        )
 
     def _setup_motor_indicator(self) -> None:
         """Setup the arrow item"""
         self.waveform.waveform.tick_item.add_to_plot()
-        positioner_box = self.ui.findChild(PositionerBox)
+        positioner_box = self.ui.findChild(PositionerGroup)
         positioner_box.position_update.connect(self.waveform.waveform.tick_item.set_position)
-        try:
-            pos = float(positioner_box.ui.readback.text())
-        except ValueError:
-            pos = 0
-        self.waveform.waveform.tick_item.set_position(pos)
-
-    def _setup_motor_combobox(self) -> None:
-        """Setup motor selection"""
-        # FIXME after changing the filtering in the combobox
-        motors = [name for name in self.dev if isinstance(self.dev.get(name), BECPositioner)]
-        self.ui.device_combobox.setCurrentText(motors[0])
-        self.ui.device_combobox.set_device_filter("Positioner")
+        self.waveform.waveform.tick_item.set_position(0)
 
     def _setup_signal_combobox(self) -> None:
         """Setup signal selection"""
@@ -205,31 +166,6 @@ class Alignment1D(BECWidget, QMainWindow):
         self.ui.device_combobox_2.setCurrentText(signals[0])
         self.ui.device_combobox_2.set_device_filter("Signal")
 
-    def _setup_scan_control(self) -> None:
-        """Setup scan control, connect spin and check boxes to the scan_control widget"""
-        # Connect motor
-        device_line_edit = self.ui.scan_control.arg_box.findChild(DeviceLineEdit)
-        self.ui.device_combobox.currentTextChanged.connect(device_line_edit.setText)
-        device_line_edit.setText(self.ui.device_combobox.currentText())
-        # Connect start, stop, step, exp_time and relative check box
-        spin_boxes = self.ui.scan_control.arg_box.findChildren(QDoubleSpinBox)
-        start = self.ui.findChild(QDoubleSpinBox, "linescan_start")
-        start.valueChanged.connect(spin_boxes[0].setValue)
-        stop = self.ui.findChild(QDoubleSpinBox, "linescan_stop")
-        stop.valueChanged.connect(spin_boxes[1].setValue)
-        step = self.ui.findChild(QSpinBox, "linescan_step")
-        step.valueChanged.connect(
-            self.ui.scan_control.kwarg_boxes[0].findChildren(QSpinBox)[0].setValue
-        )
-        exp_time = self.ui.findChild(QDoubleSpinBox, "linescan_exp_time")
-        exp_time.valueChanged.connect(
-            self.ui.scan_control.kwarg_boxes[1].findChildren(QDoubleSpinBox)[0].setValue
-        )
-        relative = self.ui.findChild(QCheckBox, "linescan_relative")
-        relative.toggled.connect(
-            self.ui.scan_control.kwarg_boxes[0].findChildren(QCheckBox)[0].setChecked
-        )
-
     def _setup_progress_bar(self) -> None:
         """Setup progress bar"""
         # FIXME once the BECScanProgressBar is implemented
@@ -238,18 +174,16 @@ class Alignment1D(BECWidget, QMainWindow):
         self.ui.bec_waveform_widget.new_scan.connect(self.reset_progress_bar)
         self.bec_dispatcher.connect_slot(self.update_progress_bar, MessageEndpoints.scan_progress())
 
-    def _customize_positioner_box(self) -> None:
-        """Customize the positioner Box, i.e. remove the stop button"""
-        box = self.ui.findChild(PositionerBox)
-        box.ui.stop.setVisible(False)
-        box.ui.position_indicator.setFixedHeight(20)
+    def close(self):
+        logger.info("Disconnecting", repr(self.bec_dispatcher))
+        self.bec_dispatcher.disconnect_all()
+        logger.info("Shutting down BEC Client", repr(self.client))
+        self.client.shutdown()
 
 
 def main():
     import sys
 
-    from qtpy.QtWidgets import QApplication  # pylint: disable=ungrouped-imports
-
     app = QApplication(sys.argv)
     icon = QIcon()
     icon.addFile(

bec_widgets/cli/__init__.py

@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-from .client import *

bec_widgets/cli/auto_updates.py

@@ -1,184 +1,169 @@
-from __future__ import annotations
-
-import threading
-from queue import Queue
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
-
-from pydantic import BaseModel
-
-if TYPE_CHECKING:
-    from .client import BECDockArea, BECFigure
-
-
-class ScanInfo(BaseModel):
-    scan_id: str
-    scan_number: int
-    scan_name: str
-    scan_report_devices: list
-    monitored_devices: list
-    status: str
-    model_config: dict = {"validate_assignment": True}
-
-
-class AutoUpdates:
-    create_default_dock: bool = False
-    enabled: bool = False
-    dock_name: str = None
-
-    def __init__(self, gui: BECDockArea):
-        self.gui = gui
-        self.msg_queue = Queue()
-        self.auto_update_thread = None
-        self._shutdown_sentinel = object()
-        self.start()
-
-    def start(self):
-        """
-        Start the auto update thread.
-        """
-        self.auto_update_thread = threading.Thread(target=self.process_queue)
-        self.auto_update_thread.start()
-
-    def start_default_dock(self):
-        """
-        Create a default dock for the auto updates.
-        """
-        dock = self.gui.add_dock("default_figure")
-        dock.add_widget("BECFigure")
-        self.dock_name = "default_figure"
-
-    @staticmethod
-    def get_scan_info(msg) -> ScanInfo:
-        """
-        Update the script with the given data.
-        """
-        info = msg.info
-        status = msg.status
-        scan_id = msg.scan_id
-        scan_number = info.get("scan_number", 0)
-        scan_name = info.get("scan_name", "Unknown")
-        scan_report_devices = info.get("scan_report_devices", [])
-        monitored_devices = info.get("readout_priority", {}).get("monitored", [])
-        monitored_devices = [dev for dev in monitored_devices if dev not in scan_report_devices]
-        return ScanInfo(
-            scan_id=scan_id,
-            scan_number=scan_number,
-            scan_name=scan_name,
-            scan_report_devices=scan_report_devices,
-            monitored_devices=monitored_devices,
-            status=status,
-        )
-
-    def get_default_figure(self) -> BECFigure | None:
-        """
-        Get the default figure from the GUI.
-        """
-        dock = self.gui.panels.get(self.dock_name, [])
-        if not dock:
-            return None
-        widgets = dock.widget_list
-        if not widgets:
-            return None
-        return widgets[0]
-
-    def run(self, msg):
-        """
-        Run the update function if enabled.
-        """
-        if not self.enabled:
-            return
-        if msg.status != "open":
-            return
-        info = self.get_scan_info(msg)
-        self.handler(info)
-
-    def process_queue(self):
-        """
-        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.
-        """
-        if selected_device:
-            return selected_device
-        if len(monitored_devices) > 0:
-            sel_device = monitored_devices[0]
-            return sel_device
-        return None
-
-    def handler(self, info: ScanInfo) -> None:
-        """
-        Default update function.
-        """
-        if info.scan_name == "line_scan" and info.scan_report_devices:
-            self.simple_line_scan(info)
-            return
-        if info.scan_name == "grid_scan" and info.scan_report_devices:
-            self.simple_grid_scan(info)
-            return
-        if info.scan_report_devices:
-            self.best_effort(info)
-            return
-
-    def simple_line_scan(self, info: ScanInfo) -> None:
-        """
-        Simple line scan.
-        """
-        fig = self.get_default_figure()
-        if not fig:
-            return
-        dev_x = info.scan_report_devices[0]
-        dev_y = self.get_selected_device(info.monitored_devices, self.gui.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}")
-        plt.set(title=f"Scan {info.scan_number}", x_label=dev_x, y_label=dev_y)
-
-    def simple_grid_scan(self, info: ScanInfo) -> None:
-        """
-        Simple grid scan.
-        """
-        fig = self.get_default_figure()
-        if not fig:
-            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)
-        fig.clear_all()
-        plt = fig.plot(
-            x_name=dev_x, y_name=dev_y, z_name=dev_z, label=f"Scan {info.scan_number} - {dev_z}"
-        )
-        plt.set(title=f"Scan {info.scan_number}", x_label=dev_x, y_label=dev_y)
-
-    def best_effort(self, info: ScanInfo) -> None:
-        """
-        Best effort scan.
-        """
-        fig = self.get_default_figure()
-        if not fig:
-            return
-        dev_x = info.scan_report_devices[0]
-        dev_y = self.get_selected_device(info.monitored_devices, self.gui.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}")
-        plt.set(title=f"Scan {info.scan_number}", x_label=dev_x, y_label=dev_y)
-
-    def shutdown(self):
-        """
-        Shutdown the auto update thread.
-        """
-        self.msg_queue.put(self._shutdown_sentinel)
-        if self.auto_update_thread:
-            self.auto_update_thread.join()
+# TODO autoupdate disabled
+# from __future__ import annotations
+#
+# import threading
+# from queue import Queue
+# from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+#
+# from pydantic import BaseModel
+#
+# if TYPE_CHECKING:
+#     from .client import BECDockArea, BECFigure
+#
+#
+# class ScanInfo(BaseModel):
+#     scan_id: str
+#     scan_number: int
+#     scan_name: str
+#     scan_report_devices: list
+#     monitored_devices: list
+#     status: str
+#     model_config: dict = {"validate_assignment": True}
+#
+#
+# class AutoUpdates:
+#     create_default_dock: bool = False
+#     enabled: bool = False
+#     dock_name: str = None
+#
+#     def __init__(self, gui: BECDockArea):
+#         self.gui = gui
+#         self._default_dock = None
+#         self._default_fig = None
+#
+#     def start_default_dock(self):
+#         """
+#         Create a default dock for the auto updates.
+#         """
+#         self.dock_name = "default_figure"
+#         self._default_dock = self.gui.new(self.dock_name)
+#         self._default_dock.new("BECFigure")
+#         self._default_fig = self._default_dock.elements_list[0]
+#
+#     @staticmethod
+#     def get_scan_info(msg) -> ScanInfo:
+#         """
+#         Update the script with the given data.
+#         """
+#         info = msg.info
+#         status = msg.status
+#         scan_id = msg.scan_id
+#         scan_number = info.get("scan_number", 0)
+#         scan_name = info.get("scan_name", "Unknown")
+#         scan_report_devices = info.get("scan_report_devices", [])
+#         monitored_devices = info.get("readout_priority", {}).get("monitored", [])
+#         monitored_devices = [dev for dev in monitored_devices if dev not in scan_report_devices]
+#         return ScanInfo(
+#             scan_id=scan_id,
+#             scan_number=scan_number,
+#             scan_name=scan_name,
+#             scan_report_devices=scan_report_devices,
+#             monitored_devices=monitored_devices,
+#             status=status,
+#         )
+#
+#     def get_default_figure(self) -> BECFigure | None:
+#         """
+#         Get the default figure from the GUI.
+#         """
+#         return self._default_fig
+#
+#     def do_update(self, msg):
+#         """
+#         Run the update function if enabled.
+#         """
+#         if not self.enabled:
+#             return
+#         if msg.status != "open":
+#             return
+#         info = self.get_scan_info(msg)
+#         return self.handler(info)
+#
+#     def get_selected_device(self, 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.
+#         """
+#         if selected_device:
+#             return selected_device
+#         if len(monitored_devices) > 0:
+#             sel_device = monitored_devices[0]
+#             return sel_device
+#         return None
+#
+#     def handler(self, info: ScanInfo) -> None:
+#         """
+#         Default update function.
+#         """
+#         if info.scan_name == "line_scan" and info.scan_report_devices:
+#             return self.simple_line_scan(info)
+#         if info.scan_name == "grid_scan" and info.scan_report_devices:
+#             return self.simple_grid_scan(info)
+#         if info.scan_report_devices:
+#             return self.best_effort(info)
+#
+#     def simple_line_scan(self, info: ScanInfo) -> None:
+#         """
+#         Simple line scan.
+#         """
+#         fig = self.get_default_figure()
+#         if not fig:
+#             return
+#         dev_x = info.scan_report_devices[0]
+#         selected_device = yield self.gui.selected_device
+#         dev_y = self.get_selected_device(info.monitored_devices, selected_device)
+#         if not dev_y:
+#             return
+#         yield fig.clear_all()
+#         yield fig.plot(
+#             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:
+#         """
+#         Simple grid scan.
+#         """
+#         fig = self.get_default_figure()
+#         if not fig:
+#             return
+#         dev_x = info.scan_report_devices[0]
+#         dev_y = info.scan_report_devices[1]
+#         selected_device = yield self.gui.selected_device
+#         dev_z = self.get_selected_device(info.monitored_devices, selected_device)
+#         yield fig.clear_all()
+#         yield fig.plot(
+#             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,
+#         )
+#
+#     def best_effort(self, info: ScanInfo) -> None:
+#         """
+#         Best effort scan.
+#         """
+#         fig = self.get_default_figure()
+#         if not fig:
+#             return
+#         dev_x = info.scan_report_devices[0]
+#         selected_device = yield self.gui.selected_device
+#         dev_y = self.get_selected_device(info.monitored_devices, selected_device)
+#         if not dev_y:
+#             return
+#         yield fig.clear_all()
+#         yield fig.plot(
+#             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,
+#         )

bec_widgets/cli/client_utils.py

@@ -1,65 +1,47 @@
+"""Client utilities for the BEC GUI."""
+
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-import importlib
-import importlib.metadata as imd
 import json
 import os
 import select
 import subprocess
 import threading
 import time
-import uuid
-from functools import wraps
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+from contextlib import contextmanager
+from threading import Lock
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any
 
-from bec_lib.client import BECClient
 from bec_lib.endpoints import MessageEndpoints
 from bec_lib.logger import bec_logger
-from bec_lib.utils.import_utils import isinstance_based_on_class_name, lazy_import, lazy_import_from
+from bec_lib.utils.import_utils import lazy_import, lazy_import_from
+from rich.console import Console
+from rich.table import Table
 
 import bec_widgets.cli.client as client
-from bec_widgets.cli.auto_updates import AutoUpdates
+from bec_widgets.cli.rpc.rpc_base import RPCBase, RPCReference
 
-if TYPE_CHECKING:
-    from bec_lib.device import DeviceBase
-
-messages = lazy_import("bec_lib.messages")
-# from bec_lib.connector import MessageObject
-MessageObject = lazy_import_from("bec_lib.connector", ("MessageObject",))
-BECDispatcher = lazy_import_from("bec_widgets.utils.bec_dispatcher", ("BECDispatcher",))
+if TYPE_CHECKING:  # pragma: no cover
+    from bec_lib.redis_connector import StreamMessage
+else:
+    StreamMessage = lazy_import_from("bec_lib.redis_connector", ("StreamMessage",))
 
 logger = bec_logger.logger
 
+IGNORE_WIDGETS = ["BECDockArea", "BECDock"]
 
-def rpc_call(func):
+# pylint: disable=redefined-outer-scope
+
+
+def _filter_output(output: str) -> str:
     """
-    A decorator for calling a function on the server.
-
-    Args:
-        func: The function to call.
-
-    Returns:
-        The result of the function call.
+    Filter out the output from the process.
     """
-
-    @wraps(func)
-    def wrapper(self, *args, **kwargs):
-        # we could rely on a strict type check here, but this is more flexible
-        # moreover, it would anyway crash for objects...
-        out = []
-        for arg in args:
-            if hasattr(arg, "name"):
-                arg = arg.name
-            out.append(arg)
-        args = tuple(out)
-        for key, val in kwargs.items():
-            if hasattr(val, "name"):
-                kwargs[key] = val.name
-        if not self.gui_is_alive():
-            raise RuntimeError("GUI is not alive")
-        return self._run_rpc(func.__name__, *args, **kwargs)
-
-    return wrapper
+    if "IMKClient" in output:
+        # only relevant on macOS
+        # see https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255761734?sortBy=rank
+        return ""
+    return output
 
 
 def _get_output(process, logger) -> None:
@@ -75,6 +57,7 @@ def _get_output(process, logger) -> None:
                 if stream in readylist:
                     buf.append(stream.read(4096))
                 output, _, remaining = "".join(buf).rpartition("\n")
+                output = _filter_output(output)
                 if output:
                     log_func[stream](output)
                     buf.clear()
@@ -83,7 +66,9 @@ def _get_output(process, logger) -> None:
         logger.error(f"Error reading process output: {str(e)}")
 
 
-def _start_plot_process(gui_id: str, gui_class: type, config: dict | str, logger=None) -> None:
+def _start_plot_process(
+    gui_id: str, gui_class: type, gui_class_id: str, config: dict | str, logger=None
+) -> tuple[subprocess.Popen[str], threading.Thread | None]:
     """
     Start the plot in a new process.
 
@@ -92,11 +77,20 @@ def _start_plot_process(gui_id: str, gui_class: type, config: dict | str, logger
     process will not be captured.
     """
     # pylint: disable=subprocess-run-check
-    command = ["bec-gui-server", "--id", gui_id, "--gui_class", gui_class.__name__]
+    command = [
+        "bec-gui-server",
+        "--id",
+        gui_id,
+        "--gui_class",
+        gui_class.__name__,
+        "--gui_class_id",
+        gui_class_id,
+        "--hide",
+    ]
     if config:
         if isinstance(config, dict):
             config = json.dumps(config)
-        command.extend(["--config", config])
+        command.extend(["--config", str(config)])
 
     env_dict = os.environ.copy()
     env_dict["PYTHONUNBUFFERED"] = "1"
@@ -126,215 +120,449 @@ def _start_plot_process(gui_id: str, gui_class: type, config: dict | str, logger
     return process, process_output_processing_thread
 
 
-class BECGuiClientMixin:
+class RepeatTimer(threading.Timer):
+    """RepeatTimer class."""
+
+    def run(self):
+        while not self.finished.wait(self.interval):
+            self.function(*self.args, **self.kwargs)
+
+
+# pylint: disable=protected-access
+@contextmanager
+def wait_for_server(client: BECGuiClient):
+    """Context manager to wait for the server to start."""
+    timeout = client._startup_timeout
+    if not timeout:
+        if client._gui_is_alive():
+            # there is hope, let's wait a bit
+            timeout = 1
+        else:
+            raise RuntimeError("GUI is not alive")
+    try:
+        if client._gui_started_event.wait(timeout=timeout):
+            client._gui_started_timer.cancel()
+            client._gui_started_timer.join()
+        else:
+            raise TimeoutError("Could not connect to GUI server")
+    finally:
+        # after initial waiting period, do not wait so much any more
+        # (only relevant if GUI didn't start)
+        client._startup_timeout = 0
+    yield
+
+
+class WidgetNameSpace:
+    def __repr__(self):
+        console = Console()
+        table = Table(title="Available widgets for BEC CLI usage")
+        table.add_column("Widget Name", justify="left", style="magenta")
+        table.add_column("Description", justify="left")
+        for attr, value in self.__dict__.items():
+            docs = value.__doc__
+            docs = docs if docs else "No description available"
+            table.add_row(attr, docs)
+        console.print(table)
+        return ""
+
+
+class AvailableWidgetsNamespace:
+    """Namespace for available widgets in the BEC GUI."""
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        for widget in client.Widgets:
+            name = widget.value
+            if name in IGNORE_WIDGETS:
+                continue
+            setattr(self, name, name)
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        console = Console()
+        table = Table(title="Available widgets for BEC CLI usage")
+        table.add_column("Widget Name", justify="left", style="magenta")
+        table.add_column("Description", justify="left")
+        for attr_name, _ in self.__dict__.items():
+            docs = getattr(client, attr_name).__doc__
+            docs = docs if docs else "No description available"
+            table.add_row(attr_name, docs if len(docs.strip()) > 0 else "No description available")
+        console.print(table)
+        return ""
+
+
+class BECGuiClient(RPCBase):
+    """BEC GUI client class. Container for GUI applications within Python."""
+
     def __init__(self, **kwargs) -> None:
         super().__init__(**kwargs)
+        self._lock = Lock()
+        self._default_dock_name = "bec"
+        self._auto_updates_enabled = True
+        self._auto_updates = None
+        self._killed = False
+        self._top_level: dict[str, client.BECDockArea] = {}
+        self._startup_timeout = 0
+        self._gui_started_timer = None
+        self._gui_started_event = threading.Event()
         self._process = None
         self._process_output_processing_thread = None
-        self.auto_updates = self._get_update_script()
-        self._target_endpoint = MessageEndpoints.scan_status()
-        self._selected_device = None
+        self._exposed_widgets = []
+        self._server_registry = {}
+        self._ipython_registry = {}
+        self.available_widgets = AvailableWidgetsNamespace()
 
-    def _get_update_script(self) -> AutoUpdates | None:
-        eps = imd.entry_points(group="bec.widgets.auto_updates")
-        for ep in eps:
-            if ep.name == "plugin_widgets_update":
-                try:
-                    spec = importlib.util.find_spec(ep.module)
-                    # if the module is not found, we skip it
-                    if spec is None:
-                        continue
-                    return ep.load()(gui=self)
-                except Exception as e:
-                    logger.error(f"Error loading auto update script from plugin: {str(e)}")
-        return None
+    ####################
+    #### Client API ####
+    ####################
 
-    @property
-    def selected_device(self):
-        """
-        Selected device for the plot.
-        """
-        return self._selected_device
-
-    @selected_device.setter
-    def selected_device(self, device: str | DeviceBase):
-        if isinstance_based_on_class_name(device, "bec_lib.device.DeviceBase"):
-            self._selected_device = device.name
-        elif isinstance(device, str):
-            self._selected_device = device
-        else:
-            raise ValueError("Device must be a string or a device object")
-
-    def _start_update_script(self) -> None:
+    def connect_to_gui_server(self, gui_id: str) -> None:
+        """Connect to a GUI server"""
+        # Unregister the old callback
+        self._client.connector.unregister(
+            MessageEndpoints.gui_registry_state(self._gui_id), cb=self._handle_registry_update
+        )
+        self._gui_id = gui_id
+        # Get the registry state
+        msgs = self._client.connector.xread(
+            MessageEndpoints.gui_registry_state(self._gui_id), count=1
+        )
+        if msgs:
+            self._handle_registry_update(msgs[0])
+        # Register the new callback
         self._client.connector.register(
-            self._target_endpoint, cb=self._handle_msg_update, parent=self
+            MessageEndpoints.gui_registry_state(self._gui_id), cb=self._handle_registry_update
         )
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def _handle_msg_update(msg: MessageObject, parent: BECGuiClientMixin) -> None:
-        if parent.auto_updates is not None:
-            # pylint: disable=protected-access
-            parent._update_script_msg_parser(msg.value)
+    @property
+    def windows(self) -> dict:
+        """Dictionary with dock areas in the GUI."""
+        return self._top_level
 
-    def _update_script_msg_parser(self, msg: messages.BECMessage) -> None:
-        if isinstance(msg, messages.ScanStatusMessage):
-            if not self.gui_is_alive():
-                return
-            self.auto_updates.msg_queue.put(msg)
+    @property
+    def window_list(self) -> list:
+        """List with dock areas in the GUI."""
+        return list(self._top_level.values())
 
-    def show(self) -> None:
-        """
-        Show the figure.
-        """
-        if self._process is None or self._process.poll() is not None:
-            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
-            )
-        while not self.gui_is_alive():
-            print("Waiting for GUI to start...")
-            time.sleep(1)
-        logger.success(f"GUI started with id: {self._gui_id}")
+    def start(self, wait: bool = False) -> None:
+        """Start the GUI server."""
+        return self._start(wait=wait)
 
-    def close(self) -> None:
+    def show(self):
+        """Show the GUI window."""
+        if self._check_if_server_is_alive():
+            return self._show_all()
+        return self.start(wait=True)
+
+    def hide(self):
+        """Hide the GUI window."""
+        return self._hide_all()
+
+    def new(
+        self,
+        name: str | None = None,
+        wait: bool = True,
+        geometry: tuple[int, int, int, int] | None = None,
+    ) -> client.BECDockArea:
+        """Create a new top-level dock area.
+
+        Args:
+            name(str, optional): The name of the dock area. Defaults to None.
+            wait(bool, optional): Whether to wait for the server to start. Defaults to True.
+            geometry(tuple[int, int, int, int] | None): The geometry of the dock area (pos_x, pos_y, w, h)
+        Returns:
+            client.BECDockArea: The new dock area.
         """
-        Close the gui window.
+        if not self._check_if_server_is_alive():
+            self.start(wait=True)
+        if wait:
+            with wait_for_server(self):
+                rpc_client = RPCBase(gui_id=f"{self._gui_id}:window", parent=self)
+                widget = rpc_client._run_rpc(
+                    "new_dock_area", name, geometry
+                )  # pylint: disable=protected-access
+                return widget
+        rpc_client = RPCBase(gui_id=f"{self._gui_id}:window", parent=self)
+        widget = rpc_client._run_rpc(
+            "new_dock_area", name, geometry
+        )  # pylint: disable=protected-access
+        return widget
+
+    def delete(self, name: str) -> None:
+        """Delete a dock area.
+
+        Args:
+            name(str): The name of the dock area.
         """
+        widget = self.windows.get(name)
+        if widget is None:
+            raise ValueError(f"Dock area {name} not found.")
+        widget._run_rpc("close")  # pylint: disable=protected-access
+
+    def delete_all(self) -> None:
+        """Delete all dock areas."""
+        for widget_name in self.windows:
+            self.delete(widget_name)
+
+    def kill_server(self) -> None:
+        """Kill the GUI server."""
+        # Unregister the registry state
+        self._killed = True
+
+        if self._gui_started_timer is not None:
+            self._gui_started_timer.cancel()
+            self._gui_started_timer.join()
+
         if self._process is None:
             return
 
-        self._client.shutdown()
         if self._process:
+            logger.success("Stopping GUI...")
             self._process.terminate()
             if self._process_output_processing_thread:
                 self._process_output_processing_thread.join()
             self._process.wait()
             self._process = None
-        if self.auto_updates is not None:
-            self.auto_updates.shutdown()
 
-
-class RPCResponseTimeoutError(Exception):
-    """Exception raised when an RPC response is not received within the expected time."""
-
-    def __init__(self, request_id, timeout):
-        super().__init__(
-            f"RPC response not received within {timeout} seconds for request ID {request_id}"
+        # Unregister the registry state
+        self._client.connector.unregister(
+            MessageEndpoints.gui_registry_state(self._gui_id), cb=self._handle_registry_update
         )
+        # Remove all reference from top level
+        self._top_level.clear()
+        self._server_registry.clear()
 
+    def close(self):
+        """Deprecated. Use kill_server() instead."""
+        # FIXME, deprecated in favor of kill, will be removed in the future
+        self.kill_server()
 
-class RPCBase:
-    def __init__(self, gui_id: str = None, config: dict = None, parent=None) -> None:
-        self._client = BECClient()  # BECClient is a singleton; here, we simply get the instance
-        self._config = config if config is not None else {}
-        self._gui_id = gui_id if gui_id is not None else str(uuid.uuid4())[:5]
-        self._parent = parent
-        self._msg_wait_event = threading.Event()
-        self._rpc_response = None
-        super().__init__()
-        # print(f"RPCBase: {self._gui_id}")
+    #########################
+    #### Private methods ####
+    #########################
 
-    def __repr__(self):
-        type_ = type(self)
-        qualname = type_.__qualname__
-        return f"<{qualname} object at {hex(id(self))}>"
+    def _check_if_server_is_alive(self):
+        """Checks if the process is alive"""
+        if self._process is None:
+            return False
+        if self._process.poll() is not None:
+            return False
+        return True
 
-    @property
-    def _root(self):
+    def _gui_post_startup(self):
+        timeout = 60
+        # Wait for 'bec' gui to be registered, this may take some time
+        # After 60s timeout. Should this raise an exception on timeout?
+        while time.time() < time.time() + timeout:
+            if len(list(self._server_registry.keys())) == 0:
+                time.sleep(0.1)
+            else:
+                break
+        self._do_show_all()
+        self._gui_started_event.set()
+
+    def _start_server(self, wait: bool = False) -> None:
         """
-        Get the root widget. This is the BECFigure widget that holds
-        the anchor gui_id.
+        Start the GUI server, and execute callback when it is launched
         """
-        parent = self
-        # pylint: disable=protected-access
-        while parent._parent is not None:
-            parent = parent._parent
-        return parent
-
-    def _run_rpc(self, method, *args, wait_for_rpc_response=True, timeout=3, **kwargs):
-        """
-        Run the RPC call.
-
-        Args:
-            method: The method to call.
-            args: The arguments to pass to the method.
-            wait_for_rpc_response: Whether to wait for the RPC response.
-            kwargs: The keyword arguments to pass to the method.
-
-        Returns:
-            The result of the RPC call.
-        """
-        request_id = str(uuid.uuid4())
-        rpc_msg = messages.GUIInstructionMessage(
-            action=method,
-            parameter={"args": args, "kwargs": kwargs, "gui_id": self._gui_id},
-            metadata={"request_id": request_id},
-        )
-
-        # pylint: disable=protected-access
-        receiver = self._root._gui_id
-        if wait_for_rpc_response:
-            self._rpc_response = None
-            self._msg_wait_event.clear()
-            self._client.connector.register(
-                MessageEndpoints.gui_instruction_response(request_id),
-                cb=self._on_rpc_response,
-                parent=self,
+        if self._process is None or self._process.poll() is not None:
+            logger.success("GUI starting...")
+            self._startup_timeout = 5
+            self._gui_started_event.clear()
+            self._process, self._process_output_processing_thread = _start_plot_process(
+                self._gui_id,
+                self.__class__,
+                gui_class_id=self._default_dock_name,
+                config=self._client._service_config.config,  # pylint: disable=protected-access
+                logger=logger,
             )
 
-        self._client.connector.set_and_publish(MessageEndpoints.gui_instructions(receiver), rpc_msg)
+            def gui_started_callback(callback):
+                try:
+                    if callable(callback):
+                        callback()
+                finally:
+                    threading.current_thread().cancel()
 
-        if wait_for_rpc_response:
-            try:
-                finished = self._msg_wait_event.wait(10)
-                if not finished:
-                    raise RPCResponseTimeoutError(request_id, timeout)
-            finally:
-                self._msg_wait_event.clear()
-                self._client.connector.unregister(
-                    MessageEndpoints.gui_instruction_response(request_id), cb=self._on_rpc_response
-                )
-            # get class name
-            if not self._rpc_response.accepted:
-                raise ValueError(self._rpc_response.message["error"])
-            msg_result = self._rpc_response.message.get("result")
-            self._rpc_response = None
-            return self._create_widget_from_msg_result(msg_result)
+            self._gui_started_timer = RepeatTimer(
+                0.5, lambda: self._gui_is_alive() and gui_started_callback(self._gui_post_startup)
+            )
+            self._gui_started_timer.start()
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def _on_rpc_response(msg: MessageObject, parent: RPCBase) -> None:
-        msg = msg.value
-        parent._msg_wait_event.set()
-        parent._rpc_response = msg
+        if wait:
+            self._gui_started_event.wait()
 
-    def _create_widget_from_msg_result(self, msg_result):
-        if msg_result is None:
-            return None
-        if isinstance(msg_result, list):
-            return [self._create_widget_from_msg_result(res) for res in msg_result]
-        if isinstance(msg_result, dict):
-            if "__rpc__" not in msg_result:
-                return {
-                    key: self._create_widget_from_msg_result(val) for key, val in msg_result.items()
-                }
-            cls = msg_result.pop("widget_class", None)
-            msg_result.pop("__rpc__", None)
+    def _dump(self):
+        rpc_client = RPCBase(gui_id=f"{self._gui_id}:window", parent=self)
+        return rpc_client._run_rpc("_dump")
 
-            if not cls:
-                return msg_result
+    def _start(self, wait: bool = False) -> None:
+        self._killed = False
+        self._client.connector.register(
+            MessageEndpoints.gui_registry_state(self._gui_id), cb=self._handle_registry_update
+        )
+        return self._start_server(wait=wait)
 
-            cls = getattr(client, cls)
-            # print(msg_result)
-            return cls(parent=self, **msg_result)
-        return msg_result
+    def _handle_registry_update(self, msg: StreamMessage) -> None:
+        # This was causing a deadlock during shutdown, not sure why.
+        # with self._lock:
+        self._server_registry = msg["data"].state
+        self._update_dynamic_namespace()
 
-    def gui_is_alive(self):
+    def _do_show_all(self):
+        rpc_client = RPCBase(gui_id=f"{self._gui_id}:window", parent=self)
+        rpc_client._run_rpc("show")  # pylint: disable=protected-access
+        for window in self._top_level.values():
+            window.show()
+
+    def _show_all(self):
+        with wait_for_server(self):
+            return self._do_show_all()
+
+    def _hide_all(self):
+        with wait_for_server(self):
+            rpc_client = RPCBase(gui_id=f"{self._gui_id}:window", parent=self)
+            rpc_client._run_rpc("hide")  # pylint: disable=protected-access
+            if not self._killed:
+                for window in self._top_level.values():
+                    window.hide()
+
+    def _update_dynamic_namespace(self):
+        """Update the dynamic name space"""
+        # Clear the top level
+        self._top_level.clear()
+        # First we update the name space based on the new registry state
+        self._add_registry_to_namespace()
+        # Then we clear the ipython registry from old objects
+        self._cleanup_ipython_registry()
+
+    def _cleanup_ipython_registry(self):
+        """Cleanup the ipython registry"""
+        names_in_registry = list(self._ipython_registry.keys())
+        names_in_server_state = list(self._server_registry.keys())
+        remove_ids = list(set(names_in_registry) - set(names_in_server_state))
+        for widget_id in remove_ids:
+            self._ipython_registry.pop(widget_id)
+        self._cleanup_rpc_references_on_rpc_base(remove_ids)
+        # Clear the exposed widgets
+        self._exposed_widgets.clear()  # No longer needed I think
+
+    def _cleanup_rpc_references_on_rpc_base(self, remove_ids: list[str]) -> None:
+        """Cleanup the rpc references on the RPCBase object"""
+        if not remove_ids:
+            return
+        for widget in self._ipython_registry.values():
+            to_delete = []
+            for attr_name, gui_id in widget._rpc_references.items():
+                if gui_id in remove_ids:
+                    to_delete.append(attr_name)
+            for attr_name in to_delete:
+                if hasattr(widget, attr_name):
+                    delattr(widget, attr_name)
+                if attr_name.startswith("elements."):
+                    delattr(widget.elements, attr_name.split(".")[1])
+                widget._rpc_references.pop(attr_name)
+
+    def _set_dynamic_attributes(self, obj: object, name: str, value: Any) -> None:
+        """Add an object to the namespace"""
+        setattr(obj, name, value)
+
+    def _update_rpc_references(self, widget: RPCBase, name: str, gui_id: str) -> None:
+        """Update the RPC references"""
+        widget._rpc_references[name] = gui_id
+
+    def _add_registry_to_namespace(self) -> None:
+        """Add registry to namespace"""
+        # Add dock areas
+        dock_area_states = [
+            state
+            for state in self._server_registry.values()
+            if state["widget_class"] == "BECDockArea"
+        ]
+        for state in dock_area_states:
+            dock_area_ref = self._add_widget(state, self)
+            dock_area = self._ipython_registry.get(dock_area_ref._gui_id)
+            if not hasattr(dock_area, "elements"):
+                self._set_dynamic_attributes(dock_area, "elements", WidgetNameSpace())
+            self._set_dynamic_attributes(self, dock_area.widget_name, dock_area_ref)
+            # Keep track of rpc references on RPCBase object
+            self._update_rpc_references(self, dock_area.widget_name, dock_area_ref._gui_id)
+            # Add dock_area to the top level
+            self._top_level[dock_area_ref.widget_name] = dock_area_ref
+            self._exposed_widgets.append(dock_area_ref._gui_id)
+
+            # Add docks
+            dock_states = [
+                state
+                for state in self._server_registry.values()
+                if state["config"].get("parent_id", "") == dock_area_ref._gui_id
+            ]
+            for state in dock_states:
+                dock_ref = self._add_widget(state, dock_area)
+                dock = self._ipython_registry.get(dock_ref._gui_id)
+                self._set_dynamic_attributes(dock_area, dock_ref.widget_name, dock_ref)
+                # Keep track of rpc references on RPCBase object
+                self._update_rpc_references(dock_area, dock_ref.widget_name, dock_ref._gui_id)
+                # Keep track of exposed docks
+                self._exposed_widgets.append(dock_ref._gui_id)
+
+                # Add widgets
+                widget_states = [
+                    state
+                    for state in self._server_registry.values()
+                    if state["config"].get("parent_id", "") == dock_ref._gui_id
+                ]
+                for state in widget_states:
+                    widget_ref = self._add_widget(state, dock)
+                    self._set_dynamic_attributes(dock, widget_ref.widget_name, widget_ref)
+                    self._set_dynamic_attributes(
+                        dock_area.elements, widget_ref.widget_name, widget_ref
+                    )
+                    # Keep track of rpc references on RPCBase object
+                    self._update_rpc_references(
+                        dock_area, f"elements.{widget_ref.widget_name}", widget_ref._gui_id
+                    )
+                    self._update_rpc_references(dock, widget_ref.widget_name, widget_ref._gui_id)
+                    # Keep track of exposed widgets
+                    self._exposed_widgets.append(widget_ref._gui_id)
+
+    def _add_widget(self, state: dict, parent: object) -> RPCReference:
+        """Add a widget to the namespace
+
+        Args:
+            state (dict): The state of the widget from the _server_registry.
+            parent (object): The parent object.
         """
-        Check if the GUI is alive.
-        """
-        heart = self._client.connector.get(MessageEndpoints.gui_heartbeat(self._root._gui_id))
-        if heart is None:
-            return False
-        if heart.status == messages.BECStatus.RUNNING:
-            return True
-        return False
+        name = state["name"]
+        gui_id = state["gui_id"]
+        try:
+            widget_class = getattr(client, state["widget_class"])
+        except AttributeError as e:
+            raise AttributeError(
+                f"Failed to find user widget {state['widget_class']} in the client - did you run bw-generate-cli to generate the plugin files?"
+            ) from e
+        obj = self._ipython_registry.get(gui_id)
+        if obj is None:
+            widget = widget_class(gui_id=gui_id, name=name, parent=parent)
+            self._ipython_registry[gui_id] = widget
+        else:
+            widget = obj
+        obj = RPCReference(registry=self._ipython_registry, gui_id=gui_id)
+        return obj
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":  # pragma: no cover
+    from bec_lib.client import BECClient
+    from bec_lib.service_config import ServiceConfig
+
+    try:
+        config = ServiceConfig()
+        bec_client = BECClient(config)
+        bec_client.start()
+
+        # Test the client_utils.py module
+        gui = BECGuiClient()
+
+        gui.start(wait=True)
+        gui.new().new(widget="Waveform")
+        time.sleep(10)
+    finally:
+        gui.kill_server()

bec_widgets/cli/generate_cli.py

@@ -2,16 +2,21 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import argparse
+import importlib
 import inspect
 import os
 import sys
+from pathlib import Path
 
 import black
 import isort
+from bec_lib.logger import bec_logger
 from qtpy.QtCore import Property as QtProperty
 
-from bec_widgets.utils.generate_designer_plugin import DesignerPluginGenerator
-from bec_widgets.utils.plugin_utils import BECClassContainer, get_rpc_classes
+from bec_widgets.utils.generate_designer_plugin import DesignerPluginGenerator, plugin_filenames
+from bec_widgets.utils.plugin_utils import BECClassContainer, get_custom_classes
+
+logger = bec_logger.logger
 
 if sys.version_info >= (3, 11):
     from typing import get_overloads
@@ -29,13 +34,25 @@ else:
 
 
 class ClientGenerator:
-    def __init__(self):
-        self.header = """# This file was automatically generated by generate_cli.py\n
+    def __init__(self, base=False):
+        self._base = base
+        base_imports = (
+            """import enum
+import inspect
+from typing import Literal, Optional
+"""
+            if self._base
+            else "\n"
+        )
+        self.header = f"""# This file was automatically generated by generate_cli.py\n
 from __future__ import annotations
-import enum
-from typing import Literal, Optional, overload
+{base_imports}
+from bec_lib.logger import bec_logger
 
-from bec_widgets.cli.client_utils import RPCBase, rpc_call, BECGuiClientMixin
+from bec_widgets.cli.rpc.rpc_base import RPCBase, rpc_call
+{"from bec_widgets.utils.bec_plugin_helper import get_all_plugin_widgets, get_plugin_client_module" if self._base else ""}
+
+logger = bec_logger.logger
 
 # pylint: skip-file"""
 
@@ -43,18 +60,26 @@ from bec_widgets.cli.client_utils import RPCBase, rpc_call, BECGuiClientMixin
 
     def generate_client(self, class_container: BECClassContainer):
         """
-        Generate the client for the published classes.
+        Generate the client for the published classes, skipping any classes
+        that have `RPC = False`.
 
         Args:
             class_container: The class container with the classes to generate the client for.
         """
-        rpc_top_level_classes = class_container.rpc_top_level_classes
+        # Filter out classes that explicitly have RPC=False
+        rpc_top_level_classes = [
+            cls for cls in class_container.rpc_top_level_classes if getattr(cls, "RPC", True)
+        ]
         rpc_top_level_classes.sort(key=lambda x: x.__name__)
-        connector_classes = class_container.connector_classes
+
+        connector_classes = [
+            cls for cls in class_container.connector_classes if getattr(cls, "RPC", True)
+        ]
         connector_classes.sort(key=lambda x: x.__name__)
 
         self.write_client_enum(rpc_top_level_classes)
         for cls in connector_classes:
+            logger.debug(f"generating RPC client class for {cls.__name__}")
             self.content += "\n\n"
             self.generate_content_for_class(cls)
 
@@ -62,14 +87,48 @@ from bec_widgets.cli.client_utils import RPCBase, rpc_call, BECGuiClientMixin
         """
         Write the client enum to the content.
         """
+        if self._base:
+            self.content += """
+class _WidgetsEnumType(str, enum.Enum):
+    \"\"\" Enum for the available widgets, to be generated programatically  \"\"\"
+    ...
+    """
+
         self.content += """
-class Widgets(str, enum.Enum):
-    \"\"\"
-    Enum for the available widgets.
-    \"\"\"
+
+_Widgets = {
     """
         for cls in published_classes:
-            self.content += f'{cls.__name__} = "{cls.__name__}"\n    '
+            self.content += f'"{cls.__name__}": "{cls.__name__}",\n    '
+
+        self.content += """}
+"""
+        if self._base:
+            self.content += """
+
+_plugin_widgets = get_all_plugin_widgets()
+plugin_client = get_plugin_client_module()
+Widgets = _WidgetsEnumType("Widgets", {name: name for name in _plugin_widgets} | _Widgets)
+
+if (_overlap := _Widgets.keys() & _plugin_widgets.keys()) != set():
+    for _widget in _overlap:
+        logger.warning(f"Detected duplicate widget {_widget} in plugin repo file: {inspect.getfile(_plugin_widgets[_widget])} !")
+for plugin_name, plugin_class in inspect.getmembers(plugin_client, inspect.isclass):
+    if issubclass(plugin_class, RPCBase) and plugin_class is not RPCBase:
+        if plugin_name in globals():
+            conflicting_file = (
+                inspect.getfile(_plugin_widgets[plugin_name])
+                if plugin_name in _plugin_widgets
+                else f"{plugin_client}"
+            )
+            logger.warning(
+                f"Plugin widget {plugin_name} from {conflicting_file} conflicts with a built-in class!"
+            )
+            continue
+        if plugin_name not in _overlap:
+            globals()[plugin_name] = plugin_class
+
+"""
 
     def generate_content_for_class(self, cls):
         """
@@ -81,16 +140,28 @@ class Widgets(str, enum.Enum):
 
         class_name = cls.__name__
 
-        # Generate the content
-        if cls.__name__ == "BECDockArea":
+        if class_name == "BECDockArea":
             self.content += f"""
-class {class_name}(RPCBase, BECGuiClientMixin):"""
+class {class_name}(RPCBase):"""
         else:
             self.content += f"""
 class {class_name}(RPCBase):"""
+
+        if cls.__doc__:
+            # We only want the first line of the docstring
+            # But skip the first line if it's a blank line
+            first_line = cls.__doc__.split("\n")[0]
+            if first_line:
+                class_docs = first_line
+            else:
+                class_docs = cls.__doc__.split("\n")[1]
+            self.content += f"""
+    \"\"\"{class_docs}\"\"\"
+    """
         if not cls.USER_ACCESS:
             self.content += """...
     """
+
         for method in cls.USER_ACCESS:
             is_property_setter = False
             obj = getattr(cls, method, None)
@@ -100,8 +171,10 @@ class {class_name}(RPCBase):"""
                 method = method.split(".setter")[0]
             if obj is None:
                 raise AttributeError(
-                    f"Method {method} not found in class {cls.__name__}. Please check the USER_ACCESS list."
+                    f"Method {method} not found in class {cls.__name__}. "
+                    f"Please check the USER_ACCESS list."
                 )
+
             if isinstance(obj, (property, QtProperty)):
                 # for the cli, we can map qt properties to regular properties
                 if is_property_setter:
@@ -167,41 +240,61 @@ def main():
     """
 
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Auto-generate the client for RPC widgets")
-    parser.add_argument("--core", action="store_true", help="Whether to generate the core client")
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--target",
+        action="store",
+        type=str,
+        help="Which package to generate plugin files for. Should be installed in the local environment (example: my_plugin_repo)",
+    )
 
     args = parser.parse_args()
+    if args.target is None:
+        logger.error(
+            "You must provide a target - for safety, the default of running this on bec_widgets core has been removed. To generate the client for bec_widgets, run bw-generate-cli --target bec_widgets"
+        )
+        return
 
-    if args.core:
-        current_path = os.path.dirname(__file__)
-        client_path = os.path.join(current_path, "client.py")
+    logger.info(f"BEC Widget code generation tool started with args: {args}")
 
-        rpc_classes = get_rpc_classes("bec_widgets")
+    client_subdir = "cli" if args.target == "bec_widgets" else "widgets"
+    module_name = "bec_widgets" if args.target == "bec_widgets" else f"{args.target}.bec_widgets"
 
-        generator = ClientGenerator()
-        generator.generate_client(rpc_classes)
-        generator.write(client_path)
+    try:
+        module = importlib.import_module(module_name)
+        assert module.__file__ is not None
+        module_file = Path(module.__file__)
+        module_dir = module_file.parent if module_file.is_file() else module_file
+    except Exception as e:
+        logger.error(f"Failed to load module {module_name} for code generation: {e}")
+        return
 
-        for cls in rpc_classes.plugins:
-            plugin = DesignerPluginGenerator(cls)
-            if not hasattr(plugin, "info"):
-                continue
+    client_path = module_dir / client_subdir / "client.py"
 
-            # if the class directory already has a register, plugin and pyproject file, skip
-            if os.path.exists(
-                os.path.join(plugin.info.base_path, f"register_{plugin.info.plugin_name_snake}.py")
-            ):
-                continue
-            if os.path.exists(
-                os.path.join(plugin.info.base_path, f"{plugin.info.plugin_name_snake}_plugin.py")
-            ):
-                continue
-            if os.path.exists(
-                os.path.join(plugin.info.base_path, f"{plugin.info.plugin_name_snake}.pyproject")
-            ):
-                continue
-            plugin.run()
+    rpc_classes = get_custom_classes(module_name)
+    logger.info(f"Obtained classes with RPC objects: {rpc_classes!r}")
+
+    generator = ClientGenerator(base=module_name == "bec_widgets")
+    logger.info(f"Generating client file at {client_path}")
+    generator.generate_client(rpc_classes)
+    generator.write(str(client_path))
+
+    for cls in rpc_classes.plugins:
+        logger.info(f"Writing bec-designer plugin files for {cls.__name__}...")
+        plugin = DesignerPluginGenerator(cls)
+        if not hasattr(plugin, "info"):
+            continue
+
+        def _exists(file: str):
+            return os.path.exists(os.path.join(plugin.info.base_path, file))
+
+        if any(_exists(file) for file in plugin_filenames(plugin.info.plugin_name_snake)):
+            logger.debug(
+                f"Skipping generation of extra plugin files for {plugin.info.plugin_name_snake} - at least one file out of 'plugin.py', 'pyproject', and 'register_{plugin.info.plugin_name_snake}.py' already exists."
+            )
+            continue
+
+        plugin.run()
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":  # pragma: no cover
-    sys.argv = ["generate_cli.py", "--core"]
     main()

bec_widgets/cli/rpc/rpc_base.py

@@ -0,0 +1,260 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import inspect
+import threading
+import uuid
+from functools import wraps
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any
+
+from bec_lib.client import BECClient
+from bec_lib.endpoints import MessageEndpoints
+from bec_lib.utils.import_utils import lazy_import, lazy_import_from
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:  # pragma: no cover
+    from bec_lib import messages
+    from bec_lib.connector import MessageObject
+
+    import bec_widgets.cli.client as client
+else:
+    client = lazy_import("bec_widgets.cli.client")  # avoid circular import
+    messages = lazy_import("bec_lib.messages")
+    MessageObject = lazy_import_from("bec_lib.connector", ("MessageObject",))
+
+# pylint: disable=protected-access
+
+
+def rpc_call(func):
+    """
+    A decorator for calling a function on the server.
+
+    Args:
+        func: The function to call.
+
+    Returns:
+        The result of the function call.
+    """
+
+    @wraps(func)
+    def wrapper(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        # we could rely on a strict type check here, but this is more flexible
+        # moreover, it would anyway crash for objects...
+        caller_frame = inspect.currentframe().f_back
+        while caller_frame:
+            if "jedi" in caller_frame.f_globals:
+                # Jedi module is present, likely tab completion
+                # Do not run the RPC call
+                return None  # func(*args, **kwargs)
+            caller_frame = caller_frame.f_back
+
+        out = []
+        for arg in args:
+            if hasattr(arg, "name"):
+                arg = arg.name
+            out.append(arg)
+        args = tuple(out)
+        for key, val in kwargs.items():
+            if hasattr(val, "name"):
+                kwargs[key] = val.name
+        if not self._root._gui_is_alive():
+            raise RuntimeError("GUI is not alive")
+        return self._run_rpc(func.__name__, *args, **kwargs)
+
+    return wrapper
+
+
+class RPCResponseTimeoutError(Exception):
+    """Exception raised when an RPC response is not received within the expected time."""
+
+    def __init__(self, request_id, timeout):
+        super().__init__(
+            f"RPC response not received within {timeout} seconds for request ID {request_id}"
+        )
+
+
+class DeletedWidgetError(Exception): ...
+
+
+def check_for_deleted_widget(func):
+    @wraps(func)
+    def wrapper(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        if self._gui_id not in self._registry:
+            raise DeletedWidgetError(f"Widget with gui_id {self._gui_id} has been deleted")
+        return func(self, *args, **kwargs)
+
+    return wrapper
+
+
+class RPCReference:
+    def __init__(self, registry: dict, gui_id: str) -> None:
+        self._registry = registry
+        self._gui_id = gui_id
+
+    @check_for_deleted_widget
+    def __getattr__(self, name):
+        if name in ["_registry", "_gui_id"]:
+            return super().__getattribute__(name)
+        return self._registry[self._gui_id].__getattribute__(name)
+
+    @check_for_deleted_widget
+    def __getitem__(self, key):
+        return self._registry[self._gui_id].__getitem__(key)
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        if self._gui_id not in self._registry:
+            return f"<Deleted widget with gui_id {self._gui_id}>"
+        return self._registry[self._gui_id].__repr__()
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        if self._gui_id not in self._registry:
+            return f"<Deleted widget with gui_id {self._gui_id}>"
+        return self._registry[self._gui_id].__str__()
+
+    def __dir__(self):
+        if self._gui_id not in self._registry:
+            return []
+        return self._registry[self._gui_id].__dir__()
+
+
+class RPCBase:
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        gui_id: str | None = None,
+        config: dict | None = None,
+        name: str | None = None,
+        parent=None,
+    ) -> None:
+        self._client = BECClient()  # BECClient is a singleton; here, we simply get the instance
+        self._config = config if config is not None else {}
+        self._gui_id = gui_id if gui_id is not None else str(uuid.uuid4())[:5]
+        self._name = name if name is not None else str(uuid.uuid4())[:5]
+        self._parent = parent
+        self._msg_wait_event = threading.Event()
+        self._rpc_response = None
+        super().__init__()
+        self._rpc_references: dict[str, str] = {}
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        type_ = type(self)
+        qualname = type_.__qualname__
+        return f"<{qualname} with name: {self.widget_name}>"
+
+    def remove(self):
+        """
+        Remove the widget.
+        """
+        self._run_rpc("remove")
+
+    @property
+    def widget_name(self):
+        """
+        Get the widget name.
+        """
+        return self._name
+
+    @property
+    def _root(self):
+        """
+        Get the root widget. This is the BECFigure widget that holds
+        the anchor gui_id.
+        """
+        parent = self
+        # pylint: disable=protected-access
+        while parent._parent is not None:
+            parent = parent._parent
+        return parent
+
+    def _run_rpc(self, method, *args, wait_for_rpc_response=True, timeout=3, **kwargs) -> Any:
+        """
+        Run the RPC call.
+
+        Args:
+            method: The method to call.
+            args: The arguments to pass to the method.
+            wait_for_rpc_response: Whether to wait for the RPC response.
+            kwargs: The keyword arguments to pass to the method.
+
+        Returns:
+            The result of the RPC call.
+        """
+        request_id = str(uuid.uuid4())
+        rpc_msg = messages.GUIInstructionMessage(
+            action=method,
+            parameter={"args": args, "kwargs": kwargs, "gui_id": self._gui_id},
+            metadata={"request_id": request_id},
+        )
+        # pylint: disable=protected-access
+        receiver = self._root._gui_id
+        if wait_for_rpc_response:
+            self._rpc_response = None
+            self._msg_wait_event.clear()
+            self._client.connector.register(
+                MessageEndpoints.gui_instruction_response(request_id),
+                cb=self._on_rpc_response,
+                parent=self,
+            )
+
+        self._client.connector.set_and_publish(MessageEndpoints.gui_instructions(receiver), rpc_msg)
+
+        if wait_for_rpc_response:
+            try:
+                finished = self._msg_wait_event.wait(timeout)
+                if not finished:
+                    raise RPCResponseTimeoutError(request_id, timeout)
+            finally:
+                self._msg_wait_event.clear()
+                self._client.connector.unregister(
+                    MessageEndpoints.gui_instruction_response(request_id), cb=self._on_rpc_response
+                )
+            # get class name
+            if not self._rpc_response.accepted:
+                raise ValueError(self._rpc_response.message["error"])
+            msg_result = self._rpc_response.message.get("result")
+            self._rpc_response = None
+            return self._create_widget_from_msg_result(msg_result)
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _on_rpc_response(msg: MessageObject, parent: RPCBase) -> None:
+        msg = msg.value
+        parent._msg_wait_event.set()
+        parent._rpc_response = msg
+
+    def _create_widget_from_msg_result(self, msg_result):
+        if msg_result is None:
+            return None
+        if isinstance(msg_result, list):
+            return [self._create_widget_from_msg_result(res) for res in msg_result]
+        if isinstance(msg_result, dict):
+            if "__rpc__" not in msg_result:
+                return {
+                    key: self._create_widget_from_msg_result(val) for key, val in msg_result.items()
+                }
+            cls = msg_result.pop("widget_class", None)
+            msg_result.pop("__rpc__", None)
+
+            if not cls:
+                return msg_result
+
+            cls = getattr(client, cls)
+            # The namespace of the object will be updated dynamically on the client side
+            # Therefor it is important to check if the object is already in the registry
+            # If yes, we return the reference to the object, otherwise we create a new object
+            # pylint: disable=protected-access
+            if msg_result["gui_id"] in self._root._ipython_registry:
+                return RPCReference(self._root._ipython_registry, msg_result["gui_id"])
+            ret = cls(parent=self, **msg_result)
+            self._root._ipython_registry[ret._gui_id] = ret
+            obj = RPCReference(self._root._ipython_registry, ret._gui_id)
+            return obj
+            # return ret
+        return msg_result
+
+    def _gui_is_alive(self):
+        """
+        Check if the GUI is alive.
+        """
+        heart = self._client.connector.get(MessageEndpoints.gui_heartbeat(self._root._gui_id))
+        if heart is None:
+            return False
+        if heart.status == messages.BECStatus.RUNNING:
+            return True
+        return False

bec_widgets/cli/rpc/rpc_register.py

@@ -0,0 +1,176 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from functools import wraps
+from threading import Lock, RLock
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Callable
+from weakref import WeakValueDictionary
+
+from bec_lib.logger import bec_logger
+from qtpy.QtCore import QObject
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:  # pragma: no cover
+    from bec_widgets.utils.bec_connector import BECConnector
+    from bec_widgets.utils.bec_widget import BECWidget
+    from bec_widgets.widgets.containers.dock.dock import BECDock
+    from bec_widgets.widgets.containers.dock.dock_area import BECDockArea
+
+logger = bec_logger.logger
+
+
+def broadcast_update(func):
+    """
+    Decorator to broadcast updates to the RPCRegister whenever a new RPC object is added or removed.
+    If class attribute _skip_broadcast is set to True, the broadcast will be skipped
+    """
+
+    @wraps(func)
+    def wrapper(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        result = func(self, *args, **kwargs)
+        self.broadcast()
+        return result
+
+    return wrapper
+
+
+class RPCRegister:
+    """
+    A singleton class that keeps track of all the RPC objects registered in the system for CLI usage.
+    """
+
+    _instance = None
+    _initialized = False
+
+    def __new__(cls, *args, **kwargs):
+        if cls._instance is None:
+            cls._instance = super(RPCRegister, cls).__new__(cls)
+            cls._initialized = False
+        return cls._instance
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        if self._initialized:
+            return
+        self._rpc_register = WeakValueDictionary()
+        self._broadcast_on_hold = RPCRegisterBroadcast(self)
+        self._lock = RLock()
+        self._skip_broadcast = False
+        self._initialized = True
+        self.callbacks = []
+
+    @classmethod
+    def delayed_broadcast(cls):
+        """
+        Delay the broadcast of the update to all the callbacks.
+        """
+        register = cls()
+        return register._broadcast_on_hold
+
+    @broadcast_update
+    def add_rpc(self, rpc: QObject):
+        """
+        Add an RPC object to the register.
+
+        Args:
+            rpc(QObject): The RPC object to be added to the register.
+        """
+        if not hasattr(rpc, "gui_id"):
+            raise ValueError("RPC object must have a 'gui_id' attribute.")
+        self._rpc_register[rpc.gui_id] = rpc
+
+    @broadcast_update
+    def remove_rpc(self, rpc: str):
+        """
+        Remove an RPC object from the register.
+
+        Args:
+            rpc(str): The RPC object to be removed from the register.
+        """
+        if not hasattr(rpc, "gui_id"):
+            raise ValueError(f"RPC object {rpc} must have a 'gui_id' attribute.")
+        self._rpc_register.pop(rpc.gui_id, None)
+
+    def get_rpc_by_id(self, gui_id: str) -> QObject | None:
+        """
+        Get an RPC object by its ID.
+
+        Args:
+            gui_id(str): The ID of the RPC object to be retrieved.
+
+        Returns:
+            QObject | None: The RPC object with the given ID or None
+        """
+        rpc_object = self._rpc_register.get(gui_id, None)
+        return rpc_object
+
+    def list_all_connections(self) -> dict:
+        """
+        List all the registered RPC objects.
+
+        Returns:
+            dict: A dictionary containing all the registered RPC objects.
+        """
+        with self._lock:
+            connections = dict(self._rpc_register)
+        return connections
+
+    def get_names_of_rpc_by_class_type(
+        self, cls: BECWidget | BECConnector | BECDock | BECDockArea
+    ) -> list[str]:
+        """Get all the names of the widgets.
+
+        Args:
+            cls(BECWidget | BECConnector): The class of the RPC object to be retrieved.
+        """
+        # This retrieves any rpc objects that are subclass of BECWidget,
+        # i.e. curve and image items are excluded
+        widgets = [rpc for rpc in self._rpc_register.values() if isinstance(rpc, cls)]
+        return [widget._name for widget in widgets]
+
+    def broadcast(self):
+        """
+        Broadcast the update to all the callbacks.
+        """
+
+        if self._skip_broadcast:
+            return
+        connections = self.list_all_connections()
+        for callback in self.callbacks:
+            callback(connections)
+
+    def add_callback(self, callback: Callable[[dict], None]):
+        """
+        Add a callback that will be called whenever the registry is updated.
+
+        Args:
+            callback(Callable[[dict], None]): The callback to be added. It should accept a dictionary of all the
+            registered RPC objects as an argument.
+        """
+        self.callbacks.append(callback)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def reset_singleton(cls):
+        """
+        Reset the singleton instance.
+        """
+        cls._instance = None
+        cls._initialized = False
+
+
+class RPCRegisterBroadcast:
+    """Context manager for RPCRegister broadcast."""
+
+    def __init__(self, rpc_register: RPCRegister) -> None:
+        self.rpc_register = rpc_register
+        self._call_depth = 0
+
+    def __enter__(self):
+        """Enter the context manager"""
+        self._call_depth += 1  # Needed for nested calls
+        self.rpc_register._skip_broadcast = True
+        return self.rpc_register
+
+    def __exit__(self, *exc):
+        """Exit the context manager"""
+        self._call_depth -= 1  # Remove nested calls
+        if self._call_depth == 0:  # Last one to exit is repsonsible for broadcasting
+            self.rpc_register._skip_broadcast = False
+        self.rpc_register.broadcast()

bec_widgets/cli/rpc/rpc_widget_handler.py

@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from bec_widgets.cli.client_utils import IGNORE_WIDGETS
+from bec_widgets.utils.bec_plugin_helper import get_all_plugin_widgets
+from bec_widgets.utils.bec_widget import BECWidget
+from bec_widgets.utils.plugin_utils import get_custom_classes
+
+
+class RPCWidgetHandler:
+    """Handler class for creating widgets from RPC messages."""
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        self._widget_classes = None
+
+    @property
+    def widget_classes(self) -> dict[str, type[BECWidget]]:
+        """
+        Get the available widget classes.
+
+        Returns:
+            dict: The available widget classes.
+        """
+        if self._widget_classes is None:
+            self.update_available_widgets()
+        return self._widget_classes  # type: ignore
+
+    def update_available_widgets(self):
+        """
+        Update the available widgets.
+
+        Returns:
+            None
+        """
+        clss = get_custom_classes("bec_widgets")
+        self._widget_classes = get_all_plugin_widgets() | {
+            cls.__name__: cls for cls in clss.widgets if cls.__name__ not in IGNORE_WIDGETS
+        }
+
+    def create_widget(self, widget_type, name: str | None = None, **kwargs) -> BECWidget:
+        """
+        Create a widget from an RPC message.
+
+        Args:
+            widget_type(str): The type of the widget.
+            name (str): The name of the widget.
+            **kwargs: The keyword arguments for the widget.
+
+        Returns:
+            widget(BECWidget): The created widget.
+        """
+        widget_class = self.widget_classes.get(widget_type)  # type: ignore
+        if widget_class:
+            return widget_class(name=name, **kwargs)
+        raise ValueError(f"Unknown widget type: {widget_type}")
+
+
+widget_handler = RPCWidgetHandler()

bec_widgets/cli/rpc_register.py

@@ -1,80 +0,0 @@
-from threading import Lock
-from weakref import WeakValueDictionary
-
-from qtpy.QtCore import QObject
-
-
-class RPCRegister:
-    """
-    A singleton class that keeps track of all the RPC objects registered in the system for CLI usage.
-    """
-
-    _instance = None
-    _initialized = False
-    _lock = Lock()
-
-    def __new__(cls, *args, **kwargs):
-        if cls._instance is None:
-            cls._instance = super(RPCRegister, cls).__new__(cls)
-            cls._initialized = False
-        return cls._instance
-
-    def __init__(self):
-        if self._initialized:
-            return
-        self._rpc_register = WeakValueDictionary()
-        self._initialized = True
-
-    def add_rpc(self, rpc: QObject):
-        """
-        Add an RPC object to the register.
-
-        Args:
-            rpc(QObject): The RPC object to be added to the register.
-        """
-        if not hasattr(rpc, "gui_id"):
-            raise ValueError("RPC object must have a 'gui_id' attribute.")
-        self._rpc_register[rpc.gui_id] = rpc
-
-    def remove_rpc(self, rpc: str):
-        """
-        Remove an RPC object from the register.
-
-        Args:
-            rpc(str): The RPC object to be removed from the register.
-        """
-        if not hasattr(rpc, "gui_id"):
-            raise ValueError(f"RPC object {rpc} must have a 'gui_id' attribute.")
-        self._rpc_register.pop(rpc.gui_id, None)
-
-    def get_rpc_by_id(self, gui_id: str) -> QObject:
-        """
-        Get an RPC object by its ID.
-
-        Args:
-            gui_id(str): The ID of the RPC object to be retrieved.
-
-        Returns:
-            QObject: The RPC object with the given ID.
-        """
-        rpc_object = self._rpc_register.get(gui_id, None)
-        return rpc_object
-
-    def list_all_connections(self) -> dict:
-        """
-        List all the registered RPC objects.
-
-        Returns:
-            dict: A dictionary containing all the registered RPC objects.
-        """
-        with self._lock:
-            connections = dict(self._rpc_register)
-        return connections
-
-    @classmethod
-    def reset_singleton(cls):
-        """
-        Reset the singleton instance.
-        """
-        cls._instance = None
-        cls._initialized = False

bec_widgets/cli/rpc_wigdet_handler.py

@@ -1,53 +0,0 @@
-from bec_widgets.utils import BECConnector
-
-
-class RPCWidgetHandler:
-    """Handler class for creating widgets from RPC messages."""
-
-    def __init__(self):
-        self._widget_classes = None
-
-    @property
-    def widget_classes(self):
-        """
-        Get the available widget classes.
-
-        Returns:
-            dict: The available widget classes.
-        """
-        if self._widget_classes is None:
-            self.update_available_widgets()
-        return self._widget_classes
-
-    def update_available_widgets(self):
-        """
-        Update the available widgets.
-
-        Returns:
-            None
-        """
-        from bec_widgets.utils.plugin_utils import get_rpc_classes
-
-        clss = get_rpc_classes("bec_widgets")
-        self._widget_classes = {cls.__name__: cls for cls in clss.top_level_classes}
-
-    def create_widget(self, widget_type, **kwargs) -> BECConnector:
-        """
-        Create a widget from an RPC message.
-
-        Args:
-            widget_type(str): The type of the widget.
-            **kwargs: The keyword arguments for the widget.
-
-        Returns:
-            widget(BECConnector): The created widget.
-        """
-        if self._widget_classes is None:
-            self.update_available_widgets()
-        widget_class = self._widget_classes.get(widget_type)
-        if widget_class:
-            return widget_class(**kwargs)
-        raise ValueError(f"Unknown widget type: {widget_type}")
-
-
-widget_handler = RPCWidgetHandler()

bec_widgets/cli/server.py

@@ -1,29 +1,55 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-import inspect
+import functools
 import json
 import signal
 import sys
-from contextlib import redirect_stderr, redirect_stdout
+import traceback
+import types
+from contextlib import contextmanager, redirect_stderr, redirect_stdout
 from typing import Union
 
 from bec_lib.endpoints import MessageEndpoints
 from bec_lib.logger import bec_logger
 from bec_lib.service_config import ServiceConfig
 from bec_lib.utils.import_utils import lazy_import
-from qtpy.QtCore import QTimer
+from qtpy.QtCore import Qt, QTimer
+from redis.exceptions import RedisError
 
-from bec_widgets.cli.rpc_register import RPCRegister
+from bec_widgets.cli.rpc.rpc_register import RPCRegister
 from bec_widgets.utils import BECDispatcher
 from bec_widgets.utils.bec_connector import BECConnector
-from bec_widgets.utils.bec_dispatcher import QtRedisConnector
-from bec_widgets.widgets.dock.dock_area import BECDockArea
-from bec_widgets.widgets.figure import BECFigure
+from bec_widgets.utils.error_popups import ErrorPopupUtility
+from bec_widgets.widgets.containers.dock import BECDockArea
+from bec_widgets.widgets.containers.main_window.main_window import BECMainWindow
 
 messages = lazy_import("bec_lib.messages")
 logger = bec_logger.logger
 
 
+@contextmanager
+def rpc_exception_hook(err_func):
+    """This context replaces the popup message box for error display with a specific hook"""
+    # get error popup utility singleton
+    popup = ErrorPopupUtility()
+    # save current setting
+    old_exception_hook = popup.custom_exception_hook
+
+    # install err_func, if it is a callable
+    # IMPORTANT, Keep self here, because this method is overwriting the custom_exception_hook
+    # of the ErrorPopupUtility (popup instance) class.
+    def custom_exception_hook(self, exc_type, value, tb, **kwargs):
+        err_func({"error": popup.get_error_message(exc_type, value, tb)})
+
+    popup.custom_exception_hook = types.MethodType(custom_exception_hook, popup)
+
+    try:
+        yield popup
+    finally:
+        # restore state of error popup utility singleton
+        popup.custom_exception_hook = old_exception_hook
+
+
 class BECWidgetsCLIServer:
 
     def __init__(
@@ -32,16 +58,17 @@ class BECWidgetsCLIServer:
         dispatcher: BECDispatcher = None,
         client=None,
         config=None,
-        gui_class: Union[BECFigure, BECDockArea] = BECFigure,
+        gui_class: type[BECDockArea] = BECDockArea,
+        gui_class_id: str = "bec",
     ) -> None:
         self.status = messages.BECStatus.BUSY
         self.dispatcher = BECDispatcher(config=config) if dispatcher is None else dispatcher
         self.client = self.dispatcher.client if client is None else client
         self.client.start()
         self.gui_id = gui_id
-        self.gui = gui_class(gui_id=self.gui_id)
+        # register broadcast callback
         self.rpc_register = RPCRegister()
-        self.rpc_register.add_rpc(self.gui)
+        self.rpc_register.add_callback(self.broadcast_registry_update)
 
         self.dispatcher.connect_slot(
             self.on_rpc_update, MessageEndpoints.gui_instructions(self.gui_id)
@@ -53,23 +80,27 @@ class BECWidgetsCLIServer:
         self._heartbeat_timer.start(200)
 
         self.status = messages.BECStatus.RUNNING
+        with RPCRegister.delayed_broadcast():
+            self.gui = gui_class(parent=None, name=gui_class_id, gui_id=gui_class_id)
         logger.success(f"Server started with gui_id: {self.gui_id}")
+        # Create initial object -> BECFigure or BECDockArea
 
     def on_rpc_update(self, msg: dict, metadata: dict):
         request_id = metadata.get("request_id")
         logger.debug(f"Received RPC instruction: {msg}, metadata: {metadata}")
-        try:
-            obj = self.get_object_from_config(msg["parameter"])
-            method = msg["action"]
-            args = msg["parameter"].get("args", [])
-            kwargs = msg["parameter"].get("kwargs", {})
-            res = self.run_rpc(obj, method, args, kwargs)
-        except Exception as e:
-            logger.error(f"Error while executing RPC instruction: {e}")
-            self.send_response(request_id, False, {"error": str(e)})
-        else:
-            logger.debug(f"RPC instruction executed successfully: {res}")
-            self.send_response(request_id, True, {"result": res})
+        with rpc_exception_hook(functools.partial(self.send_response, request_id, False)):
+            try:
+                obj = self.get_object_from_config(msg["parameter"])
+                method = msg["action"]
+                args = msg["parameter"].get("args", [])
+                kwargs = msg["parameter"].get("kwargs", {})
+                res = self.run_rpc(obj, method, args, kwargs)
+            except Exception as e:
+                logger.error(f"Error while executing RPC instruction: {traceback.format_exc()}")
+                self.send_response(request_id, False, {"error": str(e)})
+            else:
+                logger.debug(f"RPC instruction executed successfully: {res}")
+                self.send_response(request_id, True, {"result": res})
 
     def send_response(self, request_id: str, accepted: bool, msg: dict):
         self.client.connector.set_and_publish(
@@ -86,54 +117,72 @@ class BECWidgetsCLIServer:
         return obj
 
     def run_rpc(self, obj, method, args, kwargs):
-        logger.debug(f"Running RPC instruction: {method} with args: {args}, kwargs: {kwargs}")
-        method_obj = getattr(obj, method)
-        # check if the method accepts args and kwargs
-        if not callable(method_obj):
-            if not args:
-                res = method_obj
+        # Run with rpc registry broadcast, but only once
+        with RPCRegister.delayed_broadcast():
+            logger.debug(f"Running RPC instruction: {method} with args: {args}, kwargs: {kwargs}")
+            method_obj = getattr(obj, method)
+            # check if the method accepts args and kwargs
+            if not callable(method_obj):
+                if not args:
+                    res = method_obj
+                else:
+                    setattr(obj, method, args[0])
+                    res = None
             else:
-                setattr(obj, method, args[0])
-                res = None
-        else:
-            sig = inspect.signature(method_obj)
-            if sig.parameters:
                 res = method_obj(*args, **kwargs)
-            else:
-                res = method_obj()
 
-        if isinstance(res, list):
-            res = [self.serialize_object(obj) for obj in res]
-        elif isinstance(res, dict):
-            res = {key: self.serialize_object(val) for key, val in res.items()}
-        else:
-            res = self.serialize_object(res)
-        return res
+            if isinstance(res, list):
+                res = [self.serialize_object(obj) for obj in res]
+            elif isinstance(res, dict):
+                res = {key: self.serialize_object(val) for key, val in res.items()}
+            else:
+                res = self.serialize_object(res)
+            return res
 
     def serialize_object(self, obj):
         if isinstance(obj, BECConnector):
+            config = obj.config.model_dump()
+            config["parent_id"] = obj.parent_id  # add parent_id to config
             return {
                 "gui_id": obj.gui_id,
+                "name": (
+                    obj._name if hasattr(obj, "_name") else obj.__class__.__name__
+                ),  # pylint: disable=protected-access
                 "widget_class": obj.__class__.__name__,
-                "config": obj.config.model_dump(),
+                "config": config,
                 "__rpc__": True,
             }
         return obj
 
     def emit_heartbeat(self):
         logger.trace(f"Emitting heartbeat for {self.gui_id}")
-        self.client.connector.set(
-            MessageEndpoints.gui_heartbeat(self.gui_id),
-            messages.StatusMessage(name=self.gui_id, status=self.status, info={}),
-            expire=10,
+        try:
+            self.client.connector.set(
+                MessageEndpoints.gui_heartbeat(self.gui_id),
+                messages.StatusMessage(name=self.gui_id, status=self.status, info={}),
+                expire=10,
+            )
+        except RedisError as exc:
+            logger.error(f"Error while emitting heartbeat: {exc}")
+
+    def broadcast_registry_update(self, connections: dict):
+        """
+        Broadcast the updated registry to all clients.
+        """
+
+        # We only need to broadcast the dock areas
+        data = {key: self.serialize_object(val) for key, val in connections.items()}
+        self.client.connector.xadd(
+            MessageEndpoints.gui_registry_state(self.gui_id),
+            msg_dict={"data": messages.GUIRegistryStateMessage(state=data)},
+            max_size=1,  # only single message in stream
         )
 
     def shutdown(self):  # TODO not sure if needed when cleanup is done at level of BECConnector
-        logger.info(f"Shutting down server with gui_id: {self.gui_id}")
         self.status = messages.BECStatus.IDLE
         self._heartbeat_timer.stop()
         self.emit_heartbeat()
-        self.gui.close()
+        logger.info("Succeded in shutting down gui")
         self.client.shutdown()
 
 
@@ -155,7 +204,9 @@ class SimpleFileLikeFromLogOutputFunc:
         return
 
 
-def _start_server(gui_id: str, gui_class: Union[BECFigure, BECDockArea], config: str | None = None):
+def _start_server(
+    gui_id: str, gui_class: BECDockArea, gui_class_id: str = "bec", config: str | None = None
+):
     if config:
         try:
             config = json.loads(config)
@@ -172,7 +223,9 @@ def _start_server(gui_id: str, gui_class: Union[BECFigure, BECDockArea], config:
     #     service_name="BECWidgetsCLIServer",
     #     service_config=service_config.service_config,
     # )
-    server = BECWidgetsCLIServer(gui_id=gui_id, config=service_config, gui_class=gui_class)
+    server = BECWidgetsCLIServer(
+        gui_id=gui_id, config=service_config, gui_class=gui_class, gui_class_id=gui_class_id
+    )
     return server
 
 
@@ -182,42 +235,50 @@ def main():
 
     from qtpy.QtCore import QSize
     from qtpy.QtGui import QIcon
-    from qtpy.QtWidgets import QApplication, QMainWindow
+    from qtpy.QtWidgets import QApplication
 
     import bec_widgets
 
-    bec_logger.level = bec_logger.LOGLEVEL.DEBUG
-    if __name__ != "__main__":
-        # if not running as main, set the log level to critical
-        # pylint: disable=protected-access
-        bec_logger._stderr_log_level = bec_logger.LOGLEVEL.CRITICAL
-
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="BEC Widgets CLI Server")
-    parser.add_argument("--id", type=str, help="The id of the server")
+    parser.add_argument("--id", type=str, default="test", help="The id of the server")
     parser.add_argument(
         "--gui_class",
         type=str,
         help="Name of the gui class to be rendered. Possible values: \n- BECFigure\n- BECDockArea",
     )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--gui_class_id",
+        type=str,
+        default="bec",
+        help="The id of the gui class that is added to the QApplication",
+    )
     parser.add_argument("--config", type=str, help="Config file or config string.")
+    parser.add_argument("--hide", action="store_true", help="Hide on startup")
 
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
-    if args.gui_class == "BECFigure":
-        gui_class = BECFigure
-    elif args.gui_class == "BECDockArea":
+    bec_logger.level = bec_logger.LOGLEVEL.INFO
+    if args.hide:
+        # pylint: disable=protected-access
+        bec_logger._stderr_log_level = bec_logger.LOGLEVEL.ERROR
+        bec_logger._update_sinks()
+
+    if args.gui_class == "BECDockArea":
         gui_class = BECDockArea
     else:
         print(
             "Please specify a valid gui_class to run. Use -h for help."
             "\n Starting with default gui_class BECFigure."
         )
-        gui_class = BECFigure
+        gui_class = BECDockArea
 
     with redirect_stdout(SimpleFileLikeFromLogOutputFunc(logger.info)):
         with redirect_stderr(SimpleFileLikeFromLogOutputFunc(logger.error)):
             app = QApplication(sys.argv)
-            app.setApplicationName("BEC Figure")
+            # set close on last window, only if not under control of client ;
+            # indeed, Qt considers a hidden window a closed window, so if all windows
+            # are hidden by default it exits
+            app.setQuitOnLastWindowClosed(not args.hide)
             module_path = os.path.dirname(bec_widgets.__file__)
             icon = QIcon()
             icon.addFile(
@@ -225,30 +286,40 @@ def main():
                 size=QSize(48, 48),
             )
             app.setWindowIcon(icon)
+            # store gui id within QApplication object, to make it available to all widgets
+            app.gui_id = args.id
 
-            win = QMainWindow()
-            win.setWindowTitle("BEC Widgets")
+            # args.id = "abff6"
+            server = _start_server(args.id, gui_class, args.gui_class_id, args.config)
 
-            server = _start_server(args.id, gui_class, args.config)
+            win = BECMainWindow(gui_id=f"{server.gui_id}:window")
+            win.setAttribute(Qt.WA_ShowWithoutActivating)
+            win.setWindowTitle("BEC")
 
+            RPCRegister().add_rpc(win)
             gui = server.gui
             win.setCentralWidget(gui)
-            win.resize(800, 600)
-            win.show()
+            if not args.hide:
+                win.show()
 
             app.aboutToQuit.connect(server.shutdown)
 
             def sigint_handler(*args):
                 # display message, for people to let it terminate gracefully
                 print("Caught SIGINT, exiting")
+                # Widgets should be all closed.
+                with RPCRegister.delayed_broadcast():
+                    for widget in QApplication.instance().topLevelWidgets():
+                        widget.close()
                 app.quit()
 
+            # gui.bec.close()
+            # win.shutdown()
             signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, sigint_handler)
             signal.signal(signal.SIGTERM, sigint_handler)
 
             sys.exit(app.exec())
 
 
-if __name__ == "__main__":  # pragma: no cover
-    sys.argv = ["bec_widgets.cli.server", "--id", "e2860", "--gui_class", "BECDockArea"]
+if __name__ == "__main__":
     main()

bec_widgets/examples/jupyter_console/jupyter_console_window.py

@@ -3,12 +3,11 @@ import os
 import numpy as np
 import pyqtgraph as pg
 from bec_qthemes import material_icon
-from qtpy.QtCore import QSize
-from qtpy.QtGui import QIcon
 from qtpy.QtWidgets import (
     QApplication,
     QGroupBox,
     QHBoxLayout,
+    QPushButton,
     QSplitter,
     QTabWidget,
     QVBoxLayout,
@@ -16,10 +15,16 @@ from qtpy.QtWidgets import (
 )
 
 from bec_widgets.utils import BECDispatcher
-from bec_widgets.utils.colors import apply_theme
-from bec_widgets.widgets.dock.dock_area import BECDockArea
-from bec_widgets.widgets.figure import BECFigure
-from bec_widgets.widgets.jupyter_console.jupyter_console import BECJupyterConsole
+from bec_widgets.utils.widget_io import WidgetHierarchy as wh
+from bec_widgets.widgets.containers.dock import BECDockArea
+from bec_widgets.widgets.containers.layout_manager.layout_manager import LayoutManagerWidget
+from bec_widgets.widgets.editors.jupyter_console.jupyter_console import BECJupyterConsole
+from bec_widgets.widgets.plots.image.image import Image
+from bec_widgets.widgets.plots.motor_map.motor_map import MotorMap
+from bec_widgets.widgets.plots.multi_waveform.multi_waveform import MultiWaveform
+from bec_widgets.widgets.plots.plot_base import PlotBase
+from bec_widgets.widgets.plots.scatter_waveform.scatter_waveform import ScatterWaveform
+from bec_widgets.widgets.plots.waveform.waveform import Waveform
 
 
 class JupyterConsoleWindow(QWidget):  # pragma: no cover:
@@ -36,26 +41,24 @@ class JupyterConsoleWindow(QWidget):  # pragma: no cover:
                 {
                     "np": np,
                     "pg": pg,
-                    "fig": self.figure,
+                    "wh": wh,
                     "dock": self.dock,
-                    "w1": self.w1,
-                    "w2": self.w2,
-                    "w3": self.w3,
-                    "w4": self.w4,
-                    "w5": self.w5,
-                    "w6": self.w6,
-                    "w7": self.w7,
-                    "w8": self.w8,
-                    "w9": self.w9,
-                    "w10": self.w10,
-                    "d0": self.d0,
-                    "d1": self.d1,
-                    "d2": self.d2,
-                    "wave": self.wf,
-                    # "bar": self.bar,
-                    # "cm": self.colormap,
                     "im": self.im,
+                    "mi": self.mi,
                     "mm": self.mm,
+                    "lm": self.lm,
+                    "btn1": self.btn1,
+                    "btn2": self.btn2,
+                    "btn3": self.btn3,
+                    "btn4": self.btn4,
+                    "btn5": self.btn5,
+                    "btn6": self.btn6,
+                    "pb": self.pb,
+                    "pi": self.pi,
+                    "wf": self.wf,
+                    "scatter": self.scatter,
+                    "scatter_mi": self.scatter,
+                    "mwf": self.mwf,
                 }
             )
 
@@ -74,117 +77,85 @@ class JupyterConsoleWindow(QWidget):  # pragma: no cover:
         first_tab_layout.addWidget(self.dock)
         tab_widget.addTab(first_tab, "Dock Area")
 
-        second_tab = QWidget()
-        second_tab_layout = QVBoxLayout(second_tab)
-        self.figure = BECFigure(parent=self, gui_id="figure")
-        second_tab_layout.addWidget(self.figure)
-        tab_widget.addTab(second_tab, "BEC Figure")
+        third_tab = QWidget()
+        third_tab_layout = QVBoxLayout(third_tab)
+        self.lm = LayoutManagerWidget()
+        third_tab_layout.addWidget(self.lm)
+        tab_widget.addTab(third_tab, "Layout Manager Widget")
+
+        fourth_tab = QWidget()
+        fourth_tab_layout = QVBoxLayout(fourth_tab)
+        self.pb = PlotBase()
+        self.pi = self.pb.plot_item
+        fourth_tab_layout.addWidget(self.pb)
+        tab_widget.addTab(fourth_tab, "PlotBase")
+
+        tab_widget.setCurrentIndex(3)
 
         group_box = QGroupBox("Jupyter Console", splitter)
         group_box_layout = QVBoxLayout(group_box)
         self.console = BECJupyterConsole(inprocess=True)
         group_box_layout.addWidget(self.console)
 
-        # add stuff to figure
-        self._init_figure()
+        # Some buttons for layout testing
+        self.btn1 = QPushButton("Button 1")
+        self.btn2 = QPushButton("Button 2")
+        self.btn3 = QPushButton("Button 3")
+        self.btn4 = QPushButton("Button 4")
+        self.btn5 = QPushButton("Button 5")
+        self.btn6 = QPushButton("Button 6")
 
-        # init dock for testing
-        self._init_dock()
+        fifth_tab = QWidget()
+        fifth_tab_layout = QVBoxLayout(fifth_tab)
+        self.wf = Waveform()
+        fifth_tab_layout.addWidget(self.wf)
+        tab_widget.addTab(fifth_tab, "Waveform Next Gen")
+        tab_widget.setCurrentIndex(4)
+
+        sixth_tab = QWidget()
+        sixth_tab_layout = QVBoxLayout(sixth_tab)
+        self.im = Image()
+        self.mi = self.im.main_image
+        sixth_tab_layout.addWidget(self.im)
+        tab_widget.addTab(sixth_tab, "Image Next Gen")
+        tab_widget.setCurrentIndex(5)
+
+        seventh_tab = QWidget()
+        seventh_tab_layout = QVBoxLayout(seventh_tab)
+        self.scatter = ScatterWaveform()
+        self.scatter_mi = self.scatter.main_curve
+        self.scatter.plot("samx", "samy", "bpm4i")
+        seventh_tab_layout.addWidget(self.scatter)
+        tab_widget.addTab(seventh_tab, "Scatter Waveform")
+        tab_widget.setCurrentIndex(6)
+
+        eighth_tab = QWidget()
+        eighth_tab_layout = QVBoxLayout(eighth_tab)
+        self.mm = MotorMap()
+        eighth_tab_layout.addWidget(self.mm)
+        tab_widget.addTab(eighth_tab, "Motor Map")
+        tab_widget.setCurrentIndex(7)
+
+        ninth_tab = QWidget()
+        ninth_tab_layout = QVBoxLayout(ninth_tab)
+        self.mwf = MultiWaveform()
+        ninth_tab_layout.addWidget(self.mwf)
+        tab_widget.addTab(ninth_tab, "MultiWaveform")
+        tab_widget.setCurrentIndex(8)
+
+        # add stuff to the new Waveform widget
+        self._init_waveform()
 
         self.setWindowTitle("Jupyter Console Window")
 
-    def _init_figure(self):
-        self.w1 = self.figure.plot(
-            x_name="samx",
-            y_name="bpm4i",
-            # title="Standard Plot with sync device, custom labels - w1",
-            # x_label="Motor Position",
-            # y_label="Intensity (A.U.)",
-            row=0,
-            col=0,
-        )
-        self.w1.set(
-            title="Standard Plot with sync device, custom labels - w1",
-            x_label="Motor Position",
-            y_label="Intensity (A.U.)",
-        )
-        self.w2 = self.figure.motor_map("samx", "samy", row=0, col=1)
-        self.w3 = self.figure.image(
-            "eiger", color_map="viridis", vrange=(0, 100), title="Eiger Image - w3", row=0, col=2
-        )
-        self.w4 = self.figure.plot(
-            x_name="samx",
-            y_name="samy",
-            z_name="bpm4i",
-            color_map_z="magma",
-            new=True,
-            title="2D scatter plot - w4",
-            row=0,
-            col=3,
-        )
-        self.w5 = self.figure.plot(
-            y_name="bpm4i",
-            new=True,
-            title="Best Effort Plot - w5",
-            dap="GaussianModel",
-            row=1,
-            col=0,
-        )
-        self.w6 = self.figure.plot(
-            x_name="timestamp", y_name="bpm4i", new=True, title="Timestamp Plot - w6", row=1, col=1
-        )
-        self.w7 = self.figure.plot(
-            x_name="index", y_name="bpm4i", new=True, title="Index Plot - w7", row=1, col=2
-        )
-        self.w8 = self.figure.plot(
-            y_name="monitor_async", new=True, title="Async Plot - Best Effort - w8", row=2, col=0
-        )
-        self.w9 = self.figure.plot(
-            x_name="timestamp",
-            y_name="monitor_async",
-            new=True,
-            title="Async Plot - timestamp - w9",
-            row=2,
-            col=1,
-        )
-        self.w10 = self.figure.plot(
-            x_name="index",
-            y_name="monitor_async",
-            new=True,
-            title="Async Plot - index - w10",
-            row=2,
-            col=2,
-        )
-
-    def _init_dock(self):
-
-        self.d0 = self.dock.add_dock(name="dock_0")
-        self.mm = self.d0.add_widget("BECMotorMapWidget")
-        self.mm.change_motors("samx", "samy")
-
-        self.d1 = self.dock.add_dock(name="dock_1", position="right")
-        self.im = self.d1.add_widget("BECImageWidget")
-        self.im.image("eiger")
-
-        self.d2 = self.dock.add_dock(name="dock_2", position="bottom")
-        self.wf = self.d2.add_widget("BECWaveformWidget", row=0, col=0)
-        self.wf.plot(x_name="samx", y_name="bpm3a")
-        self.wf.plot(x_name="samx", y_name="bpm4i", dap="GaussianModel")
-        # self.bar = self.d2.add_widget("RingProgressBar", row=0, col=1)
-        # self.bar.set_diameter(200)
-
-        # self.d3 = self.dock.add_dock(name="dock_3", position="bottom")
-        # self.colormap = pg.GradientWidget()
-        # self.d3.add_widget(self.colormap, row=0, col=0)
-
-        self.dock.save_state()
+    def _init_waveform(self):
+        self.wf.plot(y_name="bpm4i", y_entry="bpm4i", dap="GaussianModel")
+        self.wf.plot(y_name="bpm3a", y_entry="bpm3a", dap="GaussianModel")
 
     def closeEvent(self, event):
         """Override to handle things when main window is closed."""
         self.dock.cleanup()
         self.dock.close()
-        self.figure.cleanup()
-        self.figure.close()
         self.console.close()
 
         super().closeEvent(event)
@@ -200,8 +171,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":  # pragma: no cover
     app = QApplication(sys.argv)
     app.setApplicationName("Jupyter Console")
     app.setApplicationDisplayName("Jupyter Console")
-    apply_theme("dark")
-    icon = material_icon("terminal", color="#434343", filled=True)
+    icon = material_icon("terminal", color=(255, 255, 255, 255), filled=True)
     app.setWindowIcon(icon)
 
     bec_dispatcher = BECDispatcher()
@@ -210,6 +180,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":  # pragma: no cover
 
     win = JupyterConsoleWindow()
     win.show()
+    win.resize(1500, 800)
 
     app.aboutToQuit.connect(win.close)
     sys.exit(app.exec_())

bec_widgets/examples/plugin_example_pyside/tictactoetaskmenu.py

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from qtpy.QtGui import QAction
 from qtpy.QtWidgets import QDialog, QDialogButtonBox, QVBoxLayout
 
 from bec_widgets.examples.plugin_example_pyside.tictactoe import TicTacToe
-from bec_widgets.qt_utils.error_popups import SafeSlot as Slot
+from bec_widgets.utils.error_popups import SafeSlot as Slot
 
 
 class TicTacToeDialog(QDialog):  # pragma: no cover

bec_widgets/qt_utils/toolbar.py

@@ -1,257 +0,0 @@
-# pylint: disable=no-name-in-module
-from __future__ import annotations
-
-import os
-from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
-from collections import defaultdict
-from typing import Literal
-
-from bec_qthemes._icon.material_icons import material_icon
-from qtpy.QtCore import QSize
-from qtpy.QtGui import QAction, QColor, QIcon
-from qtpy.QtWidgets import QHBoxLayout, QLabel, QMenu, QSizePolicy, QToolBar, QToolButton, QWidget
-
-import bec_widgets
-
-MODULE_PATH = os.path.dirname(bec_widgets.__file__)
-
-
-class ToolBarAction(ABC):
-    """
-    Abstract base class for toolbar actions.
-
-    Args:
-        icon_path (str, optional): The name of the icon file from `assets/toolbar_icons`. Defaults to None.
-        tooltip (bool, optional): The tooltip for the action. Defaults to None.
-        checkable (bool, optional): Whether the action is checkable. Defaults to False.
-    """
-
-    def __init__(self, icon_path: str = None, tooltip: str = None, checkable: bool = False):
-        self.icon_path = (
-            os.path.join(MODULE_PATH, "assets", "toolbar_icons", icon_path) if icon_path else None
-        )
-        self.tooltip = tooltip
-        self.checkable = checkable
-        self.action = None
-
-    @abstractmethod
-    def add_to_toolbar(self, toolbar: QToolBar, target: QWidget):
-        """Adds an action or widget to a toolbar.
-
-        Args:
-            toolbar (QToolBar): The toolbar to add the action or widget to.
-            target (QWidget): The target widget for the action.
-        """
-
-
-class SeparatorAction(ToolBarAction):
-    """Separator action for the toolbar."""
-
-    def add_to_toolbar(self, toolbar: QToolBar, target: QWidget):
-        toolbar.addSeparator()
-
-
-class IconAction(ToolBarAction):
-    """
-    Action with an icon for the toolbar.
-
-    Args:
-        icon_path (str): The path to the icon file.
-        tooltip (str): The tooltip for the action.
-        checkable (bool, optional): Whether the action is checkable. Defaults to False.
-    """
-
-    def __init__(self, icon_path: str = None, tooltip: str = None, checkable: bool = False):
-        super().__init__(icon_path, tooltip, checkable)
-
-    def add_to_toolbar(self, toolbar: QToolBar, target: QWidget):
-        icon = QIcon()
-        icon.addFile(self.icon_path, size=QSize(20, 20))
-        self.action = QAction(icon, self.tooltip, target)
-        self.action.setCheckable(self.checkable)
-        toolbar.addAction(self.action)
-
-
-class MaterialIconAction:
-    """
-    Action with a Material icon for the toolbar.
-
-    Args:
-        icon_path (str, optional): The name of the Material icon. Defaults to None.
-        tooltip (bool, optional): The tooltip for the action. Defaults to None.
-        checkable (bool, optional): Whether the action is checkable. Defaults to False.
-        filled (bool, optional): Whether the icon is filled. Defaults to False.
-    """
-
-    def __init__(
-        self,
-        icon_name: str = None,
-        tooltip: str = None,
-        checkable: bool = False,
-        filled: bool = False,
-        color: str | tuple | QColor | dict[Literal["dark", "light"], str] | None = None,
-    ):
-        self.icon_name = icon_name
-        self.tooltip = tooltip
-        self.checkable = checkable
-        self.action = None
-        self.filled = filled
-        self.color = color
-
-    def add_to_toolbar(self, toolbar: QToolBar, target: QWidget):
-        icon = self.get_icon()
-        self.action = QAction(icon, self.tooltip, target)
-        self.action.setCheckable(self.checkable)
-        toolbar.addAction(self.action)
-
-    def get_icon(self):
-
-        icon = material_icon(
-            self.icon_name,
-            size=(20, 20),
-            convert_to_pixmap=False,
-            filled=self.filled,
-            color=self.color,
-        )
-        return icon
-
-
-class DeviceSelectionAction(ToolBarAction):
-    """
-    Action for selecting a device in a combobox.
-
-    Args:
-        label (str): The label for the combobox.
-        device_combobox (DeviceComboBox): The combobox for selecting the device.
-
-    """
-
-    def __init__(self, label: str, device_combobox):
-        super().__init__()
-        self.label = label
-        self.device_combobox = device_combobox
-        self.device_combobox.currentIndexChanged.connect(lambda: self.set_combobox_style("#ffa700"))
-
-    def add_to_toolbar(self, toolbar, target):
-        widget = QWidget()
-        layout = QHBoxLayout(widget)
-        label = QLabel(f"{self.label}")
-        layout.addWidget(label)
-        layout.addWidget(self.device_combobox)
-        toolbar.addWidget(widget)
-
-    def set_combobox_style(self, color: str):
-        self.device_combobox.setStyleSheet(f"QComboBox {{ background-color: {color}; }}")
-
-
-class WidgetAction(ToolBarAction):
-    """
-    Action for adding any widget to the toolbar.
-
-    Args:
-        label (str|None): The label for the widget.
-        widget (QWidget): The widget to be added to the toolbar.
-
-    """
-
-    def __init__(self, label: str | None = None, widget: QWidget = None):
-        super().__init__()
-        self.label = label
-        self.widget = widget
-
-    def add_to_toolbar(self, toolbar, target):
-        widget = QWidget()
-        layout = QHBoxLayout(widget)
-        layout.setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0)
-        if self.label is not None:
-            label = QLabel(f"{self.label}")
-            label.setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy.Minimum, QSizePolicy.Fixed)
-            layout.addWidget(label)
-        self.widget.setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy.Minimum, QSizePolicy.Fixed)
-        layout.addWidget(self.widget)
-        toolbar.addWidget(widget)
-
-
-class ExpandableMenuAction(ToolBarAction):
-    """
-    Action for an expandable menu in the toolbar.
-
-    Args:
-        label (str): The label for the menu.
-        actions (dict): A dictionary of actions to populate the menu.
-        icon_path (str, optional): The path to the icon file. Defaults to None.
-
-    """
-
-    def __init__(self, label: str, actions: dict, icon_path: str = None):
-        super().__init__(icon_path, label)
-        self.actions = actions
-        self.widgets = defaultdict(dict)
-
-    def add_to_toolbar(self, toolbar: QToolBar, target: QWidget):
-        button = QToolButton(toolbar)
-        if self.icon_path:
-            button.setIcon(QIcon(self.icon_path))
-        button.setText(self.tooltip)
-        button.setPopupMode(QToolButton.InstantPopup)
-        button.setStyleSheet(
-            """
-                   QToolButton {
-                       font-size: 14px;
-                   }
-                   QMenu {
-                       font-size: 14px;
-                   }
-               """
-        )
-        menu = QMenu(button)
-        for action_id, action in self.actions.items():
-            sub_action = QAction(action.tooltip, target)
-            if hasattr(action, "icon_path"):
-                icon = QIcon()
-                icon.addFile(action.icon_path, size=QSize(20, 20))
-                sub_action.setIcon(icon)
-            elif hasattr(action, "get_icon"):
-                sub_action.setIcon(action.get_icon())
-            sub_action.setCheckable(action.checkable)
-            menu.addAction(sub_action)
-            self.widgets[action_id] = sub_action
-        button.setMenu(menu)
-        toolbar.addWidget(button)
-
-
-class ModularToolBar(QToolBar):
-    """Modular toolbar with optional automatic initialization.
-    Args:
-        parent (QWidget, optional): The parent widget of the toolbar. Defaults to None.
-        actions (list[ToolBarAction], optional): A list of action creators to populate the toolbar. Defaults to None.
-        target_widget (QWidget, optional): The widget that the actions will target. Defaults to None.
-    """
-
-    def __init__(self, parent=None, actions: dict | None = None, target_widget=None):
-        super().__init__(parent)
-
-        self.widgets = defaultdict(dict)
-        self.set_background_color()
-
-        if actions is not None and target_widget is not None:
-            self.populate_toolbar(actions, target_widget)
-
-    def populate_toolbar(self, actions: dict, target_widget):
-        """Populates the toolbar with a set of actions.
-
-        Args:
-            actions (list[ToolBarAction]): A list of action creators to populate the toolbar.
-            target_widget (QWidget): The widget that the actions will target.
-        """
-        self.clear()
-        for action_id, action in actions.items():
-            action.add_to_toolbar(self, target_widget)
-            self.widgets[action_id] = action
-
-    def set_background_color(self):
-        self.setIconSize(QSize(20, 20))
-        self.setMovable(False)
-        self.setFloatable(False)
-        self.setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0)
-        self.setStyleSheet("QToolBar { background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: none; }")

bec_widgets/tests/utils.py

@@ -0,0 +1,234 @@
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+
+from bec_lib.device import Device as BECDevice
+from bec_lib.device import Positioner as BECPositioner
+from bec_lib.device import ReadoutPriority
+from bec_lib.devicemanager import DeviceContainer
+
+
+class FakeDevice(BECDevice):
+    """Fake minimal positioner class for testing."""
+
+    def __init__(self, name, enabled=True, readout_priority=ReadoutPriority.MONITORED):
+        super().__init__(name=name)
+        self._enabled = enabled
+        self.signals = {self.name: {"value": 1.0}}
+        self.description = {self.name: {"source": self.name, "dtype": "number", "shape": []}}
+        self._readout_priority = readout_priority
+        self._config = {
+            "readoutPriority": "baseline",
+            "deviceClass": "ophyd.Device",
+            "deviceConfig": {},
+            "deviceTags": ["user device"],
+            "enabled": enabled,
+            "readOnly": False,
+            "name": self.name,
+        }
+
+    @property
+    def readout_priority(self):
+        return self._readout_priority
+
+    @readout_priority.setter
+    def readout_priority(self, value):
+        self._readout_priority = value
+
+    @property
+    def limits(self) -> tuple[float, float]:
+        return self._limits
+
+    @limits.setter
+    def limits(self, value: tuple[float, float]):
+        self._limits = value
+
+    def __contains__(self, item):
+        return item == self.name
+
+    @property
+    def _hints(self):
+        return [self.name]
+
+    def set_value(self, fake_value: float = 1.0) -> None:
+        """
+        Setup fake value for device readout
+        Args:
+            fake_value(float): Desired fake value
+        """
+        self.signals[self.name]["value"] = fake_value
+
+    def describe(self) -> dict:
+        """
+        Get the description of the device
+        Returns:
+            dict: Description of the device
+        """
+        return self.description
+
+
+class FakePositioner(BECPositioner):
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        name,
+        enabled=True,
+        limits=None,
+        read_value=1.0,
+        readout_priority=ReadoutPriority.MONITORED,
+    ):
+        super().__init__(name=name)
+        # self.limits = limits if limits is not None else [0.0, 0.0]
+        self.read_value = read_value
+        self.setpoint_value = read_value
+        self.motor_is_moving_value = 0
+        self._enabled = enabled
+        self._limits = limits
+        self._readout_priority = readout_priority
+        self.signals = {self.name: {"value": 1.0}}
+        self.description = {self.name: {"source": self.name, "dtype": "number", "shape": []}}
+        self._config = {
+            "readoutPriority": "baseline",
+            "deviceClass": "ophyd_devices.SimPositioner",
+            "deviceConfig": {"delay": 1, "tolerance": 0.01, "update_frequency": 400},
+            "deviceTags": ["user motors"],
+            "enabled": enabled,
+            "readOnly": False,
+            "name": self.name,
+        }
+        self._info = {
+            "signals": {
+                "readback": {"kind_str": "5"},  # hinted
+                "setpoint": {"kind_str": "1"},  # normal
+                "velocity": {"kind_str": "2"},  # config
+            }
+        }
+        self.signals = {
+            self.name: {"value": self.read_value},
+            f"{self.name}_setpoint": {"value": self.setpoint_value},
+            f"{self.name}_motor_is_moving": {"value": self.motor_is_moving_value},
+        }
+
+    @property
+    def readout_priority(self):
+        return self._readout_priority
+
+    @readout_priority.setter
+    def readout_priority(self, value):
+        self._readout_priority = value
+
+    @property
+    def enabled(self) -> bool:
+        return self._enabled
+
+    @enabled.setter
+    def enabled(self, value: bool):
+        self._enabled = value
+
+    @property
+    def limits(self) -> tuple[float, float]:
+        return self._limits
+
+    @limits.setter
+    def limits(self, value: tuple[float, float]):
+        self._limits = value
+
+    def __contains__(self, item):
+        return item == self.name
+
+    @property
+    def _hints(self):
+        return [self.name]
+
+    def set_value(self, fake_value: float = 1.0) -> None:
+        """
+        Setup fake value for device readout
+        Args:
+            fake_value(float): Desired fake value
+        """
+        self.read_value = fake_value
+
+    def describe(self) -> dict:
+        """
+        Get the description of the device
+        Returns:
+            dict: Description of the device
+        """
+        return self.description
+
+    @property
+    def precision(self):
+        return 3
+
+    def set_read_value(self, value):
+        self.read_value = value
+
+    def read(self):
+        return self.signals
+
+    def set_limits(self, limits):
+        self.limits = limits
+
+    def move(self, value, relative=False):
+        """Simulates moving the device to a new position."""
+        if relative:
+            self.read_value += value
+        else:
+            self.read_value = value
+        # Respect the limits
+        self.read_value = max(min(self.read_value, self.limits[1]), self.limits[0])
+
+    @property
+    def readback(self):
+        return MagicMock(get=MagicMock(return_value=self.read_value))
+
+
+class Positioner(FakePositioner):
+    """just placeholder for testing embedded isinstance check in DeviceCombobox"""
+
+    def __init__(self, name="test", limits=None, read_value=1.0):
+        super().__init__(name, limits, read_value)
+
+
+class Device(FakeDevice):
+    """just placeholder for testing embedded isinstance check in DeviceCombobox"""
+
+    def __init__(self, name, enabled=True):
+        super().__init__(name, enabled)
+
+
+class DMMock:
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.devices = DeviceContainer()
+        self.enabled_devices = [device for device in self.devices if device.enabled]
+
+    def add_devives(self, devices: list):
+        for device in devices:
+            self.devices[device.name] = device
+
+
+DEVICES = [
+    FakePositioner("samx", limits=[-10, 10], read_value=2.0),
+    FakePositioner("samy", limits=[-5, 5], read_value=3.0),
+    FakePositioner("samz", limits=[-8, 8], read_value=4.0),
+    FakePositioner("aptrx", limits=None, read_value=4.0),
+    FakePositioner("aptry", limits=None, read_value=5.0),
+    FakeDevice("gauss_bpm"),
+    FakeDevice("gauss_adc1"),
+    FakeDevice("gauss_adc2"),
+    FakeDevice("gauss_adc3"),
+    FakeDevice("bpm4i"),
+    FakeDevice("bpm3a"),
+    FakeDevice("bpm3i"),
+    FakeDevice("eiger", readout_priority=ReadoutPriority.ASYNC),
+    FakeDevice("waveform1d"),
+    FakeDevice("async_device", readout_priority=ReadoutPriority.ASYNC),
+    Positioner("test", limits=[-10, 10], read_value=2.0),
+    Device("test_device"),
+]
+
+
+def check_remote_data_size(widget, plot_name, num_elements):
+    """
+    Check if the remote data has the correct number of elements.
+    Used in the qtbot.waitUntil function.
+    """
+    return len(widget.get_all_data()[plot_name]["x"]) == num_elements

bec_widgets/utils/bec_connector.py

@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 import os
 import time
 import uuid
-from typing import Optional
+from datetime import datetime
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Optional
 
 from bec_lib.logger import bec_logger
 from bec_lib.utils.import_utils import lazy_import_from
@@ -12,11 +13,16 @@ from pydantic import BaseModel, Field, field_validator
 from qtpy.QtCore import QObject, QRunnable, QThreadPool, Signal
 from qtpy.QtWidgets import QApplication
 
-from bec_widgets.cli.rpc_register import RPCRegister
-from bec_widgets.qt_utils.error_popups import ErrorPopupUtility
-from bec_widgets.qt_utils.error_popups import SafeSlot as pyqtSlot
+from bec_widgets.cli.rpc.rpc_register import RPCRegister
+from bec_widgets.utils.container_utils import WidgetContainerUtils
+from bec_widgets.utils.error_popups import ErrorPopupUtility
+from bec_widgets.utils.error_popups import SafeSlot as pyqtSlot
 from bec_widgets.utils.yaml_dialog import load_yaml, load_yaml_gui, save_yaml, save_yaml_gui
 
+if TYPE_CHECKING:  # pragma: no cover
+    from bec_widgets.utils.bec_dispatcher import BECDispatcher
+    from bec_widgets.widgets.containers.dock import BECDock
+
 logger = bec_logger.logger
 BECDispatcher = lazy_import_from("bec_widgets.utils.bec_dispatcher", ("BECDispatcher",))
 
@@ -36,8 +42,7 @@ class ConnectionConfig(BaseModel):
         """Generate a GUI ID if none is provided."""
         if v is None:
             widget_class = values.data["widget_class"]
-            v = f"{widget_class}_{str(time.time())}"
-            return v
+            v = f"{widget_class}_{datetime.now().strftime('%Y_%m_%d_%H_%M_%S_%f')}"
         return v
 
 
@@ -69,13 +74,22 @@ class Worker(QRunnable):
 class BECConnector:
     """Connection mixin class to handle BEC client and device manager"""
 
-    USER_ACCESS = ["_config_dict", "_get_all_rpc"]
+    USER_ACCESS = ["_config_dict", "_get_all_rpc", "_rpc_id"]
     EXIT_HANDLERS = {}
 
-    def __init__(self, client=None, config: ConnectionConfig = None, gui_id: str = None):
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        client=None,
+        config: ConnectionConfig | None = None,
+        gui_id: str | None = None,
+        name: str | None = None,
+        parent_dock: BECDock | None = None,
+        parent_id: str | None = None,
+    ):
         # BEC related connections
         self.bec_dispatcher = BECDispatcher(client=client)
         self.client = self.bec_dispatcher.client if client is None else client
+        self._parent_dock = parent_dock
 
         if not self.client in BECConnector.EXIT_HANDLERS:
             # register function to clean connections at exit;
@@ -100,15 +114,20 @@ class BECConnector:
             )
             self.config = ConnectionConfig(widget_class=self.__class__.__name__)
 
+        self.parent_id = parent_id
+        # If the gui_id is passed, it should be respected. However, this should be revisted since
+        # the gui_id has to be unique, and may no longer be.
         if gui_id:
             self.config.gui_id = gui_id
-            self.gui_id = gui_id
+            self.gui_id: str = gui_id  # Keep namespace in sync
         else:
-            self.gui_id = self.config.gui_id
-
-        # register widget to rpc register
-        # be careful: when registering, and the object is not a BECWidget,
-        # cleanup has to called manually since there is no 'closeEvent'
+            self.gui_id: str = self.config.gui_id  # type: ignore
+        if name is None:
+            name = self.__class__.__name__
+        else:
+            if not WidgetContainerUtils.has_name_valid_chars(name):
+                raise ValueError(f"Name {name} contains invalid characters.")
+        self._name = name if name else self.__class__.__name__
         self.rpc_register = RPCRegister()
         self.rpc_register.add_rpc(self)
 
@@ -116,6 +135,8 @@ class BECConnector:
         self.error_utility = ErrorPopupUtility()
 
         self._thread_pool = QThreadPool.globalInstance()
+        # Store references to running workers so they're not garbage collected prematurely.
+        self._workers = []
 
     def submit_task(self, fn, *args, on_complete: pyqtSlot = None, **kwargs) -> Worker:
         """
@@ -144,11 +165,14 @@ class BECConnector:
             >>> def on_complete():
             >>>     print("Task complete")
             >>> self.submit_task(my_function, 1, 2, on_complete=on_complete)
-
         """
         worker = Worker(fn, *args, **kwargs)
         if on_complete:
             worker.signals.completed.connect(on_complete)
+        # Keep a reference to the worker so it is not garbage collected.
+        self._workers.append(worker)
+        # When the worker is done, remove it from our list.
+        worker.signals.completed.connect(lambda: self._workers.remove(worker))
         self._thread_pool.start(worker)
         return worker
 
@@ -180,37 +204,39 @@ class BECConnector:
     @_config_dict.setter
     def _config_dict(self, config: BaseModel) -> None:
         """
-        Get the configuration of the widget.
+        Set the configuration of the widget.
 
-        Returns:
-            dict: The configuration of the widget.
+        Args:
+            config (BaseModel): The new configuration model.
         """
         self.config = config
 
+    # FIXME some thoughts are required to decide how thhis should work with rpc registry
     def apply_config(self, config: dict, generate_new_id: bool = True) -> None:
         """
         Apply the configuration to the widget.
 
         Args:
-            config(dict): Configuration settings.
-            generate_new_id(bool): If True, generate a new GUI ID for the widget.
+            config (dict): Configuration settings.
+            generate_new_id (bool): If True, generate a new GUI ID for the widget.
         """
         self.config = ConnectionConfig(**config)
         if generate_new_id is True:
             gui_id = str(uuid.uuid4())
             self.rpc_register.remove_rpc(self)
-            self.set_gui_id(gui_id)
+            self._set_gui_id(gui_id)
             self.rpc_register.add_rpc(self)
         else:
             self.gui_id = self.config.gui_id
 
+    # FIXME some thoughts are required to decide how thhis should work with rpc registry
     def load_config(self, path: str | None = None, gui: bool = False):
         """
         Load the configuration of the widget from YAML.
 
         Args:
-            path(str): Path to the configuration file for non-GUI dialog mode.
-            gui(bool): If True, use the GUI dialog to load the configuration file.
+            path (str | None): Path to the configuration file for non-GUI dialog mode.
+            gui (bool): If True, use the GUI dialog to load the configuration file.
         """
         if gui is True:
             config = load_yaml_gui(self)
@@ -229,8 +255,8 @@ class BECConnector:
         Save the configuration of the widget to YAML.
 
         Args:
-            path(str): Path to save the configuration file for non-GUI dialog mode.
-            gui(bool): If True, use the GUI dialog to save the configuration file.
+            path (str | None): Path to save the configuration file for non-GUI dialog mode.
+            gui (bool): If True, use the GUI dialog to save the configuration file.
         """
         if gui is True:
             save_yaml_gui(self, self._config_dict)
@@ -238,16 +264,15 @@ class BECConnector:
             if path is None:
                 path = os.getcwd()
             file_path = os.path.join(path, f"{self.__class__.__name__}_config.yaml")
-
             save_yaml(file_path, self._config_dict)
 
-    @pyqtSlot(str)
-    def set_gui_id(self, gui_id: str) -> None:
+    # @pyqtSlot(str)
+    def _set_gui_id(self, gui_id: str) -> None:
         """
         Set the GUI ID for the widget.
 
         Args:
-            gui_id(str): GUI ID
+            gui_id (str): GUI ID.
         """
         self.config.gui_id = gui_id
         self.gui_id = gui_id
@@ -268,7 +293,7 @@ class BECConnector:
         """Update the client and device manager from BEC and create object for BEC shortcuts.
 
         Args:
-            client: BEC client
+            client: BEC client.
         """
         self.client = client
         self.get_bec_shortcuts()
@@ -279,25 +304,72 @@ class BECConnector:
         Update the configuration for the widget.
 
         Args:
-            config(ConnectionConfig): Configuration settings.
+            config (ConnectionConfig | dict): Configuration settings.
         """
+        gui_id = getattr(config, "gui_id", None)
         if isinstance(config, dict):
             config = ConnectionConfig(**config)
-            # TODO add error handler
-
         self.config = config
+        if gui_id and config.gui_id != gui_id:  # Recreating config should not overwrite the gui_id
+            self.config.gui_id = gui_id
+
+    def remove(self):
+        """Cleanup the BECConnector"""
+        # If the widget is attached to a dock, remove it from the dock.
+        if self._parent_dock is not None:
+            self._parent_dock.delete(self._name)
+        # If the widget is from Qt, trigger its close method.
+        elif hasattr(self, "close"):
+            self.close()
+        # If the widget is neither from a Dock nor from Qt, remove it from the RPC registry.
+        # i.e. Curve Item from Waveform
+        else:
+            self.rpc_register.remove_rpc(self)
 
     def get_config(self, dict_output: bool = True) -> dict | BaseModel:
         """
         Get the configuration of the widget.
 
         Args:
-            dict_output(bool): If True, return the configuration as a dictionary. If False, return the configuration as a pydantic model.
+            dict_output (bool): If True, return the configuration as a dictionary.
+                                If False, return the configuration as a pydantic model.
 
         Returns:
-            dict: The configuration of the plot widget.
+            dict | BaseModel: The configuration of the widget.
         """
         if dict_output:
             return self.config.model_dump()
         else:
             return self.config
+
+
+# --- Example usage of BECConnector: running a simple task ---
+if __name__ == "__main__":  # pragma: no cover
+    import sys
+
+    # Create a QApplication instance (required for QThreadPool)
+    app = QApplication(sys.argv)
+
+    connector = BECConnector()
+
+    def print_numbers():
+        """
+        Task function that prints numbers 1 to 10 with a 0.5 second delay between each.
+        """
+        for i in range(1, 11):
+            print(i)
+            time.sleep(0.5)
+
+    def task_complete():
+        """
+        Called when the task is complete.
+        """
+        print("Task complete")
+        # Exit the application after the task completes.
+        app.quit()
+
+    # Submit the task using the connector's submit_task method.
+    connector.submit_task(print_numbers, on_complete=task_complete)
+
+    # Start the Qt event loop.
+    sys.exit(app.exec_())

bec_widgets/utils/bec_designer.py

@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
+import ast
 import importlib.metadata
+import importlib.util
+import inspect
+import itertools
 import json
 import os
 import site
@@ -6,9 +10,14 @@ import sys
 import sysconfig
 from pathlib import Path
 
+from bec_lib.logger import bec_logger
 from bec_qthemes import material_icon
 from qtpy import PYSIDE6
 from qtpy.QtGui import QIcon
+from zmq import PLAIN
+
+from bec_widgets.utils.bec_plugin_helper import user_widget_plugin
+from bec_widgets.utils.bec_widget import BECWidget
 
 if PYSIDE6:
     from PySide6.scripts.pyside_tool import (
@@ -22,6 +31,8 @@ if PYSIDE6:
 
 import bec_widgets
 
+logger = bec_logger.logger
+
 
 def designer_material_icon(icon_name: str) -> QIcon:
     """
@@ -93,17 +104,24 @@ def patch_designer():  # pragma: no cover
             _extend_path_var("PATH", os.fspath(Path(sys._base_executable).parent), True)
     else:
         if sys.platform == "linux":
-            suffix = f"{sys.abiflags}.so"
             env_var = "LD_PRELOAD"
+            current_pid = os.getpid()
+            with open(f"/proc/{current_pid}/maps", "rt") as f:
+                for line in f:
+                    if "libpython" in line:
+                        lib_path = line.split()[-1]
+                        os.environ[env_var] = lib_path
+                        break
+
         elif sys.platform == "darwin":
             suffix = ".dylib"
             env_var = "DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES"
+            version = f"{major_version}.{minor_version}"
+            library_name = f"libpython{version}{suffix}"
+            lib_path = str(Path(sysconfig.get_config_var("LIBDIR")) / library_name)
+            os.environ[env_var] = lib_path
         else:
             raise RuntimeError(f"Unsupported platform: {sys.platform}")
-        version = f"{major_version}.{minor_version}"
-        library_name = f"libpython{version}{suffix}"
-        lib_path = str(Path(sysconfig.get_config_var("LIBDIR")) / library_name)
-        os.environ[env_var] = lib_path
 
         if is_pyenv_python() or is_virtual_env():
             # append all editable packages to the PYTHONPATH
@@ -113,14 +131,43 @@ def patch_designer():  # pragma: no cover
     qt_tool_wrapper(ui_tool_binary("designer"), sys.argv[1:])
 
 
-def find_plugin_paths(base_path: Path):
+def _plugin_classes_for_python_file(file: Path):
+    logger.debug(f"getting plugin classes for {file}")
+    if not str(file).endswith(".py"):
+        raise ValueError("Please pass a python file")
+    spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location("_temp", file)
+    mod = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
+    sys.modules["_temp"] = mod
+    spec.loader.exec_module(mod)
+
+    plugin_widgets = list(
+        mem[0]
+        for mem in inspect.getmembers(mod, inspect.isclass)
+        if issubclass(mem[1], BECWidget) and hasattr(mem[1], "PLUGIN") and mem[1].PLUGIN is True
+    )
+    logger.debug(f"Found: {plugin_widgets}")
+    return plugin_widgets
+
+
+def _plugin_classes_for_pyproject(path: Path):
+    if not str(path).endswith(".pyproject"):
+        raise ValueError("Please pass the path of the designer pyproject file")
+    with open(path) as pyproject:
+        plugin_filenames = ast.literal_eval(pyproject.read())["files"]
+    plugin_files = (path.parent / file for file in plugin_filenames)
+    return itertools.chain(*(_plugin_classes_for_python_file(f) for f in plugin_files))
+
+
+def find_plugin_paths(base_path: Path) -> dict[str, list[str]]:
     """
-    Recursively find all directories containing a .pyproject file.
+    Recursively find all directories containing a .pyproject file. Returns a dictionary with keys of
+    such paths, and values of the names of the classes contained in them if those classes are
+    desginer plugins.
     """
-    plugin_paths = []
-    for path in base_path.rglob("*.pyproject"):
-        plugin_paths.append(str(path.parent))
-    return plugin_paths
+    return {
+        str(path.parent): list(_plugin_classes_for_pyproject(path))
+        for path in base_path.rglob("*.pyproject")
+    }
 
 
 def set_plugin_environment_variable(plugin_paths):
@@ -137,14 +184,33 @@ def set_plugin_environment_variable(plugin_paths):
     os.environ["PYSIDE_DESIGNER_PLUGINS"] = os.pathsep.join(current_paths)
 
 
+def _extend_plugin_paths(plugin_paths: dict[str, list[str]], plugin_repo_dir: Path):
+    plugin_plugin_paths = find_plugin_paths(plugin_repo_dir)
+    builtin_plugin_names = list(itertools.chain(*plugin_paths.values()))
+    for plugin_file, plugin_classes in plugin_plugin_paths.items():
+        logger.info(f"{plugin_classes} {builtin_plugin_names}")
+        if any(name in builtin_plugin_names for name in plugin_classes):
+            logger.warning(
+                f"Ignoring plugin {plugin_file} because it contains widgets {plugin_classes} which include duplicates of built-in widgets!"
+            )
+        else:
+            plugin_paths[plugin_file] = plugin_classes
+
+
 # Patch the designer function
 def main():  # pragma: no cover
     if not PYSIDE6:
         print("PYSIDE6 is not available in the environment. Exiting...")
         return
     base_dir = Path(os.path.dirname(bec_widgets.__file__)).resolve()
+
     plugin_paths = find_plugin_paths(base_dir)
-    set_plugin_environment_variable(plugin_paths)
+
+    if (plugin_repo := user_widget_plugin()) and isinstance(plugin_repo.__file__, str):
+        plugin_repo_dir = Path(os.path.dirname(plugin_repo.__file__)).resolve()
+        _extend_plugin_paths(plugin_paths, plugin_repo_dir)
+
+    set_plugin_environment_variable(plugin_paths.keys())
 
     patch_designer()
 

bec_widgets/utils/bec_plugin_helper.py

@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import importlib.metadata
+import inspect
+import pkgutil
+from importlib import util as importlib_util
+from importlib.machinery import FileFinder, ModuleSpec, SourceFileLoader
+from types import ModuleType
+from typing import Generator
+
+from bec_widgets.utils.bec_widget import BECWidget
+
+
+def _submodule_specs(module: ModuleType) -> tuple[ModuleSpec | None, ...]:
+    """Return specs for all submodules of the given module."""
+    return tuple(
+        module_info.module_finder.find_spec(module_info.name)
+        for module_info in pkgutil.iter_modules(module.__path__)
+        if isinstance(module_info.module_finder, FileFinder)
+    )
+
+
+def _loaded_submodules_from_specs(
+    submodule_specs: tuple[ModuleSpec | None, ...]
+) -> Generator[ModuleType, None, None]:
+    """Load all submodules from the given specs."""
+    for submodule in (
+        importlib_util.module_from_spec(spec) for spec in submodule_specs if spec is not None
+    ):
+        assert isinstance(
+            submodule.__loader__, SourceFileLoader
+        ), "Module found from FileFinder should have SourceFileLoader!"
+        submodule.__loader__.exec_module(submodule)
+        yield submodule
+
+
+def _submodule_by_name(module: ModuleType, name: str):
+    for submod in _loaded_submodules_from_specs(_submodule_specs(module)):
+        if submod.__name__ == name:
+            return submod
+    return None
+
+
+def _get_widgets_from_module(module: ModuleType) -> dict[str, "type[BECWidget]"]:
+    """Find any BECWidget subclasses in the given module and return them with their names."""
+    from bec_widgets.utils.bec_widget import BECWidget  # avoid circular import
+
+    return dict(
+        inspect.getmembers(
+            module,
+            predicate=lambda item: inspect.isclass(item)
+            and issubclass(item, BECWidget)
+            and item is not BECWidget,
+        )
+    )
+
+
+def _all_widgets_from_all_submods(module):
+    """Recursively load submodules, find any BECWidgets, and return them all as a flat dict."""
+    widgets = _get_widgets_from_module(module)
+    if not hasattr(module, "__path__"):
+        return widgets
+    for submod in _loaded_submodules_from_specs(_submodule_specs(module)):
+        widgets.update(_all_widgets_from_all_submods(submod))
+    return widgets
+
+
+def user_widget_plugin() -> ModuleType | None:
+    plugins = importlib.metadata.entry_points(group="bec.widgets.user_widgets")  # type: ignore
+    return None if len(plugins) == 0 else tuple(plugins)[0].load()
+
+
+def get_plugin_client_module() -> ModuleType | None:
+    """If there is a plugin repository installed, return the client module."""
+    return _submodule_by_name(plugin, "client") if (plugin := user_widget_plugin()) else None
+
+
+def get_all_plugin_widgets() -> dict[str, "type[BECWidget]"]:
+    """If there is a plugin repository installed, load all widgets from it."""
+    if plugin := user_widget_plugin():
+        return _all_widgets_from_all_submods(plugin)
+    else:
+        return {}
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":  # pragma: no cover
+    #  print(get_all_plugin_widgets())
+    client = get_plugin_client_module()
+    ...

bec_widgets/utils/bec_signal_proxy.py

@@ -5,28 +5,43 @@ analyse data. Requesting a new fit may lead to request piling up and an overall
 will allow you to decide by yourself when to unblock and execute the callback again."""
 
 from pyqtgraph import SignalProxy
-from qtpy.QtCore import Signal, Slot
+from qtpy.QtCore import QTimer, Signal
+
+from bec_widgets.utils.error_popups import SafeSlot
 
 
 class BECSignalProxy(SignalProxy):
-    """Thin wrapper around the SignalProxy class to allow signal calls to be blocked, but args still being stored
+    """
+    Thin wrapper around the SignalProxy class to allow signal calls to be blocked,
+    but arguments still being stored.
 
     Args:
-        *args: Arguments to pass to the SignalProxy class
-        rateLimit (int): The rateLimit of the proxy
-        **kwargs: Keyword arguments to pass to the SignalProxy class
+        *args: Arguments to pass to the SignalProxy class.
+        rateLimit (int): The rateLimit of the proxy.
+        timeout (float): The number of seconds after which the proxy automatically
+                         unblocks if still blocked. Default is 10.0 seconds.
+        **kwargs: Keyword arguments to pass to the SignalProxy class.
 
     Example:
-    >>> proxy = BECSignalProxy(signal, rate_limit=25, slot=callback)"""
+        >>> proxy = BECSignalProxy(signal, rate_limit=25, slot=callback)
+    """
 
     is_blocked = Signal(bool)
 
-    def __init__(self, *args, rateLimit=25, **kwargs):
+    def __init__(self, *args, rateLimit=25, timeout=10.0, **kwargs):
         super().__init__(*args, rateLimit=rateLimit, **kwargs)
         self._blocking = False
         self.old_args = None
         self.new_args = None
 
+        # Store timeout value (in seconds)
+        self._timeout = timeout
+
+        # Create a single-shot timer for auto-unblocking
+        self._timer = QTimer()
+        self._timer.setSingleShot(True)
+        self._timer.timeout.connect(self._timeout_unblock)
+
     @property
     def blocked(self):
         """Returns if the proxy is blocked"""
@@ -46,9 +61,30 @@ class BECSignalProxy(SignalProxy):
         self.old_args = args
         super().signalReceived(*args)
 
-    @Slot()
+        self._timer.start(int(self._timeout * 1000))
+
+    @SafeSlot()
     def unblock_proxy(self):
         """Unblock the proxy, and call the signalReceived method in case there was an update of the args."""
-        self.blocked = False
-        if self.new_args != self.old_args:
-            self.signalReceived(*self.new_args)
+        if self.blocked:
+            self._timer.stop()
+            self.blocked = False
+            if self.new_args != self.old_args:
+                self.signalReceived(*self.new_args)
+
+    @SafeSlot()
+    def _timeout_unblock(self):
+        """
+        Internal method called by the QTimer upon timeout. Unblocks the proxy
+        automatically if it is still blocked.
+        """
+        if self.blocked:
+            self.unblock_proxy()
+
+    def cleanup(self):
+        """
+        Cleanup the proxy by stopping the timer and disconnecting the timeout signal.
+        """
+        self._timer.stop()
+        self._timer.timeout.disconnect(self._timeout_unblock)
+        self._timer.deleteLater()

bec_widgets/utils/bec_widget.py

@@ -1,13 +1,19 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+
 import darkdetect
 from bec_lib.logger import bec_logger
 from qtpy.QtCore import Slot
 from qtpy.QtWidgets import QApplication, QWidget
 
+from bec_widgets.cli.rpc.rpc_register import RPCRegister
 from bec_widgets.utils.bec_connector import BECConnector, ConnectionConfig
 from bec_widgets.utils.colors import set_theme
 
+if TYPE_CHECKING:  # pragma: no cover
+    from bec_widgets.widgets.containers.dock import BECDock
+
 logger = bec_logger.logger
 
 
@@ -17,13 +23,19 @@ class BECWidget(BECConnector):
     # The icon name is the name of the icon in the icon theme, typically a name taken
     # from fonts.google.com/icons. Override this in subclasses to set the icon name.
     ICON_NAME = "widgets"
+    USER_ACCESS = ["remove"]
 
+    # pylint: disable=too-many-arguments
     def __init__(
         self,
         client=None,
         config: ConnectionConfig = None,
-        gui_id: str = None,
+        gui_id: str | None = None,
         theme_update: bool = False,
+        name: str | None = None,
+        parent_dock: BECDock | None = None,
+        parent_id: str | None = None,
+        **kwargs,
     ):
         """
         Base class for all BEC widgets. This class should be used as a mixin class for all BEC widgets, e.g.:
@@ -44,9 +56,15 @@ class BECWidget(BECConnector):
         """
         if not isinstance(self, QWidget):
             raise RuntimeError(f"{repr(self)} is not a subclass of QWidget")
-        super().__init__(client=client, config=config, gui_id=gui_id)
 
-        # Set the theme to auto if it is not set yet
+        super().__init__(
+            client=client,
+            config=config,
+            gui_id=gui_id,
+            name=name,
+            parent_dock=parent_dock,
+            parent_id=parent_id,
+        )
         app = QApplication.instance()
         if not hasattr(app, "theme"):
             # DO NOT SET THE THEME TO AUTO! Otherwise, the qwebengineview will segfault
@@ -66,7 +84,7 @@ class BECWidget(BECConnector):
         if hasattr(qapp, "theme_signal"):
             qapp.theme_signal.theme_updated.connect(self._update_theme)
 
-    def _update_theme(self, theme: str):
+    def _update_theme(self, theme: str | None = None):
         """Update the theme."""
         if theme is None:
             qapp = QApplication.instance()
@@ -87,10 +105,13 @@ class BECWidget(BECConnector):
 
     def cleanup(self):
         """Cleanup the widget."""
+        with RPCRegister.delayed_broadcast():
+            # All widgets need to call super().cleanup() in their cleanup method
+            self.rpc_register.remove_rpc(self)
 
     def closeEvent(self, event):
-        self.rpc_register.remove_rpc(self)
+        """Wrap the close even to ensure the rpc_register is cleaned up."""
         try:
             self.cleanup()
         finally:
-            super().closeEvent(event)
+            super().closeEvent(event)  # pylint: disable=no-member

bec_widgets/utils/collapsible_panel_manager.py

@@ -0,0 +1,380 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import sys
+from typing import Literal
+
+import pyqtgraph as pg
+from qtpy.QtCore import Property, QEasingCurve, QObject, QPropertyAnimation
+from qtpy.QtWidgets import (
+    QApplication,
+    QHBoxLayout,
+    QMainWindow,
+    QPushButton,
+    QSizePolicy,
+    QVBoxLayout,
+    QWidget,
+)
+from typeguard import typechecked
+
+from bec_widgets.widgets.containers.layout_manager.layout_manager import LayoutManagerWidget
+
+
+class DimensionAnimator(QObject):
+    """
+    Helper class to animate the size of a panel widget.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, panel_widget: QWidget, direction: str):
+        super().__init__()
+        self.panel_widget = panel_widget
+        self.direction = direction
+        self._size = 0
+
+    @Property(int)
+    def panel_width(self):
+        """
+        Returns the current width of the panel widget.
+        """
+        return self._size
+
+    @panel_width.setter
+    def panel_width(self, val: int):
+        """
+        Set the width of the panel widget.
+
+        Args:
+            val(int): The width to set.
+        """
+        self._size = val
+        self.panel_widget.setFixedWidth(val)
+
+    @Property(int)
+    def panel_height(self):
+        """
+        Returns the current height of the panel widget.
+        """
+        return self._size
+
+    @panel_height.setter
+    def panel_height(self, val: int):
+        """
+        Set the height of the panel widget.
+
+        Args:
+            val(int): The height to set.
+        """
+        self._size = val
+        self.panel_widget.setFixedHeight(val)
+
+
+class CollapsiblePanelManager(QObject):
+    """
+    Manager class to handle collapsible panels from a main widget using LayoutManagerWidget.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, layout_manager: LayoutManagerWidget, reference_widget: QWidget, parent=None):
+        super().__init__(parent)
+        self.layout_manager = layout_manager
+        self.reference_widget = reference_widget
+        self.animations = {}
+        self.panels = {}
+        self.direction_settings = {
+            "left": {"property": b"maximumWidth", "default_size": 200},
+            "right": {"property": b"maximumWidth", "default_size": 200},
+            "top": {"property": b"maximumHeight", "default_size": 150},
+            "bottom": {"property": b"maximumHeight", "default_size": 150},
+        }
+
+    def add_panel(
+        self,
+        direction: Literal["left", "right", "top", "bottom"],
+        panel_widget: QWidget,
+        target_size: int | None = None,
+        duration: int = 300,
+    ):
+        """
+        Add a panel widget to the layout manager.
+
+        Args:
+            direction(Literal["left", "right", "top", "bottom"]): Direction of the panel.
+            panel_widget(QWidget): The panel widget to add.
+            target_size(int, optional): The target size of the panel. Defaults to None.
+            duration(int): The duration of the animation in milliseconds. Defaults to 300.
+        """
+        if direction not in self.direction_settings:
+            raise ValueError("Direction must be one of 'left', 'right', 'top', 'bottom'.")
+
+        if target_size is None:
+            target_size = self.direction_settings[direction]["default_size"]
+
+        self.layout_manager.add_widget_relative(
+            widget=panel_widget, reference_widget=self.reference_widget, position=direction
+        )
+        panel_widget.setVisible(False)
+
+        # Set initial constraints as flexible
+        if direction in ["left", "right"]:
+            panel_widget.setMaximumWidth(0)
+            panel_widget.setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy.Expanding, QSizePolicy.Expanding)
+        else:
+            panel_widget.setMaximumHeight(0)
+            panel_widget.setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy.Expanding, QSizePolicy.Expanding)
+
+        self.panels[direction] = {
+            "widget": panel_widget,
+            "direction": direction,
+            "target_size": target_size,
+            "duration": duration,
+            "animator": None,
+        }
+
+    def toggle_panel(
+        self,
+        direction: Literal["left", "right", "top", "bottom"],
+        target_size: int | None = None,
+        duration: int | None = None,
+        easing_curve: QEasingCurve = QEasingCurve.InOutQuad,
+        ensure_max: bool = False,
+        scale: float | None = None,
+        animation: bool = True,
+    ):
+        """
+        Toggle the specified panel.
+
+        Parameters:
+            direction (Literal["left", "right", "top", "bottom"]): Direction of the panel to toggle.
+            target_size (int, optional): Override target size for this toggle.
+            duration (int, optional): Override the animation duration.
+            easing_curve (QEasingCurve): Animation easing curve.
+            ensure_max (bool): If True, animate as a fixed-size panel.
+            scale (float, optional): If provided, calculate target_size from main widget size.
+            animation (bool): If False, no animation is performed; panel instantly toggles.
+        """
+        if direction not in self.panels:
+            raise ValueError(f"No panel found in direction '{direction}'.")
+
+        panel_info = self.panels[direction]
+        panel_widget = panel_info["widget"]
+        dir_settings = self.direction_settings[direction]
+
+        # Determine final target size
+        if scale is not None:
+            main_rect = self.reference_widget.geometry()
+            if direction in ["left", "right"]:
+                computed_target = int(main_rect.width() * scale)
+            else:
+                computed_target = int(main_rect.height() * scale)
+            final_target_size = computed_target
+        else:
+            if target_size is None:
+                final_target_size = panel_info["target_size"]
+            else:
+                final_target_size = target_size
+
+        if duration is None:
+            duration = panel_info["duration"]
+
+        expanding_property = dir_settings["property"]
+        currently_visible = panel_widget.isVisible()
+
+        if ensure_max:
+            if panel_info["animator"] is None:
+                panel_info["animator"] = DimensionAnimator(panel_widget, direction)
+            animator = panel_info["animator"]
+
+            if direction in ["left", "right"]:
+                prop_name = b"panel_width"
+            else:
+                prop_name = b"panel_height"
+        else:
+            animator = None
+            prop_name = expanding_property
+
+        if currently_visible:
+            # Hide the panel
+            if ensure_max:
+                start_value = final_target_size
+                end_value = 0
+                finish_callback = lambda w=panel_widget, d=direction: self._after_hide_reset(w, d)
+            else:
+                start_value = (
+                    panel_widget.width()
+                    if direction in ["left", "right"]
+                    else panel_widget.height()
+                )
+                end_value = 0
+                finish_callback = lambda w=panel_widget: w.setVisible(False)
+        else:
+            # Show the panel
+            start_value = 0
+            end_value = final_target_size
+            finish_callback = None
+            if ensure_max:
+                # Fix panel exactly
+                if direction in ["left", "right"]:
+                    panel_widget.setMinimumWidth(0)
+                    panel_widget.setMaximumWidth(final_target_size)
+                    panel_widget.setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy.Fixed, QSizePolicy.Expanding)
+                else:
+                    panel_widget.setMinimumHeight(0)
+                    panel_widget.setMaximumHeight(final_target_size)
+                    panel_widget.setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy.Expanding, QSizePolicy.Fixed)
+            else:
+                # Flexible mode
+                if direction in ["left", "right"]:
+                    panel_widget.setMinimumWidth(0)
+                    panel_widget.setMaximumWidth(final_target_size)
+                    panel_widget.setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy.Expanding, QSizePolicy.Expanding)
+                else:
+                    panel_widget.setMinimumHeight(0)
+                    panel_widget.setMaximumHeight(final_target_size)
+                    panel_widget.setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy.Expanding, QSizePolicy.Expanding)
+
+            panel_widget.setVisible(True)
+
+        if not animation:
+            # No animation: instantly set final state
+            if end_value == 0:
+                # Hiding
+                if ensure_max:
+                    # Reset after hide
+                    self._after_hide_reset(panel_widget, direction)
+                else:
+                    panel_widget.setVisible(False)
+            else:
+                # Showing
+                if ensure_max:
+                    # Already set fixed size
+                    if direction in ["left", "right"]:
+                        panel_widget.setFixedWidth(end_value)
+                    else:
+                        panel_widget.setFixedHeight(end_value)
+                else:
+                    # Just set maximum dimension
+                    if direction in ["left", "right"]:
+                        panel_widget.setMaximumWidth(end_value)
+                    else:
+                        panel_widget.setMaximumHeight(end_value)
+            return
+
+        # With animation
+        animation = QPropertyAnimation(animator if ensure_max else panel_widget, prop_name)
+        animation.setDuration(duration)
+        animation.setStartValue(start_value)
+        animation.setEndValue(end_value)
+        animation.setEasingCurve(easing_curve)
+
+        if end_value == 0 and finish_callback:
+            animation.finished.connect(finish_callback)
+        elif end_value == 0 and not finish_callback:
+            animation.finished.connect(lambda w=panel_widget: w.setVisible(False))
+
+        animation.start()
+        self.animations[panel_widget] = animation
+
+    @typechecked
+    def _after_hide_reset(
+        self, panel_widget: QWidget, direction: Literal["left", "right", "top", "bottom"]
+    ):
+        """
+        Reset the panel widget after hiding it in ensure_max mode.
+
+        Args:
+            panel_widget(QWidget): The panel widget to reset.
+            direction(Literal["left", "right", "top", "bottom"]): The direction of the panel.
+        """
+        # Called after hiding a panel in ensure_max mode
+        panel_widget.setVisible(False)
+        if direction in ["left", "right"]:
+            panel_widget.setMinimumWidth(0)
+            panel_widget.setMaximumWidth(0)
+            panel_widget.setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy.Expanding, QSizePolicy.Expanding)
+        else:
+            panel_widget.setMinimumHeight(0)
+            panel_widget.setMaximumHeight(16777215)
+            panel_widget.setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy.Expanding, QSizePolicy.Expanding)
+
+
+####################################################################################################
+# The following code is for the GUI control panel to interact with the CollapsiblePanelManager.
+# It is not covered by any tests as it serves only as an example for the CollapsiblePanelManager class.
+####################################################################################################
+
+
+class MainWindow(QMainWindow):  # pragma: no cover
+    def __init__(self):
+        super().__init__()
+        self.setWindowTitle("Panels with ensure_max, scale, and animation toggle")
+        self.resize(800, 600)
+
+        central_widget = QWidget()
+        self.setCentralWidget(central_widget)
+        main_layout = QVBoxLayout(central_widget)
+        main_layout.setContentsMargins(10, 10, 10, 10)
+        main_layout.setSpacing(10)
+
+        # Buttons
+        buttons_layout = QHBoxLayout()
+        self.btn_left = QPushButton("Toggle Left (ensure_max=True)")
+        self.btn_top = QPushButton("Toggle Top (scale=0.5, no animation)")
+        self.btn_right = QPushButton("Toggle Right (ensure_max=True, scale=0.3)")
+        self.btn_bottom = QPushButton("Toggle Bottom (no animation)")
+
+        buttons_layout.addWidget(self.btn_left)
+        buttons_layout.addWidget(self.btn_top)
+        buttons_layout.addWidget(self.btn_right)
+        buttons_layout.addWidget(self.btn_bottom)
+
+        main_layout.addLayout(buttons_layout)
+
+        self.layout_manager = LayoutManagerWidget()
+        main_layout.addWidget(self.layout_manager)
+
+        # Main widget
+        self.main_plot = pg.PlotWidget()
+        self.main_plot.plot([1, 2, 3, 4], [4, 3, 2, 1])
+        self.layout_manager.add_widget(self.main_plot, 0, 0)
+
+        self.panel_manager = CollapsiblePanelManager(self.layout_manager, self.main_plot)
+
+        # Panels
+        self.left_panel = pg.PlotWidget()
+        self.left_panel.plot([1, 2, 3], [3, 2, 1])
+        self.panel_manager.add_panel("left", self.left_panel, target_size=200)
+
+        self.right_panel = pg.PlotWidget()
+        self.right_panel.plot([10, 20, 30], [1, 10, 1])
+        self.panel_manager.add_panel("right", self.right_panel, target_size=200)
+
+        self.top_panel = pg.PlotWidget()
+        self.top_panel.plot([1, 2, 3], [1, 2, 3])
+        self.panel_manager.add_panel("top", self.top_panel, target_size=150)
+
+        self.bottom_panel = pg.PlotWidget()
+        self.bottom_panel.plot([2, 4, 6], [10, 5, 10])
+        self.panel_manager.add_panel("bottom", self.bottom_panel, target_size=150)
+
+        # Connect buttons
+        # Left with ensure_max
+        self.btn_left.clicked.connect(
+            lambda: self.panel_manager.toggle_panel("left", ensure_max=True)
+        )
+        # Top with scale=0.5 and no animation
+        self.btn_top.clicked.connect(
+            lambda: self.panel_manager.toggle_panel("top", scale=0.5, animation=False)
+        )
+        # Right with ensure_max, scale=0.3
+        self.btn_right.clicked.connect(
+            lambda: self.panel_manager.toggle_panel("right", ensure_max=True, scale=0.3)
+        )
+        # Bottom no animation
+        self.btn_bottom.clicked.connect(
+            lambda: self.panel_manager.toggle_panel("bottom", target_size=100, animation=False)
+        )
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":  # pragma: no cover
+    app = QApplication(sys.argv)
+    w = MainWindow()
+    w.show()
+    sys.exit(app.exec())

bec_widgets/utils/colors.py

@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-import itertools
 import re
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Literal
 
@@ -71,15 +70,64 @@ def apply_theme(theme: Literal["dark", "light"]):
     Apply the theme to all pyqtgraph widgets. Do not use this function directly. Use set_theme instead.
     """
     app = QApplication.instance()
-    # go through all pyqtgraph widgets and set background
-    children = itertools.chain.from_iterable(
-        top.findChildren(pg.GraphicsLayoutWidget) for top in app.topLevelWidgets()
-    )
-    pg.setConfigOptions(
-        foreground="d" if theme == "dark" else "k", background="k" if theme == "dark" else "w"
-    )
-    for pg_widget in children:
-        pg_widget.setBackground("k" if theme == "dark" else "w")
+    graphic_layouts = [
+        child
+        for top in app.topLevelWidgets()
+        for child in top.findChildren(pg.GraphicsLayoutWidget)
+    ]
+
+    plot_items = [
+        item
+        for gl in graphic_layouts
+        for item in gl.ci.items.keys()  # ci is internal pg.GraphicsLayout that hosts all items
+        if isinstance(item, pg.PlotItem)
+    ]
+
+    histograms = [
+        item
+        for gl in graphic_layouts
+        for item in gl.ci.items.keys()  # ci is internal pg.GraphicsLayout that hosts all items
+        if isinstance(item, pg.HistogramLUTItem)
+    ]
+
+    # Update background color based on the theme
+    if theme == "light":
+        background_color = "#e9ecef"  # Subtle contrast for light mode
+        foreground_color = "#141414"
+        label_color = "#000000"
+        axis_color = "#666666"
+    else:
+        background_color = "#141414"  # Dark mode
+        foreground_color = "#e9ecef"
+        label_color = "#FFFFFF"
+        axis_color = "#CCCCCC"
+
+    # update GraphicsLayoutWidget
+    pg.setConfigOptions(foreground=foreground_color, background=background_color)
+    for pg_widget in graphic_layouts:
+        pg_widget.setBackground(background_color)
+
+    # update PlotItems
+    for plot_item in plot_items:
+        for axis in ["left", "right", "top", "bottom"]:
+            plot_item.getAxis(axis).setPen(pg.mkPen(color=axis_color))
+            plot_item.getAxis(axis).setTextPen(pg.mkPen(color=label_color))
+
+        # Change title color
+        plot_item.titleLabel.setText(plot_item.titleLabel.text, color=label_color)
+
+        # Change legend color
+        if hasattr(plot_item, "legend") and plot_item.legend is not None:
+            plot_item.legend.setLabelTextColor(label_color)
+            # if legend is in plot item and theme is changed, has to be like that because of pg opt logic
+            for sample, label in plot_item.legend.items:
+                label_text = label.text
+                label.setText(label_text, color=label_color)
+
+    # update HistogramLUTItem
+    for histogram in histograms:
+        histogram.axis.setPen(pg.mkPen(color=axis_color))
+        histogram.axis.setTextPen(pg.mkPen(color=label_color))
 
     # now define stylesheet according to theme and apply it
     style = bec_qthemes.load_stylesheet(theme)
@@ -107,9 +155,98 @@ class Colors:
             angles.append(angle)
         return angles
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def set_theme_offset(theme: Literal["light", "dark"] | None = None, offset=0.2) -> tuple:
+        """
+        Set the theme offset to avoid colors too close to white or black with light or dark theme respectively for pyqtgraph plot background.
+
+        Args:
+            theme(str): The theme to be applied.
+            offset(float): Offset to avoid colors too close to white or black with light or dark theme respectively for pyqtgraph plot background.
+
+        Returns:
+            tuple: Tuple of min_pos and max_pos.
+
+        Raises:
+            ValueError: If theme_offset is not between 0 and 1.
+        """
+
+        if offset < 0 or offset > 1:
+            raise ValueError("theme_offset must be between 0 and 1")
+
+        if theme is None:
+            app = QApplication.instance()
+            if hasattr(app, "theme"):
+                theme = app.theme.theme
+
+        if theme == "light":
+            min_pos = 0.0
+            max_pos = 1 - offset
+        else:
+            min_pos = 0.0 + offset
+            max_pos = 1.0
+
+        return min_pos, max_pos
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def evenly_spaced_colors(
+        colormap: str,
+        num: int,
+        format: Literal["QColor", "HEX", "RGB"] = "QColor",
+        theme_offset=0.2,
+        theme: Literal["light", "dark"] | None = None,
+    ) -> list:
+        """
+        Extract `num` colors from the specified colormap, evenly spaced along its range,
+        and return them in the specified format.
+
+        Args:
+            colormap (str): Name of the colormap.
+            num (int): Number of requested colors.
+            format (Literal["QColor","HEX","RGB"]): The format of the returned colors ('RGB', 'HEX', 'QColor').
+            theme_offset (float): Has to be between 0-1. Offset to avoid colors too close to white or black with light or dark theme respectively for pyqtgraph plot background.
+            theme (Literal['light', 'dark'] | None): The theme to be applied. Overrides the QApplication theme if specified.
+
+        Returns:
+            list: List of colors in the specified format.
+
+        Raises:
+            ValueError: If theme_offset is not between 0 and 1.
+        """
+        if theme_offset < 0 or theme_offset > 1:
+            raise ValueError("theme_offset must be between 0 and 1")
+
+        cmap = pg.colormap.get(colormap)
+        min_pos, max_pos = Colors.set_theme_offset(theme, theme_offset)
+
+        # Generate positions that are evenly spaced within the acceptable range
+        if num == 1:
+            positions = np.array([(min_pos + max_pos) / 2])
+        else:
+            positions = np.linspace(min_pos, max_pos, num)
+
+        # Sample colors from the colormap at the calculated positions
+        colors = cmap.map(positions, mode="float")
+        color_list = []
+
+        for color in colors:
+            if format.upper() == "HEX":
+                color_list.append(QColor.fromRgbF(*color).name())
+            elif format.upper() == "RGB":
+                color_list.append(tuple((np.array(color) * 255).astype(int)))
+            elif format.upper() == "QCOLOR":
+                color_list.append(QColor.fromRgbF(*color))
+            else:
+                raise ValueError("Unsupported format. Please choose 'RGB', 'HEX', or 'QColor'.")
+        return color_list
+
     @staticmethod
     def golden_angle_color(
-        colormap: str, num: int, format: Literal["QColor", "HEX", "RGB"] = "QColor"
+        colormap: str,
+        num: int,
+        format: Literal["QColor", "HEX", "RGB"] = "QColor",
+        theme_offset=0.2,
+        theme: Literal["dark", "light"] | None = None,
     ) -> list:
         """
         Extract num colors from the specified colormap following golden angle distribution and return them in the specified format.
@@ -118,45 +255,39 @@ class Colors:
             colormap (str): Name of the colormap.
             num (int): Number of requested colors.
             format (Literal["QColor","HEX","RGB"]): The format of the returned colors ('RGB', 'HEX', 'QColor').
+            theme_offset (float): Has to be between 0-1. Offset to avoid colors too close to white or black with light or dark theme respectively for pyqtgraph plot background.
 
         Returns:
             list: List of colors in the specified format.
 
         Raises:
-            ValueError: If the number of requested colors is greater than the number of colors in the colormap.
+            ValueError: If theme_offset is not between 0 and 1.
         """
-        cmap = pg.colormap.get(colormap)
-        cmap_colors = cmap.getColors(mode="float")
-        if num > len(cmap_colors):
-            raise ValueError(
-                f"Number of colors requested ({num}) is greater than the number of colors in the colormap ({len(cmap_colors)})"
-            )
-        angles = Colors.golden_ratio(len(cmap_colors))
-        color_selection = np.round(np.interp(angles, (-np.pi, np.pi), (0, len(cmap_colors))))
-        colors = []
-        ii = 0
-        while len(colors) < num:
-            color_index = int(color_selection[ii])
-            color = cmap_colors[color_index]
-            app = QApplication.instance()
-            if hasattr(app, "theme") and app.theme.theme == "light":
-                background = 255
-            else:
-                background = 0
-            if np.abs(np.mean(color[:3] * 255) - background) < 50:
-                ii += 1
-                continue
 
+        cmap = pg.colormap.get(colormap)
+        phi = (1 + np.sqrt(5)) / 2  # Golden ratio
+        golden_angle_conjugate = 1 - (1 / phi)  # Approximately 0.38196601125
+
+        min_pos, max_pos = Colors.set_theme_offset(theme, theme_offset)
+
+        # Generate positions within the acceptable range
+        positions = np.mod(np.arange(num) * golden_angle_conjugate, 1)
+        positions = min_pos + positions * (max_pos - min_pos)
+
+        # Sample colors from the colormap at the calculated positions
+        colors = cmap.map(positions, mode="float")
+        color_list = []
+
+        for color in colors:
             if format.upper() == "HEX":
-                colors.append(QColor.fromRgbF(*color).name())
+                color_list.append(QColor.fromRgbF(*color).name())
             elif format.upper() == "RGB":
-                colors.append(tuple((np.array(color) * 255).astype(int)))
+                color_list.append(tuple((np.array(color) * 255).astype(int)))
             elif format.upper() == "QCOLOR":
-                colors.append(QColor.fromRgbF(*color))
+                color_list.append(QColor.fromRgbF(*color))
             else:
                 raise ValueError("Unsupported format. Please choose 'RGB', 'HEX', or 'QColor'.")
-            ii += 1
-        return colors
+        return color_list
 
     @staticmethod
     def hex_to_rgba(hex_color: str, alpha=255) -> tuple:
@@ -385,7 +516,7 @@ class Colors:
             return color
 
     @staticmethod
-    def validate_color_map(color_map: str) -> str:
+    def validate_color_map(color_map: str, return_error: bool = True) -> str | bool:
         """
         Validate the colormap input if it is supported by pyqtgraph. Can be used in any pydantic model as a field validator. If validation fails it prints all available colormaps from pyqtgraph instance.
 
@@ -393,13 +524,24 @@ class Colors:
             color_map(str): The colormap to be validated.
 
         Returns:
-            str: The validated colormap.
+            str: The validated colormap, if colormap is valid.
+            bool: False, if colormap is invalid.
+
+        Raises:
+            PydanticCustomError: If colormap is invalid.
         """
-        available_colormaps = pg.colormap.listMaps()
+        available_pg_maps = pg.colormap.listMaps()
+        available_mpl_maps = pg.colormap.listMaps("matplotlib")
+        available_mpl_colorcet = pg.colormap.listMaps("colorcet")
+
+        available_colormaps = available_pg_maps + available_mpl_maps + available_mpl_colorcet
         if color_map not in available_colormaps:
-            raise PydanticCustomError(
-                "unsupported colormap",
-                f"Colormap '{color_map}' not found in the current installation of pyqtgraph. Choose on the following: {available_colormaps}.",
-                {"wrong_value": color_map},
-            )
+            if return_error:
+                raise PydanticCustomError(
+                    "unsupported colormap",
+                    f"Colormap '{color_map}' not found in the current installation of pyqtgraph. Choose on the following: {available_colormaps}.",
+                    {"wrong_value": color_map},
+                )
+            else:
+                return False
         return color_map

bec_widgets/utils/compact_popup.py

@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
+import time
 from types import SimpleNamespace
 
 from bec_qthemes import material_icon
-from qtpy.QtCore import Property, Qt
+from qtpy.QtCore import Property, Qt, Signal
 from qtpy.QtGui import QColor
 from qtpy.QtWidgets import (
     QDialog,
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@ from qtpy.QtWidgets import (
     QLabel,
     QPushButton,
     QSizePolicy,
+    QSpacerItem,
     QVBoxLayout,
     QWidget,
 )
@@ -98,6 +100,7 @@ class PopupDialog(QDialog):
     def closeEvent(self, event):
         self.content_widget.setVisible(False)
         self.content_widget.setParent(self.parent)
+        self.done(True)
 
 
 class CompactPopupWidget(QWidget):
@@ -107,29 +110,35 @@ class CompactPopupWidget(QWidget):
     In the compact form, a LED-like indicator shows a status indicator.
     """
 
+    expand = Signal(bool)
+
     def __init__(self, parent=None, layout=QVBoxLayout):
         super().__init__(parent)
 
         self._popup_window = None
+        self._expand_popup = True
 
         QVBoxLayout(self)
-        self.compact_view = QWidget(self)
-        self.compact_view.setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy.Fixed, QSizePolicy.Fixed)
-        QHBoxLayout(self.compact_view)
-        self.compact_view.layout().setSpacing(0)
-        self.compact_view.layout().setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0)
-        self.compact_label = QLabel(self.compact_view)
-        self.compact_status = LedLabel(self.compact_view)
-        self.compact_show_popup = QPushButton(self.compact_view)
+        self.compact_view_widget = QWidget(self)
+        self.compact_view_widget.setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy.Expanding, QSizePolicy.Fixed)
+        QHBoxLayout(self.compact_view_widget)
+        self.compact_view_widget.layout().setSpacing(0)
+        self.compact_view_widget.layout().setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0)
+        self.compact_view_widget.layout().addSpacerItem(
+            QSpacerItem(0, 0, QSizePolicy.Expanding, QSizePolicy.Fixed)
+        )
+        self.compact_label = QLabel(self.compact_view_widget)
+        self.compact_status = LedLabel(self.compact_view_widget)
+        self.compact_show_popup = QPushButton(self.compact_view_widget)
         self.compact_show_popup.setFlat(True)
         self.compact_show_popup.setIcon(
-            material_icon(icon_name="pan_zoom", size=(10, 10), convert_to_pixmap=False)
+            material_icon(icon_name="expand_content", size=(10, 10), convert_to_pixmap=False)
         )
-        self.compact_view.layout().addWidget(self.compact_label)
-        self.compact_view.layout().addWidget(self.compact_status)
-        self.compact_view.layout().addWidget(self.compact_show_popup)
-        self.compact_view.setVisible(False)
-        self.layout().addWidget(self.compact_view)
+        self.compact_view_widget.layout().addWidget(self.compact_label)
+        self.compact_view_widget.layout().addWidget(self.compact_status)
+        self.compact_view_widget.layout().addWidget(self.compact_show_popup)
+        self.compact_view_widget.setVisible(False)
+        self.layout().addWidget(self.compact_view_widget)
         self.container = QWidget(self)
         self.layout().addWidget(self.container)
         self.container.setVisible(True)
@@ -148,8 +157,36 @@ class CompactPopupWidget(QWidget):
 
     def show_popup(self):
         """Display the contained widgets in a popup dialog"""
-        self._popup_window = PopupDialog(self.container)
-        self._popup_window.show()
+        if self._expand_popup:
+            # show popup
+            self._popup_window = PopupDialog(self.container)
+            self._popup_window.show()
+            self._popup_window.finished.connect(lambda: self.expand.emit(False))
+            self.expand.emit(True)
+        else:
+            if self.compact_view:
+                # expand in place
+                self.compact_view = False
+                self.compact_view_widget.setVisible(True)
+                self.compact_label.setVisible(False)
+                self.compact_status.setVisible(False)
+                self.compact_show_popup.setIcon(
+                    material_icon(
+                        icon_name="collapse_content", size=(10, 10), convert_to_pixmap=False
+                    )
+                )
+                self.expand.emit(True)
+            else:
+                # back to compact form
+                self.compact_label.setVisible(True)
+                self.compact_status.setVisible(True)
+                self.compact_show_popup.setIcon(
+                    material_icon(
+                        icon_name="expand_content", size=(10, 10), convert_to_pixmap=False
+                    )
+                )
+                self.compact_view = True
+                self.expand.emit(False)
 
     def setSizePolicy(self, size_policy1, size_policy2=None):
         # setting size policy on the compact popup widget will set
@@ -172,11 +209,11 @@ class CompactPopupWidget(QWidget):
         self.container.layout().addWidget(widget)
 
     @Property(bool)
-    def compact(self):
-        return self.compact_view.isVisible()
+    def compact_view(self):
+        return self.compact_label.isVisible()
 
-    @compact.setter
-    def compact(self, set_compact: bool):
+    @compact_view.setter
+    def compact_view(self, set_compact: bool):
         """Sets the compact form
 
         If set_compact is True, the compact view is displayed ; otherwise,
@@ -184,11 +221,11 @@ class CompactPopupWidget(QWidget):
         the container widget or the compact view widget.
         """
         if set_compact:
-            self.compact_view.setVisible(True)
+            self.compact_view_widget.setVisible(True)
             self.container.setVisible(False)
             QWidget.setSizePolicy(self, QSizePolicy.Fixed, QSizePolicy.Fixed)
         else:
-            self.compact_view.setVisible(False)
+            self.compact_view_widget.setVisible(False)
             self.container.setVisible(True)
             QWidget.setSizePolicy(self, self.container.sizePolicy())
         if self.parentWidget():
@@ -215,6 +252,14 @@ class CompactPopupWidget(QWidget):
         self.compact_label.setToolTip(tooltip)
         self.compact_status.setToolTip(tooltip)
 
+    @Property(bool)
+    def expand_popup(self):
+        return self._expand_popup
+
+    @expand_popup.setter
+    def expand_popup(self, popup: bool):
+        self._expand_popup = popup
+
     def closeEvent(self, event):
         # Called by Qt, on closing - since the children widgets can be
         # BECWidgets, it is good to explicitely call 'close' on them,

bec_widgets/utils/container_utils.py

@@ -1,30 +1,55 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import itertools
-from typing import Type
+from typing import Literal, Type
 
 from qtpy.QtWidgets import QWidget
 
+from bec_widgets.cli.rpc.rpc_register import RPCRegister
+
 
 class WidgetContainerUtils:
 
+    # We need one handler that checks if a WIDGET of a given name is already created for that DOCKAREA
+    # 1. If the name exists, then it depends whether the name was auto-generated -> add _1 to the name
+    #    or alternatively raise an error that it can't be added again ( just raise an error)
+    # 2. Dock names in between docks should also be unique
+
     @staticmethod
-    def generate_unique_widget_id(container: dict, prefix: str = "widget") -> str:
-        """
-        Generate a unique widget ID.
+    def has_name_valid_chars(name: str) -> bool:
+        """Check if the name is valid.
 
         Args:
-            container(dict): The container of widgets.
-            prefix(str): The prefix of the widget ID.
+            name(str): The name to be checked.
 
         Returns:
-            widget_id(str): The unique widget ID.
+            bool: True if the name is valid, False otherwise.
         """
-        existing_ids = set(container.keys())
-        for i in itertools.count(1):
-            widget_id = f"{prefix}_{i}"
-            if widget_id not in existing_ids:
-                return widget_id
+        if not name or len(name) > 256:
+            return False  # Don't accept empty names or names longer than 256 characters
+        check_value = name.replace("_", "").replace("-", "")
+        if not check_value.isalnum() or not check_value.isascii():
+            return False
+        return True
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def generate_unique_name(name: str, list_of_names: list[str] | None = None) -> str:
+        """Generate a unique ID.
+
+        Args:
+            name(str): The name of the widget.
+        Returns:
+            tuple (str): The unique name
+        """
+        if list_of_names is None:
+            list_of_names = []
+        ii = 0
+        while ii < 1000:  # 1000 is arbritrary!
+            name_candidate = f"{name}_{ii}"
+            if name_candidate not in list_of_names:
+                return name_candidate
+            ii += 1
+        raise ValueError("Could not generate a unique name after within 1000 attempts.")
 
     @staticmethod
     def find_first_widget_by_class(

bec_widgets/utils/crosshair.py

@@ -1,22 +1,38 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
 from collections import defaultdict
+from typing import Any
 
 import numpy as np
 import pyqtgraph as pg
+from qtpy.QtCore import QObject, Qt, Signal, Slot
+from qtpy.QtWidgets import QApplication
 
-# from qtpy.QtCore import QObject, pyqtSignal
-from qtpy.QtCore import QObject, Qt
-from qtpy.QtCore import Signal as pyqtSignal
+
+class CrosshairScatterItem(pg.ScatterPlotItem):
+    def setDownsampling(self, ds=None, auto=None, method=None):
+        pass
+
+    def setClipToView(self, state):
+        pass
+
+    def setAlpha(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        pass
 
 
 class Crosshair(QObject):
-    positionChanged = pyqtSignal(tuple)
-    positionClicked = pyqtSignal(tuple)
+    # QT Position of mouse cursor
+    positionChanged = Signal(tuple)
+    positionClicked = Signal(tuple)
+    # Plain crosshair position signals mapped to real coordinates
+    crosshairChanged = Signal(tuple)
+    crosshairClicked = Signal(tuple)
     # Signal for 1D plot
-    coordinatesChanged1D = pyqtSignal(tuple)
-    coordinatesClicked1D = pyqtSignal(tuple)
+    coordinatesChanged1D = Signal(tuple)
+    coordinatesClicked1D = Signal(tuple)
     # Signal for 2D plot
-    coordinatesChanged2D = pyqtSignal(tuple)
-    coordinatesClicked2D = pyqtSignal(tuple)
+    coordinatesChanged2D = Signal(tuple)
+    coordinatesClicked2D = Signal(tuple)
 
     def __init__(self, plot_item: pg.PlotItem, precision: int = 3, parent=None):
         """
@@ -37,78 +53,176 @@ class Crosshair(QObject):
         self.v_line.skip_auto_range = True
         self.h_line = pg.InfiniteLine(angle=0, movable=False)
         self.h_line.skip_auto_range = True
+        # Add custom attribute to identify crosshair lines
+        self.v_line.is_crosshair = True
+        self.h_line.is_crosshair = True
         self.plot_item.addItem(self.v_line, ignoreBounds=True)
         self.plot_item.addItem(self.h_line, ignoreBounds=True)
+
+        # Initialize highlighted curve in a case of multiple curves
+        self.highlighted_curve_index = None
+
+        # Add TextItem to display coordinates
+        self.coord_label = pg.TextItem("", anchor=(1, 1), fill=(0, 0, 0, 100))
+        self.coord_label.setVisible(False)  # Hide initially
+        self.coord_label.skip_auto_range = True
+        self.plot_item.addItem(self.coord_label)
+
+        # Signals to connect
         self.proxy = pg.SignalProxy(
             self.plot_item.scene().sigMouseMoved, rateLimit=60, slot=self.mouse_moved
         )
+        self.positionChanged.connect(self.update_coord_label)
         self.plot_item.scene().sigMouseClicked.connect(self.mouse_clicked)
 
+        # Connect signals from pyqtgraph right click menu
         self.plot_item.ctrl.derivativeCheck.checkStateChanged.connect(self.check_derivatives)
         self.plot_item.ctrl.logXCheck.checkStateChanged.connect(self.check_log)
         self.plot_item.ctrl.logYCheck.checkStateChanged.connect(self.check_log)
+        self.plot_item.ctrl.downsampleSpin.valueChanged.connect(self.clear_markers)
 
         # Initialize markers
+        self.items = []
         self.marker_moved_1d = {}
         self.marker_clicked_1d = {}
         self.marker_2d = None
         self.update_markers()
+        self.check_log()
+        self.check_derivatives()
+
+        self._connect_to_theme_change()
+
+    def _connect_to_theme_change(self):
+        """Connect to the theme change signal."""
+        qapp = QApplication.instance()
+        if hasattr(qapp, "theme_signal"):
+            qapp.theme_signal.theme_updated.connect(self._update_theme)
+            self._update_theme()
+
+    @Slot(str)
+    def _update_theme(self, theme: str | None = None):
+        """Update the theme."""
+        if theme is None:
+            qapp = QApplication.instance()
+            if hasattr(qapp, "theme"):
+                theme = qapp.theme.theme
+            else:
+                theme = "dark"
+        self.apply_theme(theme)
+
+    def apply_theme(self, theme: str):
+        """Apply the theme to the plot."""
+        if theme == "dark":
+            text_color = "w"
+            label_bg_color = (50, 50, 50, 150)
+        elif theme == "light":
+            text_color = "k"
+            label_bg_color = (240, 240, 240, 150)
+        else:
+            text_color = "w"
+            label_bg_color = (50, 50, 50, 150)
+
+        self.coord_label.setColor(text_color)
+        self.coord_label.fill = pg.mkBrush(label_bg_color)
+        self.coord_label.border = pg.mkPen(None)
+
+    @Slot(int)
+    def update_highlighted_curve(self, curve_index: int):
+        """
+        Update the highlighted curve in the case of multiple curves in a plot item.
+
+        Args:
+            curve_index(int): The index of curve to highlight
+        """
+        self.highlighted_curve_index = curve_index
+        self.clear_markers()
+        self.update_markers()
 
     def update_markers(self):
         """Update the markers for the crosshair, creating new ones if necessary."""
 
-        # Create new markers
-        for item in self.plot_item.items:
+        if self.highlighted_curve_index is not None and hasattr(self.plot_item, "visible_curves"):
+            # Focus on the highlighted curve only
+            self.items = [self.plot_item.visible_curves[self.highlighted_curve_index]]
+        else:
+            # Handle all curves
+            self.items = self.plot_item.items
+
+        # Create or update markers
+        for item in self.items:
             if isinstance(item, pg.PlotDataItem):  # 1D plot
-                if item.name() in self.marker_moved_1d:
-                    continue
                 pen = item.opts["pen"]
                 color = pen.color() if hasattr(pen, "color") else pg.mkColor(pen)
-                marker_moved = pg.ScatterPlotItem(
-                    size=10, pen=pg.mkPen(color), brush=pg.mkBrush(None)
-                )
-                marker_moved.skip_auto_range = True
-                self.marker_moved_1d[item.name()] = marker_moved
-                self.plot_item.addItem(marker_moved)
-
-                # Create glowing effect markers for clicked events
-                for size, alpha in [(18, 64), (14, 128), (10, 255)]:
-                    marker_clicked = pg.ScatterPlotItem(
-                        size=size,
-                        pen=pg.mkPen(None),
-                        brush=pg.mkBrush(color.red(), color.green(), color.blue(), alpha),
+                name = item.name() or str(id(item))
+                if name in self.marker_moved_1d:
+                    # Update existing markers
+                    marker_moved = self.marker_moved_1d[name]
+                    marker_moved.setPen(pg.mkPen(color))
+                    # Update clicked markers' brushes
+                    for marker_clicked in self.marker_clicked_1d[name]:
+                        alpha = marker_clicked.opts["brush"].color().alpha()
+                        marker_clicked.setBrush(
+                            pg.mkBrush(color.red(), color.green(), color.blue(), alpha)
+                        )
+                    # Update z-values
+                    marker_moved.setZValue(item.zValue() + 1)
+                    for marker_clicked in self.marker_clicked_1d[name]:
+                        marker_clicked.setZValue(item.zValue() + 1)
+                else:
+                    # Create new markers
+                    marker_moved = CrosshairScatterItem(
+                        size=10, pen=pg.mkPen(color), brush=pg.mkBrush(None)
                     )
-                    marker_clicked.skip_auto_range = True
-                    self.marker_clicked_1d[item.name()] = marker_clicked
-                    self.plot_item.addItem(marker_clicked)
+                    marker_moved.skip_auto_range = True
+                    marker_moved.is_crosshair = True
+                    self.marker_moved_1d[name] = marker_moved
+                    self.plot_item.addItem(marker_moved)
+                    # Set marker z-value higher than the curve
+                    marker_moved.setZValue(item.zValue() + 1)
 
+                    # Create glowing effect markers for clicked events
+                    marker_clicked_list = []
+                    for size, alpha in [(18, 64), (14, 128), (10, 255)]:
+                        marker_clicked = CrosshairScatterItem(
+                            size=size,
+                            pen=pg.mkPen(None),
+                            brush=pg.mkBrush(color.red(), color.green(), color.blue(), alpha),
+                        )
+                        marker_clicked.skip_auto_range = True
+                        marker_clicked.is_crosshair = True
+                        self.plot_item.addItem(marker_clicked)
+                        marker_clicked.setZValue(item.zValue() + 1)
+                        marker_clicked_list.append(marker_clicked)
+                    self.marker_clicked_1d[name] = marker_clicked_list
             elif isinstance(item, pg.ImageItem):  # 2D plot
                 if self.marker_2d is not None:
                     continue
                 self.marker_2d = pg.ROI(
                     [0, 0], size=[1, 1], pen=pg.mkPen("r", width=2), movable=False
                 )
+                self.marker_2d.skip_auto_range = True
                 self.plot_item.addItem(self.marker_2d)
 
-    def snap_to_data(self, x, y) -> tuple[defaultdict[list], defaultdict[list]]:
+    def snap_to_data(
+        self, x: float, y: float
+    ) -> tuple[None, None] | tuple[defaultdict[Any, list], defaultdict[Any, list]]:
         """
         Finds the nearest data points to the given x and y coordinates.
 
         Args:
-            x: The x-coordinate of the mouse cursor
-            y: The y-coordinate of the mouse cursor
+            x(float): The x-coordinate of the mouse cursor
+            y(float): The y-coordinate of the mouse cursor
 
         Returns:
             tuple: x and y values snapped to the nearest data
         """
         y_values = defaultdict(list)
         x_values = defaultdict(list)
-        image_2d = None
 
         # Iterate through items in the plot
-        for item in self.plot_item.items:
+        for item in self.items:
             if isinstance(item, pg.PlotDataItem):  # 1D plot
-                name = item.name()
+                name = item.name() or str(id(item))
                 plot_data = item._getDisplayDataset()
                 if plot_data is None:
                     continue
@@ -127,9 +241,9 @@ class Crosshair(QObject):
                     y_values[name] = closest_y
                     x_values[name] = closest_x
             elif isinstance(item, pg.ImageItem):  # 2D plot
-                name = item.config.monitor
+                name = item.config.monitor or str(id(item))
                 image_2d = item.image
-                # clip the x and y values to the image dimensions to avoid out of bounds errors
+                # Clip the x and y values to the image dimensions to avoid out of bounds errors
                 y_values[name] = int(np.clip(y, 0, image_2d.shape[1] - 1))
                 x_values[name] = int(np.clip(x, 0, image_2d.shape[0] - 1))
 
@@ -142,21 +256,34 @@ class Crosshair(QObject):
 
         return None, None
 
-    def closest_x_y_value(self, input_value: float, list_x: list, list_y: list) -> tuple:
+    def closest_x_y_value(self, input_x: float, list_x: list, list_y: list) -> tuple:
         """
         Find the closest x and y value to the input value.
 
         Args:
-            input_value (float): Input value
+            input_x (float): Input value
             list_x (list): List of x values
             list_y (list): List of y values
 
         Returns:
             tuple: Closest x and y value
         """
-        arr = np.asarray(list_x)
-        i = (np.abs(arr - input_value)).argmin()
-        return list_x[i], list_y[i]
+        # Convert lists to NumPy arrays
+        arr_x = np.asarray(list_x)
+
+        # Get the indices where x is not NaN
+        valid_indices = ~np.isnan(arr_x)
+
+        # Filter x array to exclude NaN values
+        filtered_x = arr_x[valid_indices]
+
+        # Find the index of the closest value in the filtered x array
+        closest_index = np.abs(filtered_x - input_x).argmin()
+
+        # Map back to the original index in the list_x and list_y arrays
+        original_index = np.where(valid_indices)[0][closest_index]
+
+        return list_x[original_index], list_y[original_index]
 
     def mouse_moved(self, event):
         """Handles the mouse moved event, updating the crosshair position and emitting signals.
@@ -166,17 +293,15 @@ class Crosshair(QObject):
         """
         pos = event[0]
         self.update_markers()
-        self.positionChanged.emit((pos.x(), pos.y()))
         if self.plot_item.vb.sceneBoundingRect().contains(pos):
             mouse_point = self.plot_item.vb.mapSceneToView(pos)
-            self.v_line.setPos(mouse_point.x())
-            self.h_line.setPos(mouse_point.y())
-
             x, y = mouse_point.x(), mouse_point.y()
-            if self.is_log_x:
-                x = 10**x
-            if self.is_log_y:
-                y = 10**y
+            self.v_line.setPos(x)
+            self.h_line.setPos(y)
+            scaled_x, scaled_y = self.scale_emitted_coordinates(mouse_point.x(), mouse_point.y())
+            self.crosshairChanged.emit((scaled_x, scaled_y))
+            self.positionChanged.emit((x, y))
+
             x_snap_values, y_snap_values = self.snap_to_data(x, y)
             if x_snap_values is None or y_snap_values is None:
                 return
@@ -186,17 +311,22 @@ class Crosshair(QObject):
                 # not sure how we got here, but just to be safe...
                 return
 
-            for item in self.plot_item.items:
+            for item in self.items:
                 if isinstance(item, pg.PlotDataItem):
-                    name = item.name()
+                    name = item.name() or str(id(item))
                     x, y = x_snap_values[name], y_snap_values[name]
                     if x is None or y is None:
                         continue
                     self.marker_moved_1d[name].setData([x], [y])
-                    coordinate_to_emit = (name, round(x, self.precision), round(y, self.precision))
+                    x_snapped_scaled, y_snapped_scaled = self.scale_emitted_coordinates(x, y)
+                    coordinate_to_emit = (
+                        name,
+                        round(x_snapped_scaled, self.precision),
+                        round(y_snapped_scaled, self.precision),
+                    )
                     self.coordinatesChanged1D.emit(coordinate_to_emit)
                 elif isinstance(item, pg.ImageItem):
-                    name = item.config.monitor
+                    name = item.config.monitor or str(id(item))
                     x, y = x_snap_values[name], y_snap_values[name]
                     if x is None or y is None:
                         continue
@@ -220,12 +350,10 @@ class Crosshair(QObject):
         if self.plot_item.vb.sceneBoundingRect().contains(event._scenePos):
             mouse_point = self.plot_item.vb.mapSceneToView(event._scenePos)
             x, y = mouse_point.x(), mouse_point.y()
+            scaled_x, scaled_y = self.scale_emitted_coordinates(mouse_point.x(), mouse_point.y())
+            self.crosshairClicked.emit((scaled_x, scaled_y))
             self.positionClicked.emit((x, y))
 
-            if self.is_log_x:
-                x = 10**x
-            if self.is_log_y:
-                y = 10**y
             x_snap_values, y_snap_values = self.snap_to_data(x, y)
 
             if x_snap_values is None or y_snap_values is None:
@@ -236,17 +364,23 @@ class Crosshair(QObject):
                 # not sure how we got here, but just to be safe...
                 return
 
-            for item in self.plot_item.items:
+            for item in self.items:
                 if isinstance(item, pg.PlotDataItem):
-                    name = item.name()
+                    name = item.name() or str(id(item))
                     x, y = x_snap_values[name], y_snap_values[name]
                     if x is None or y is None:
                         continue
-                    self.marker_clicked_1d[name].setData([x], [y])
-                    coordinate_to_emit = (name, round(x, self.precision), round(y, self.precision))
+                    for marker_clicked in self.marker_clicked_1d[name]:
+                        marker_clicked.setData([x], [y])
+                    x_snapped_scaled, y_snapped_scaled = self.scale_emitted_coordinates(x, y)
+                    coordinate_to_emit = (
+                        name,
+                        round(x_snapped_scaled, self.precision),
+                        round(y_snapped_scaled, self.precision),
+                    )
                     self.coordinatesClicked1D.emit(coordinate_to_emit)
                 elif isinstance(item, pg.ImageItem):
-                    name = item.config.monitor
+                    name = item.config.monitor or str(id(item))
                     x, y = x_snap_values[name], y_snap_values[name]
                     if x is None or y is None:
                         continue
@@ -259,14 +393,55 @@ class Crosshair(QObject):
     def clear_markers(self):
         """Clears the markers from the plot."""
         for marker in self.marker_moved_1d.values():
-            marker.clear()
-        for marker in self.marker_clicked_1d.values():
-            marker.clear()
+            self.plot_item.removeItem(marker)
+        for markers in self.marker_clicked_1d.values():
+            for marker in markers:
+                self.plot_item.removeItem(marker)
+        self.marker_moved_1d.clear()
+        self.marker_clicked_1d.clear()
+
+    def scale_emitted_coordinates(self, x, y):
+        """Scales the emitted coordinates if the axes are in log scale.
+
+        Args:
+            x (float): The x-coordinate
+            y (float): The y-coordinate
+
+        Returns:
+            tuple: The scaled x and y coordinates
+        """
+        if self.is_log_x:
+            x = 10**x
+        if self.is_log_y:
+            y = 10**y
+        return x, y
+
+    def update_coord_label(self, pos: tuple):
+        """Updates the coordinate label based on the crosshair position and axis scales.
+
+        Args:
+            pos (tuple): The (x, y) position of the crosshair.
+        """
+        x, y = pos
+        x_scaled, y_scaled = self.scale_emitted_coordinates(x, y)
+        text = f"({x_scaled:.{self.precision}g}, {y_scaled:.{self.precision}g})"
+        for item in self.items:
+            if isinstance(item, pg.ImageItem):
+                image = item.image
+                ix = int(np.clip(x, 0, image.shape[0] - 1))
+                iy = int(np.clip(y, 0, image.shape[1] - 1))
+                intensity = image[ix, iy]
+                text += f"\nIntensity: {intensity:.{self.precision}g}"
+                break
+        # Update coordinate label
+        self.coord_label.setText(text)
+        self.coord_label.setPos(x, y)
+        self.coord_label.setVisible(True)
 
     def check_log(self):
         """Checks if the x or y axis is in log scale and updates the internal state accordingly."""
-        self.is_log_x = self.plot_item.ctrl.logXCheck.isChecked()
-        self.is_log_y = self.plot_item.ctrl.logYCheck.isChecked()
+        self.is_log_x = self.plot_item.axes["bottom"]["item"].logMode
+        self.is_log_y = self.plot_item.axes["left"]["item"].logMode
         self.clear_markers()
 
     def check_derivatives(self):
@@ -275,6 +450,11 @@ class Crosshair(QObject):
         self.clear_markers()
 
     def cleanup(self):
-        self.v_line.deleteLater()
-        self.h_line.deleteLater()
+        if self.marker_2d is not None:
+            self.plot_item.removeItem(self.marker_2d)
+            self.marker_2d = None
+        self.plot_item.removeItem(self.v_line)
+        self.plot_item.removeItem(self.h_line)
+        self.plot_item.removeItem(self.coord_label)
+
         self.clear_markers()

bec_widgets/utils/entry_validator.py

@@ -22,7 +22,9 @@ class EntryValidator:
         if entry is None or entry == "":
             entry = next(iter(device._hints), name) if hasattr(device, "_hints") else name
         if entry not in description:
-            raise ValueError(f"Entry '{entry}' not found in device '{name}' signals")
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"Entry '{entry}' not found in device '{name}' signals. Available signals: {description.keys()}"
+            )
 
         return entry
 

bec_widgets/utils/error_popups.py

@@ -2,9 +2,93 @@ import functools
 import sys
 import traceback
 
-from qtpy.QtCore import QObject, Qt, Signal, Slot
+from bec_lib.logger import bec_logger
+from qtpy.QtCore import Property, QObject, Qt, Signal, Slot
 from qtpy.QtWidgets import QApplication, QMessageBox, QPushButton, QVBoxLayout, QWidget
 
+logger = bec_logger.logger
+
+
+def SafeProperty(prop_type, *prop_args, popup_error: bool = False, default=None, **prop_kwargs):
+    """
+    Decorator to create a Qt Property with safe getter and setter so that
+    Qt Designer won't crash if an exception occurs in either method.
+
+    Args:
+        prop_type: The property type (e.g., str, bool, int, custom classes, etc.)
+        popup_error (bool): If True, show a popup for any error; otherwise, ignore or log silently.
+        default: Any default/fallback value to return if the getter raises an exception.
+        *prop_args, **prop_kwargs: Passed along to the underlying Qt Property constructor.
+
+    Usage:
+        @SafeProperty(int, default=-1)
+        def some_value(self) -> int:
+            # your getter logic
+            return ...   # if an exception is raised, returns -1
+
+        @some_value.setter
+        def some_value(self, val: int):
+            # your setter logic
+            ...
+    """
+
+    def decorator(py_getter):
+        """Decorator for the user's property getter function."""
+
+        @functools.wraps(py_getter)
+        def safe_getter(self_):
+            try:
+                return py_getter(self_)
+            except Exception:
+                # Identify which property function triggered error
+                prop_name = f"{py_getter.__module__}.{py_getter.__qualname__}"
+                error_msg = traceback.format_exc()
+
+                if popup_error:
+                    ErrorPopupUtility().custom_exception_hook(*sys.exc_info(), popup_error=True)
+                logger.error(f"SafeProperty error in GETTER of '{prop_name}':\n{error_msg}")
+                return default
+
+        class PropertyWrapper:
+            """
+            Intermediate wrapper used so that the user can optionally chain .setter(...).
+            """
+
+            def __init__(self, getter_func):
+                # We store only our safe_getter in the wrapper
+                self.getter_func = safe_getter
+
+            def setter(self, setter_func):
+                """Wraps the user-defined setter to handle errors safely."""
+
+                @functools.wraps(setter_func)
+                def safe_setter(self_, value):
+                    try:
+                        return setter_func(self_, value)
+                    except Exception:
+                        prop_name = f"{setter_func.__module__}.{setter_func.__qualname__}"
+                        error_msg = traceback.format_exc()
+
+                        if popup_error:
+                            ErrorPopupUtility().custom_exception_hook(
+                                *sys.exc_info(), popup_error=True
+                            )
+                        logger.error(f"SafeProperty error in SETTER of '{prop_name}':\n{error_msg}")
+                        return
+
+                # Return the full read/write Property
+                return Property(prop_type, self.getter_func, safe_setter, *prop_args, **prop_kwargs)
+
+            def __call__(self):
+                """
+                If user never calls `.setter(...)`, produce a read-only property.
+                """
+                return Property(prop_type, self.getter_func, None, *prop_args, **prop_kwargs)
+
+        return PropertyWrapper(py_getter)
+
+    return decorator
+
 
 def SafeSlot(*slot_args, **slot_kwargs):  # pylint: disable=invalid-name
     """Function with args, acting like a decorator, applying "error_managed" decorator + Qt Slot
@@ -22,7 +106,13 @@ def SafeSlot(*slot_args, **slot_kwargs):  # pylint: disable=invalid-name
             try:
                 return method(*args, **kwargs)
             except Exception:
-                ErrorPopupUtility().custom_exception_hook(*sys.exc_info(), popup_error=popup_error)
+                slot_name = f"{method.__module__}.{method.__qualname__}"
+                error_msg = traceback.format_exc()
+                if popup_error:
+                    ErrorPopupUtility().custom_exception_hook(
+                        *sys.exc_info(), popup_error=popup_error
+                    )
+                logger.error(f"SafeSlot error in slot '{slot_name}':\n{error_msg}")
 
         return wrapper
 
@@ -91,6 +181,12 @@ class _ErrorPopupUtility(QObject):
         msg.setMinimumHeight(400)
         msg.exec_()
 
+    def show_property_error(self, title, message, widget):
+        """
+        Show a property-specific error message.
+        """
+        self.error_occurred.emit(title, message, widget)
+
     def format_traceback(self, traceback_message: str) -> str:
         """
         Format the traceback message to be displayed in the error popup by adding indentation to each line.
@@ -127,12 +223,14 @@ class _ErrorPopupUtility(QObject):
             error_message = " ".join(captured_message)
         return error_message
 
+    def get_error_message(self, exctype, value, tb):
+        return "".join(traceback.format_exception(exctype, value, tb))
+
     def custom_exception_hook(self, exctype, value, tb, popup_error=False):
         if popup_error or self.enable_error_popup:
-            error_message = traceback.format_exception(exctype, value, tb)
             self.error_occurred.emit(
                 "Method error" if popup_error else "Application Error",
-                "".join(error_message),
+                self.get_error_message(exctype, value, tb),
                 self.parent(),
             )
         else:

bec_widgets/utils/expandable_frame.py

@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from bec_qthemes import material_icon
+from qtpy.QtWidgets import (
+    QFrame,
+    QHBoxLayout,
+    QLabel,
+    QLayout,
+    QSizePolicy,
+    QToolButton,
+    QVBoxLayout,
+    QWidget,
+)
+
+from bec_widgets.utils.error_popups import SafeProperty, SafeSlot
+
+
+class ExpandableGroupFrame(QFrame):
+
+    EXPANDED_ICON_NAME: str = "collapse_all"
+    COLLAPSED_ICON_NAME: str = "expand_all"
+
+    def __init__(self, title: str, parent: QWidget | None = None, expanded: bool = True) -> None:
+        super().__init__(parent=parent)
+        self._expanded = expanded
+
+        self.setFrameStyle(QFrame.Shape.StyledPanel | QFrame.Shadow.Plain)
+        self.setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy.Policy.Minimum, QSizePolicy.Policy.Minimum)
+        self._layout = QVBoxLayout()
+        self._layout.setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0)
+        self.setLayout(self._layout)
+        self._title_layout = QHBoxLayout()
+        self._layout.addLayout(self._title_layout)
+        self._expansion_button = QToolButton()
+        self._update_icon()
+        self._title = QLabel(f"<b>{title}</b>")
+        self._title_layout.addWidget(self._expansion_button)
+        self._title_layout.addWidget(self._title)
+
+        self._contents = QWidget()
+        self._layout.addWidget(self._contents)
+
+        self._expansion_button.clicked.connect(self.switch_expanded_state)
+        self.expanded = self._expanded  # type: ignore
+
+    def set_layout(self, layout: QLayout) -> None:
+        self._contents.setLayout(layout)
+        self._contents.layout().setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0)  # type: ignore
+
+    @SafeSlot()
+    def switch_expanded_state(self):
+        self.expanded = not self.expanded  # type: ignore
+        self._update_icon()
+
+    @SafeProperty(bool)
+    def expanded(self):  # type: ignore
+        return self._expanded
+
+    @expanded.setter
+    def expanded(self, expanded: bool):
+        self._expanded = expanded
+        self._contents.setVisible(expanded)
+        self.updateGeometry()
+
+    def _update_icon(self):
+        self._expansion_button.setIcon(
+            material_icon(icon_name=self.EXPANDED_ICON_NAME, size=(10, 10), convert_to_pixmap=False)
+            if self.expanded
+            else material_icon(
+                icon_name=self.COLLAPSED_ICON_NAME, size=(10, 10), convert_to_pixmap=False
+            )
+        )

bec_widgets/utils/filter_io.py

@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+"""Module for handling filter I/O operations in BEC Widgets for input fields.
+These operations include filtering device/signal names and/or device types.
+"""
+
+from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
+
+from bec_lib.logger import bec_logger
+from qtpy.QtCore import QStringListModel
+from qtpy.QtWidgets import QComboBox, QCompleter, QLineEdit
+
+logger = bec_logger.logger
+
+
+class WidgetFilterHandler(ABC):
+    """Abstract base class for widget filter handlers"""
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def set_selection(self, widget, selection: list) -> None:
+        """Set the filtered_selection for the widget
+
+        Args:
+            selection (list): Filtered selection of items
+        """
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def check_input(self, widget, text: str) -> bool:
+        """Check if the input text is in the filtered selection
+
+        Args:
+            widget: Widget instance
+            text (str): Input text
+
+        Returns:
+            bool: True if the input text is in the filtered selection
+        """
+
+
+class LineEditFilterHandler(WidgetFilterHandler):
+    """Handler for QLineEdit widget"""
+
+    def set_selection(self, widget: QLineEdit, selection: list) -> None:
+        """Set the selection for the widget to the completer model
+
+        Args:
+            widget (QLineEdit): The QLineEdit widget
+            selection (list): Filtered selection of items
+        """
+        if not isinstance(widget.completer, QCompleter):
+            completer = QCompleter(widget)
+            widget.setCompleter(completer)
+        widget.completer.setModel(QStringListModel(selection, widget))
+
+    def check_input(self, widget: QLineEdit, text: str) -> bool:
+        """Check if the input text is in the filtered selection
+
+        Args:
+            widget (QLineEdit): The QLineEdit widget
+            text (str): Input text
+
+        Returns:
+            bool: True if the input text is in the filtered selection
+        """
+        model = widget.completer.model()
+        model_data = [model.data(model.index(i)) for i in range(model.rowCount())]
+        return text in model_data
+
+
+class ComboBoxFilterHandler(WidgetFilterHandler):
+    """Handler for QComboBox widget"""
+
+    def set_selection(self, widget: QComboBox, selection: list) -> None:
+        """Set the selection for the widget to the completer model
+
+        Args:
+            widget (QComboBox): The QComboBox widget
+            selection (list): Filtered selection of items
+        """
+        widget.clear()
+        widget.addItems(selection)
+
+    def check_input(self, widget: QComboBox, text: str) -> bool:
+        """Check if the input text is in the filtered selection
+
+        Args:
+            widget (QComboBox): The QComboBox widget
+            text (str): Input text
+
+        Returns:
+            bool: True if the input text is in the filtered selection
+        """
+        return text in [widget.itemText(i) for i in range(widget.count())]
+
+
+class FilterIO:
+    """Public interface to set filters for input widgets.
+    It supports the list of widgets stored in class attribute _handlers.
+    """
+
+    _handlers = {QLineEdit: LineEditFilterHandler, QComboBox: ComboBoxFilterHandler}
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def set_selection(widget, selection: list, ignore_errors=True):
+        """
+        Retrieve value from the widget instance.
+
+        Args:
+            widget: Widget instance.
+            selection(list): List of filtered selection items.
+            ignore_errors(bool, optional): Whether to ignore if no handler is found.
+        """
+        handler_class = FilterIO._find_handler(widget)
+        if handler_class:
+            return handler_class().set_selection(widget=widget, selection=selection)
+        if not ignore_errors:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"No matching handler for widget type: {type(widget)} in handler list {FilterIO._handlers}"
+            )
+        return None
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def check_input(widget, text: str, ignore_errors=True):
+        """
+        Check if the input text is in the filtered selection.
+
+        Args:
+            widget: Widget instance.
+            text(str): Input text.
+            ignore_errors(bool, optional): Whether to ignore if no handler is found.
+
+        Returns:
+            bool: True if the input text is in the filtered selection.
+        """
+        handler_class = FilterIO._find_handler(widget)
+        if handler_class:
+            return handler_class().check_input(widget=widget, text=text)
+        if not ignore_errors:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"No matching handler for widget type: {type(widget)} in handler list {FilterIO._handlers}"
+            )
+        return None
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _find_handler(widget):
+        """
+        Find the appropriate handler for the widget by checking its base classes.
+
+        Args:
+            widget: Widget instance.
+
+        Returns:
+            handler_class: The handler class if found, otherwise None.
+        """
+        for base in type(widget).__mro__:
+            if base in FilterIO._handlers:
+                return FilterIO._handlers[base]
+        return None

bec_widgets/utils/generate_designer_plugin.py

@@ -1,12 +1,23 @@
 import inspect
 import os
 import re
+from typing import NamedTuple
 
 from qtpy.QtCore import QObject
 
 EXCLUDED_PLUGINS = ["BECConnector", "BECDockArea", "BECDock", "BECFigure"]
 
 
+class PluginFilenames(NamedTuple):
+    register: str
+    plugin: str
+    pyproj: str
+
+
+def plugin_filenames(name: str) -> PluginFilenames:
+    return PluginFilenames(f"register_{name}.py", f"{name}_plugin.py", f"{name}.pyproject")
+
+
 class DesignerPluginInfo:
     def __init__(self, plugin_class):
         self.plugin_class = plugin_class
@@ -53,11 +64,15 @@ class DesignerPluginGenerator:
             self._excluded = True
             return
 
-        self.templates = {}
+        self.templates: dict[str, str] = {}
         self.template_path = os.path.join(
             os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)), "plugin_templates"
         )
 
+    @property
+    def filenames(self):
+        return plugin_filenames(self.info.plugin_name_snake)
+
     def run(self, validate=True):
         if self._excluded:
             print(f"Plugin {self.widget.__name__} is excluded from generation.")
@@ -112,26 +127,18 @@ class DesignerPluginGenerator:
                 f"Widget class {self.widget.__name__} must call the super constructor with parent."
             )
 
+    def _write_file(self, name: str, contents: str):
+        with open(os.path.join(self.info.base_path, name), "w", encoding="utf-8") as f:
+            f.write(contents)
+
+    def _format(self, name: str):
+        return self.templates[name].format(**self.info.__dict__)
+
     def _write_templates(self):
-        self._write_register()
-        self._write_plugin()
-        self._write_pyproject()
-
-    def _write_register(self):
-        file_path = os.path.join(self.info.base_path, f"register_{self.info.plugin_name_snake}.py")
-        with open(file_path, "w", encoding="utf-8") as f:
-            f.write(self.templates["register"].format(**self.info.__dict__))
-
-    def _write_plugin(self):
-        file_path = os.path.join(self.info.base_path, f"{self.info.plugin_name_snake}_plugin.py")
-        with open(file_path, "w", encoding="utf-8") as f:
-            f.write(self.templates["plugin"].format(**self.info.__dict__))
-
-    def _write_pyproject(self):
-        file_path = os.path.join(self.info.base_path, f"{self.info.plugin_name_snake}.pyproject")
-        out = {"files": [f"{self.info.plugin_class.__module__.split('.')[-1]}.py"]}
-        with open(file_path, "w", encoding="utf-8") as f:
-            f.write(str(out))
+        self._write_file(self.filenames.register, self._format("register"))
+        self._write_file(self.filenames.plugin, self._format("plugin"))
+        pyproj = str({"files": [f"{self.info.plugin_class.__module__.split('.')[-1]}.py"]})
+        self._write_file(self.filenames.pyproj, pyproj)
 
     def _load_templates(self):
         for file in os.listdir(self.template_path):
@@ -143,7 +150,7 @@ class DesignerPluginGenerator:
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":  # pragma: no cover
     # from bec_widgets.widgets.bec_queue.bec_queue import BECQueue
-    from bec_widgets.widgets.spinner.spinner import SpinnerWidget
+    from bec_widgets.widgets.utility.spinner import SpinnerWidget
 
     generator = DesignerPluginGenerator(SpinnerWidget)
     generator.run(validate=False)

bec_widgets/utils/ophyd_kind_util.py

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+from enum import IntFlag
+
+try:
+
+    from enum import KEEP
+
+    class IFBase(IntFlag, boundary=KEEP): ...
+
+except ImportError:
+
+    IFBase = IntFlag
+
+
+class Kind(IFBase):
+    """
+    This is used in the .kind attribute of all OphydObj (Signals, Devices).
+
+    A Device examines its components' .kind atttribute to decide whether to
+    traverse it in read(), read_configuration(), or neither. Additionally, if
+    decides whether to include its name in `hints['fields']`.
+    """
+
+    omitted = 0b000
+    normal = 0b001
+    config = 0b010
+    hinted = 0b101  # Notice that bool(hinted & normal) is True.

bec_widgets/utils/palette_viewer.py

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ from qtpy.QtWidgets import (
 
 from bec_widgets.utils.bec_widget import BECWidget
 from bec_widgets.utils.colors import get_accent_colors, get_theme_palette
-from bec_widgets.widgets.dark_mode_button.dark_mode_button import DarkModeButton
+from bec_widgets.widgets.utility.visual.dark_mode_button.dark_mode_button import DarkModeButton
 
 
 class PaletteViewer(BECWidget, QWidget):

bec_widgets/utils/plot_indicator_items.py

@@ -148,10 +148,7 @@ class BECTickItem(BECIndicatorItem):
     def cleanup(self) -> None:
         """Cleanup the item"""
         self.remove_from_plot()
-        if self.tick_item is not None:
-            self.tick_item.close()
-            self.tick_item.deleteLater()
-            self.tick_item = None
+        self.tick_item = None
 
 
 class BECArrowItem(BECIndicatorItem):
@@ -174,7 +171,7 @@ class BECArrowItem(BECIndicatorItem):
 
     def __init__(self, plot_item: pg.PlotItem = None, parent=None):
         super().__init__(plot_item=plot_item, parent=parent)
-        self.arrow_item = pg.ArrowItem(parent=parent)
+        self.arrow_item = pg.ArrowItem()
         self.arrow_item.skip_auto_range = True
         self._pos = (0, 0)
         self.arrow_item.setVisible(False)

bec_widgets/utils/plugin_utils.py

@@ -53,12 +53,15 @@ class BECClassInfo:
     obj: type
     is_connector: bool = False
     is_widget: bool = False
-    is_top_level: bool = False
+    is_plugin: bool = False
 
 
 class BECClassContainer:
     def __init__(self):
-        self._collection = []
+        self._collection: list[BECClassInfo] = []
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return str(list(cl.name for cl in self.collection))
 
     def add_class(self, class_info: BECClassInfo):
         """
@@ -88,14 +91,14 @@ class BECClassContainer:
         """
         Get all top-level classes.
         """
-        return [info.obj for info in self.collection if info.is_top_level]
+        return [info.obj for info in self.collection if info.is_plugin]
 
     @property
     def plugins(self):
         """
         Get all plugins. These are all classes that are on the top level and are widgets.
         """
-        return [info.obj for info in self.collection if info.is_widget and info.is_top_level]
+        return [info.obj for info in self.collection if info.is_widget and info.is_plugin]
 
     @property
     def widgets(self):
@@ -109,10 +112,17 @@ class BECClassContainer:
         """
         Get all top-level classes that are RPC-enabled. These are all classes that users can choose from.
         """
-        return [info.obj for info in self.collection if info.is_top_level and info.is_connector]
+        return [info.obj for info in self.collection if info.is_plugin and info.is_connector]
+
+    @property
+    def classes(self):
+        """
+        Get all classes.
+        """
+        return [info.obj for info in self.collection]
 
 
-def get_rpc_classes(repo_name: str) -> BECClassContainer:
+def get_custom_classes(repo_name: str) -> BECClassContainer:
     """
     Get all RPC-enabled classes in the specified repository.
 
@@ -153,6 +163,8 @@ def get_rpc_classes(repo_name: str) -> BECClassContainer:
                         issubclass(obj, QWidget) or issubclass(obj, QGraphicsWidget)
                     ):
                         class_info.is_top_level = True
+                    if hasattr(obj, "PLUGIN") and obj.PLUGIN:
+                        class_info.is_plugin = True
                     collection.add_class(class_info)
 
     return collection

bec_widgets/utils/round_frame.py

@@ -0,0 +1,152 @@
+import pyqtgraph as pg
+from qtpy.QtCore import Property
+from qtpy.QtWidgets import QApplication, QFrame, QHBoxLayout, QVBoxLayout, QWidget
+
+from bec_widgets.widgets.utility.visual.dark_mode_button.dark_mode_button import DarkModeButton
+
+
+class RoundedFrame(QFrame):
+    """
+    A custom QFrame with rounded corners and optional theme updates.
+    The frame can contain any QWidget, however it is mainly designed to wrap PlotWidgets to provide a consistent look and feel with other BEC Widgets.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        parent=None,
+        content_widget: QWidget = None,
+        background_color: str = None,
+        radius: int = 10,
+    ):
+        QFrame.__init__(self, parent)
+
+        self.background_color = background_color
+        self._radius = radius
+
+        # Apply rounded frame styling
+        self.setProperty("skip_settings", True)
+        self.setObjectName("roundedFrame")
+
+        # Create a layout for the frame
+        self.layout = QHBoxLayout(self)
+        self.layout.setContentsMargins(5, 5, 5, 5)  # Set 5px margin
+
+        # Add the content widget to the layout
+        if content_widget:
+            self.layout.addWidget(content_widget)
+
+        # Store reference to the content widget
+        self.content_widget = content_widget
+
+        # Automatically apply initial styles to the GraphicalLayoutWidget if applicable
+        self.apply_plot_widget_style()
+
+    def apply_theme(self, theme: str):
+        """
+        Apply the theme to the frame and its content if theme updates are enabled.
+        """
+        if self.content_widget is not None and isinstance(
+            self.content_widget, pg.GraphicsLayoutWidget
+        ):
+            self.content_widget.setBackground(self.background_color)
+
+        # Update background color based on the theme
+        if theme == "light":
+            self.background_color = "#e9ecef"  # Subtle contrast for light mode
+        else:
+            self.background_color = "#141414"  # Dark mode
+
+        self.update_style()
+
+    @Property(int)
+    def radius(self):
+        """Radius of the rounded corners."""
+        return self._radius
+
+    @radius.setter
+    def radius(self, value: int):
+        self._radius = value
+        self.update_style()
+
+    def update_style(self):
+        """
+        Update the style of the frame based on the background color.
+        """
+        if self.background_color:
+            self.setStyleSheet(
+                f"""
+                QFrame#roundedFrame {{
+                    background-color: {self.background_color}; 
+                    border-radius: {self._radius}; /* Rounded corners */
+                }}
+            """
+            )
+        self.apply_plot_widget_style()
+
+    def apply_plot_widget_style(self, border: str = "none"):
+        """
+        Automatically apply background, border, and axis styles to the PlotWidget.
+
+        Args:
+            border (str): Border style (e.g., 'none', '1px solid red').
+        """
+        if isinstance(self.content_widget, pg.GraphicsLayoutWidget):
+            # Apply border style via stylesheet
+            self.content_widget.setStyleSheet(
+                f"""
+                GraphicsLayoutWidget {{
+                    border: {border}; /* Explicitly set the border */
+                }}
+            """
+            )
+            self.content_widget.setBackground(self.background_color)
+
+
+class ExampleApp(QWidget):  # pragma: no cover
+    def __init__(self):
+        super().__init__()
+        self.setWindowTitle("Rounded Plots Example")
+
+        # Main layout
+        layout = QVBoxLayout(self)
+
+        dark_button = DarkModeButton()
+
+        # Create PlotWidgets
+        plot1 = pg.GraphicsLayoutWidget()
+        plot_item_1 = pg.PlotItem()
+        plot_item_1.plot([1, 3, 2, 4, 6, 5], pen="r")
+        plot1.plot_item = plot_item_1
+
+        plot2 = pg.GraphicsLayoutWidget()
+        plot_item_2 = pg.PlotItem()
+        plot_item_2.plot([1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32], pen="r")
+        plot2.plot_item = plot_item_2
+
+        # Wrap PlotWidgets in RoundedFrame
+        rounded_plot1 = RoundedFrame(parent=self, content_widget=plot1)
+        rounded_plot2 = RoundedFrame(parent=self, content_widget=plot2)
+
+        # Add to layout
+        layout.addWidget(dark_button)
+        layout.addWidget(rounded_plot1)
+        layout.addWidget(rounded_plot2)
+
+        self.setLayout(layout)
+
+        from qtpy.QtCore import QTimer
+
+        def change_theme():
+            rounded_plot1.apply_theme("light")
+            rounded_plot2.apply_theme("dark")
+
+        QTimer.singleShot(100, change_theme)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":  # pragma: no cover
+    app = QApplication([])
+
+    window = ExampleApp()
+    window.show()
+
+    app.exec()

bec_widgets/utils/settings_dialog.py

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from qtpy.QtWidgets import QDialog, QDialogButtonBox, QHBoxLayout, QPushButton, QVBoxLayout, QWidget
 
-from bec_widgets.qt_utils.error_popups import SafeSlot as Slot
+from bec_widgets.utils.error_popups import SafeSlot
 
 
 class SettingWidget(QWidget):
@@ -20,14 +20,14 @@ class SettingWidget(QWidget):
     def set_target_widget(self, target_widget: QWidget):
         self.target_widget = target_widget
 
-    @Slot()
+    @SafeSlot()
     def accept_changes(self):
         """
         Accepts the changes made in the settings widget and applies them to the target widget.
         """
         pass
 
-    @Slot(dict)
+    @SafeSlot(dict)
     def display_current_settings(self, config_dict: dict):
         """
         Displays the current settings of the target widget in the settings widget.
@@ -54,12 +54,13 @@ class SettingsDialog(QDialog):
         settings_widget: SettingWidget = None,
         window_title: str = "Settings",
         config: dict = None,
+        modal: bool = False,
         *args,
         **kwargs,
     ):
         super().__init__(parent, *args, **kwargs)
 
-        self.setModal(False)
+        self.setModal(modal)
 
         self.setWindowTitle(window_title)
 
@@ -92,7 +93,7 @@ class SettingsDialog(QDialog):
         ok_button.setDefault(True)
         ok_button.setAutoDefault(True)
 
-    @Slot()
+    @SafeSlot()
     def accept(self):
         """
         Accept the changes made in the settings widget and close the dialog.
@@ -100,7 +101,7 @@ class SettingsDialog(QDialog):
         self.widget.accept_changes()
         super().accept()
 
-    @Slot()
+    @SafeSlot()
     def apply_changes(self):
         """
         Apply the changes made in the settings widget without closing the dialog.

bec_widgets/utils/side_panel.py

@@ -0,0 +1,377 @@
+import sys
+from typing import Literal, Optional
+
+from qtpy.QtCore import Property, QEasingCurve, QPropertyAnimation
+from qtpy.QtGui import QAction
+from qtpy.QtWidgets import (
+    QApplication,
+    QFrame,
+    QHBoxLayout,
+    QLabel,
+    QMainWindow,
+    QScrollArea,
+    QSizePolicy,
+    QStackedWidget,
+    QVBoxLayout,
+    QWidget,
+)
+
+from bec_widgets.utils.toolbar import MaterialIconAction, ModularToolBar
+
+
+class SidePanel(QWidget):
+    """
+    Side panel widget that can be placed on the left, right, top, or bottom of the main widget.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        parent=None,
+        orientation: Literal["left", "right", "top", "bottom"] = "left",
+        panel_max_width: int = 200,
+        animation_duration: int = 200,
+        animations_enabled: bool = True,
+    ):
+        super().__init__(parent=parent)
+
+        self.setProperty("skip_settings", True)
+        self.setObjectName("SidePanel")
+
+        self._orientation = orientation
+        self._panel_max_width = panel_max_width
+        self._animation_duration = animation_duration
+        self._animations_enabled = animations_enabled
+
+        self._panel_width = 0
+        self._panel_height = 0
+        self.panel_visible = False
+        self.current_action: Optional[QAction] = None
+        self.current_index: Optional[int] = None
+        self.switching_actions = False
+
+        self._init_ui()
+
+    def _init_ui(self):
+        """
+        Initialize the UI elements.
+        """
+        if self._orientation in ("left", "right"):
+            self.main_layout = QHBoxLayout(self)
+            self.main_layout.setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0)
+            self.main_layout.setSpacing(0)
+
+            self.toolbar = ModularToolBar(target_widget=self, orientation="vertical")
+
+            self.container = QWidget()
+            self.container.layout = QVBoxLayout(self.container)
+            self.container.layout.setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0)
+            self.container.layout.setSpacing(0)
+
+            self.stack_widget = QStackedWidget()
+            self.stack_widget.setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy.Fixed, QSizePolicy.Expanding)
+            self.stack_widget.setMinimumWidth(5)
+            self.stack_widget.setMaximumWidth(self._panel_max_width)
+
+            if self._orientation == "left":
+                self.main_layout.addWidget(self.toolbar)
+                self.main_layout.addWidget(self.container)
+            else:
+                self.main_layout.addWidget(self.container)
+                self.main_layout.addWidget(self.toolbar)
+
+            self.container.layout.addWidget(self.stack_widget)
+
+            self.menu_anim = QPropertyAnimation(self, b"panel_width")
+            self.setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy.Fixed, QSizePolicy.Expanding)
+            self.panel_width = 0  # start hidden
+
+        else:
+            self.main_layout = QVBoxLayout(self)
+            self.main_layout.setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0)
+            self.main_layout.setSpacing(0)
+
+            self.toolbar = ModularToolBar(target_widget=self, orientation="horizontal")
+
+            self.container = QWidget()
+            self.container.layout = QVBoxLayout(self.container)
+            self.container.layout.setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0)
+            self.container.layout.setSpacing(0)
+
+            self.stack_widget = QStackedWidget()
+            self.stack_widget.setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy.Expanding, QSizePolicy.Fixed)
+            self.stack_widget.setMinimumHeight(5)
+            self.stack_widget.setMaximumHeight(self._panel_max_width)
+
+            if self._orientation == "top":
+                self.main_layout.addWidget(self.toolbar)
+                self.main_layout.addWidget(self.container)
+            else:
+                self.main_layout.addWidget(self.container)
+                self.main_layout.addWidget(self.toolbar)
+
+            self.container.layout.addWidget(self.stack_widget)
+
+            self.menu_anim = QPropertyAnimation(self, b"panel_height")
+            self.setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy.Expanding, QSizePolicy.Fixed)
+            self.panel_height = 0  # start hidden
+
+        self.menu_anim.setDuration(self._animation_duration)
+        self.menu_anim.setEasingCurve(QEasingCurve.InOutQuad)
+
+    @Property(int)
+    def panel_width(self):
+        """Get the panel width."""
+        return self._panel_width
+
+    @panel_width.setter
+    def panel_width(self, width: int):
+        """Set the panel width."""
+        self._panel_width = width
+        if self._orientation in ("left", "right"):
+            self.stack_widget.setFixedWidth(width)
+
+    @Property(int)
+    def panel_height(self):
+        """Get the panel height."""
+        return self._panel_height
+
+    @panel_height.setter
+    def panel_height(self, height: int):
+        """Set the panel height."""
+        self._panel_height = height
+        if self._orientation in ("top", "bottom"):
+            self.stack_widget.setFixedHeight(height)
+
+    @Property(int)
+    def panel_max_width(self):
+        """Get the maximum width of the panel."""
+        return self._panel_max_width
+
+    @panel_max_width.setter
+    def panel_max_width(self, size: int):
+        """Set the maximum width of the panel."""
+        self._panel_max_width = size
+        if self._orientation in ("left", "right"):
+            self.stack_widget.setMaximumWidth(self._panel_max_width)
+        else:
+            self.stack_widget.setMaximumHeight(self._panel_max_width)
+
+    @Property(int)
+    def animation_duration(self):
+        """Get the duration of the animation."""
+        return self._animation_duration
+
+    @animation_duration.setter
+    def animation_duration(self, duration: int):
+        """Set the duration of the animation."""
+        self._animation_duration = duration
+        self.menu_anim.setDuration(duration)
+
+    @Property(bool)
+    def animations_enabled(self):
+        """Get the status of the animations."""
+        return self._animations_enabled
+
+    @animations_enabled.setter
+    def animations_enabled(self, enabled: bool):
+        """Set the status of the animations."""
+        self._animations_enabled = enabled
+
+    def show_panel(self, idx: int):
+        """
+        Show the side panel with animation and switch to idx.
+        """
+        self.stack_widget.setCurrentIndex(idx)
+        self.panel_visible = True
+        self.current_index = idx
+
+        if self._orientation in ("left", "right"):
+            start_val, end_val = 0, self._panel_max_width
+        else:
+            start_val, end_val = 0, self._panel_max_width
+
+        if self._animations_enabled:
+            self.menu_anim.stop()
+            self.menu_anim.setStartValue(start_val)
+            self.menu_anim.setEndValue(end_val)
+            self.menu_anim.start()
+        else:
+            if self._orientation in ("left", "right"):
+                self.panel_width = end_val
+            else:
+                self.panel_height = end_val
+
+    def hide_panel(self):
+        """
+        Hide the side panel with animation.
+        """
+        self.panel_visible = False
+        self.current_index = None
+
+        if self._orientation in ("left", "right"):
+            start_val, end_val = self._panel_max_width, 0
+        else:
+            start_val, end_val = self._panel_max_width, 0
+
+        if self._animations_enabled:
+            self.menu_anim.stop()
+            self.menu_anim.setStartValue(start_val)
+            self.menu_anim.setEndValue(end_val)
+            self.menu_anim.start()
+        else:
+            if self._orientation in ("left", "right"):
+                self.panel_width = end_val
+            else:
+                self.panel_height = end_val
+
+    def switch_to(self, idx: int):
+        """
+        Switch to the specified index without animation.
+        """
+        if self.current_index != idx:
+            self.stack_widget.setCurrentIndex(idx)
+            self.current_index = idx
+
+    def add_menu(
+        self,
+        action_id: str,
+        icon_name: str,
+        tooltip: str,
+        widget: QWidget,
+        title: str | None = None,
+    ):
+        """
+        Add a menu to the side panel.
+
+        Args:
+            action_id(str): The ID of the action.
+            icon_name(str): The name of the icon.
+            tooltip(str): The tooltip for the action.
+            widget(QWidget): The widget to add to the panel.
+            title(str): The title of the panel.
+        """
+        # container_widget: top-level container for the stacked page
+        container_widget = QWidget()
+        container_layout = QVBoxLayout(container_widget)
+        container_layout.setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0)
+        container_layout.setSpacing(5)
+
+        if title is not None:
+            title_label = QLabel(f"<b>{title}</b>")
+            title_label.setStyleSheet("font-size: 16px;")
+            container_layout.addWidget(title_label)
+
+        # Create a QScrollArea for the actual widget to ensure scrolling if the widget inside is too large
+        scroll_area = QScrollArea()
+        scroll_area.setFrameShape(QFrame.NoFrame)
+        scroll_area.setWidgetResizable(True)
+        # Let the scroll area expand in both directions if there's room
+        scroll_area.setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy.Expanding, QSizePolicy.Expanding)
+        scroll_area.setWidget(widget)
+
+        # Put the scroll area in the container layout
+        container_layout.addWidget(scroll_area)
+
+        # Optionally stretch the scroll area to fill vertical space
+        container_layout.setStretchFactor(scroll_area, 1)
+
+        # Add container_widget to the stacked widget
+        index = self.stack_widget.count()
+        self.stack_widget.addWidget(container_widget)
+
+        # Add an action to the toolbar
+        action = MaterialIconAction(icon_name=icon_name, tooltip=tooltip, checkable=True)
+        self.toolbar.add_action(action_id, action, target_widget=self)
+
+        def on_action_toggled(checked: bool):
+            if self.switching_actions:
+                return
+
+            if checked:
+                if self.current_action and self.current_action != action.action:
+                    self.switching_actions = True
+                    self.current_action.setChecked(False)
+                    self.switching_actions = False
+
+                self.current_action = action.action
+
+                if not self.panel_visible:
+                    self.show_panel(index)
+                else:
+                    self.switch_to(index)
+            else:
+                if self.current_action == action.action:
+                    self.current_action = None
+                    self.hide_panel()
+
+        action.action.toggled.connect(on_action_toggled)
+
+
+############################################
+# DEMO APPLICATION
+############################################
+
+
+class ExampleApp(QMainWindow):  # pragma: no cover
+    def __init__(self):
+        super().__init__()
+        self.setWindowTitle("Side Panel Example")
+
+        central_widget = QWidget()
+        self.setCentralWidget(central_widget)
+        self.layout = QHBoxLayout(central_widget)
+
+        # Create side panel
+        self.side_panel = SidePanel(self, orientation="left", panel_max_width=250)
+        self.layout.addWidget(self.side_panel)
+
+        from bec_widgets.widgets.plots.waveform.waveform import Waveform
+
+        self.plot = Waveform()
+        self.layout.addWidget(self.plot)
+
+        self.add_side_menus()
+
+    def add_side_menus(self):
+        widget1 = QWidget()
+        layout1 = QVBoxLayout(widget1)
+        for i in range(15):
+            layout1.addWidget(QLabel(f"Widget 1 label row {i}"))
+        self.side_panel.add_menu(
+            action_id="widget1",
+            icon_name="counter_1",
+            tooltip="Show Widget 1",
+            widget=widget1,
+            title="Widget 1 Panel",
+        )
+
+        widget2 = QWidget()
+        layout2 = QVBoxLayout(widget2)
+        layout2.addWidget(QLabel("Short widget 2 content"))
+        self.side_panel.add_menu(
+            action_id="widget2",
+            icon_name="counter_2",
+            tooltip="Show Widget 2",
+            widget=widget2,
+            title="Widget 2 Panel",
+        )
+
+        widget3 = QWidget()
+        layout3 = QVBoxLayout(widget3)
+        for i in range(10):
+            layout3.addWidget(QLabel(f"Line {i} for Widget 3"))
+        self.side_panel.add_menu(
+            action_id="widget3",
+            icon_name="counter_3",
+            tooltip="Show Widget 3",
+            widget=widget3,
+            title="Widget 3 Panel",
+        )
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":  # pragma: no cover
+    app = QApplication(sys.argv)
+    window = ExampleApp()
+    window.resize(1000, 700)
+    window.show()
+    sys.exit(app.exec())

bec_widgets/utils/ui_loader.py

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ from qtpy import PYQT6, PYSIDE6, QT_VERSION
 from qtpy.QtCore import QFile, QIODevice
 
 from bec_widgets.utils.generate_designer_plugin import DesignerPluginInfo
-from bec_widgets.utils.plugin_utils import get_rpc_classes
+from bec_widgets.utils.plugin_utils import get_custom_classes
 
 if PYSIDE6:
     from PySide6.QtUiTools import QUiLoader
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class UILoader:
     def __init__(self, parent=None):
         self.parent = parent
 
-        widgets = get_rpc_classes("bec_widgets").top_level_classes
+        widgets = get_custom_classes("bec_widgets").classes
 
         self.custom_widgets = {widget.__name__: widget for widget in widgets}
 

bec_widgets/utils/widget_io.py

@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 # pylint: disable=no-name-in-module
+from __future__ import annotations
+
 from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
 
 from qtpy.QtWidgets import (
@@ -8,6 +10,7 @@ from qtpy.QtWidgets import (
     QDoubleSpinBox,
     QLabel,
     QLineEdit,
+    QSlider,
     QSpinBox,
     QTableWidget,
     QTableWidgetItem,
@@ -15,33 +18,49 @@ from qtpy.QtWidgets import (
     QWidget,
 )
 
+from bec_widgets.widgets.utility.toggle.toggle import ToggleSwitch
+
 
 class WidgetHandler(ABC):
     """Abstract base class for all widget handlers."""
 
     @abstractmethod
-    def get_value(self, widget: QWidget):
+    def get_value(self, widget: QWidget, **kwargs):
         """Retrieve value from the widget instance."""
 
     @abstractmethod
     def set_value(self, widget: QWidget, value):
         """Set a value on the widget instance."""
 
+    def connect_change_signal(self, widget: QWidget, slot):
+        """
+        Connect a change signal from this widget to the given slot.
+        If the widget type doesn't have a known "value changed" signal, do nothing.
+
+        slot: a function accepting two arguments (widget, value)
+        """
+        pass
+
 
 class LineEditHandler(WidgetHandler):
     """Handler for QLineEdit widgets."""
 
-    def get_value(self, widget: QLineEdit) -> str:
+    def get_value(self, widget: QLineEdit, **kwargs) -> str:
         return widget.text()
 
     def set_value(self, widget: QLineEdit, value: str) -> None:
         widget.setText(value)
 
+    def connect_change_signal(self, widget: QLineEdit, slot):
+        widget.textChanged.connect(lambda text, w=widget: slot(w, text))
+
 
 class ComboBoxHandler(WidgetHandler):
     """Handler for QComboBox widgets."""
 
-    def get_value(self, widget: QComboBox) -> int:
+    def get_value(self, widget: QComboBox, as_string: bool = False, **kwargs) -> int | str:
+        if as_string is True:
+            return widget.currentText()
         return widget.currentIndex()
 
     def set_value(self, widget: QComboBox, value: int | str) -> None:
@@ -50,11 +69,16 @@ class ComboBoxHandler(WidgetHandler):
         if isinstance(value, int):
             widget.setCurrentIndex(value)
 
+    def connect_change_signal(self, widget: QComboBox, slot):
+        # currentIndexChanged(int) or currentIndexChanged(str) both possible.
+        # We use currentIndexChanged(int) for a consistent behavior.
+        widget.currentIndexChanged.connect(lambda idx, w=widget: slot(w, self.get_value(w)))
+
 
 class TableWidgetHandler(WidgetHandler):
     """Handler for QTableWidget widgets."""
 
-    def get_value(self, widget: QTableWidget) -> list:
+    def get_value(self, widget: QTableWidget, **kwargs) -> list:
         return [
             [
                 widget.item(row, col).text() if widget.item(row, col) else ""
@@ -69,39 +93,84 @@ class TableWidgetHandler(WidgetHandler):
                 item = QTableWidgetItem(str(cell_value))
                 widget.setItem(row, col, item)
 
+    def connect_change_signal(self, widget: QTableWidget, slot):
+        # If desired, we could connect cellChanged(row, col) and then fetch all data.
+        # This might be noisy if table is large.
+        # For demonstration, connect cellChanged to update entire table value.
+        def on_cell_changed(row, col, w=widget):
+            val = self.get_value(w)
+            slot(w, val)
+
+        widget.cellChanged.connect(on_cell_changed)
+
 
 class SpinBoxHandler(WidgetHandler):
     """Handler for QSpinBox and QDoubleSpinBox widgets."""
 
-    def get_value(self, widget):
+    def get_value(self, widget: QSpinBox | QDoubleSpinBox, **kwargs):
         return widget.value()
 
-    def set_value(self, widget, value):
+    def set_value(self, widget: QSpinBox | QDoubleSpinBox, value):
         widget.setValue(value)
 
+    def connect_change_signal(self, widget: QSpinBox | QDoubleSpinBox, slot):
+        widget.valueChanged.connect(lambda val, w=widget: slot(w, val))
+
 
 class CheckBoxHandler(WidgetHandler):
     """Handler for QCheckBox widgets."""
 
-    def get_value(self, widget):
+    def get_value(self, widget: QCheckBox, **kwargs):
         return widget.isChecked()
 
-    def set_value(self, widget, value):
+    def set_value(self, widget: QCheckBox, value):
         widget.setChecked(value)
 
+    def connect_change_signal(self, widget: QCheckBox, slot):
+        widget.toggled.connect(lambda val, w=widget: slot(w, val))
+
+
+class SlideHandler(WidgetHandler):
+    """Handler for QCheckBox widgets."""
+
+    def get_value(self, widget: QSlider, **kwargs):
+        return widget.value()
+
+    def set_value(self, widget: QSlider, value):
+        widget.setValue(value)
+
+    def connect_change_signal(self, widget: QSlider, slot):
+        widget.valueChanged.connect(lambda val, w=widget: slot(w, val))
+
+
+class ToggleSwitchHandler(WidgetHandler):
+    """Handler for ToggleSwitch widgets."""
+
+    def get_value(self, widget: ToggleSwitch, **kwargs):
+        return widget.checked
+
+    def set_value(self, widget: ToggleSwitch, value):
+        widget.checked = value
+
+    def connect_change_signal(self, widget: ToggleSwitch, slot):
+        widget.enabled.connect(lambda val, w=widget: slot(w, val))
+
 
 class LabelHandler(WidgetHandler):
     """Handler for QLabel widgets."""
 
-    def get_value(self, widget):
+    def get_value(self, widget: QLabel, **kwargs):
         return widget.text()
 
-    def set_value(self, widget, value):
+    def set_value(self, widget: QLabel, value):
         widget.setText(value)
 
+    # QLabel typically doesn't have user-editable changes. No signal to connect.
+    # If needed, this can remain empty.
+
 
 class WidgetIO:
-    """Public interface for getting and setting values using handler mapping"""
+    """Public interface for getting, setting values and connecting signals using handler mapping"""
 
     _handlers = {
         QLineEdit: LineEditHandler,
@@ -111,10 +180,12 @@ class WidgetIO:
         QDoubleSpinBox: SpinBoxHandler,
         QCheckBox: CheckBoxHandler,
         QLabel: LabelHandler,
+        ToggleSwitch: ToggleSwitchHandler,
+        QSlider: SlideHandler,
     }
 
     @staticmethod
-    def get_value(widget, ignore_errors=False):
+    def get_value(widget, ignore_errors=False, **kwargs):
         """
         Retrieve value from the widget instance.
 
@@ -124,7 +195,7 @@ class WidgetIO:
         """
         handler_class = WidgetIO._find_handler(widget)
         if handler_class:
-            return handler_class().get_value(widget)  # Instantiate the handler
+            return handler_class().get_value(widget, **kwargs)  # Instantiate the handler
         if not ignore_errors:
             raise ValueError(f"No handler for widget type: {type(widget)}")
         return None
@@ -145,6 +216,17 @@ class WidgetIO:
         elif not ignore_errors:
             raise ValueError(f"No handler for widget type: {type(widget)}")
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def connect_widget_change_signal(widget, slot):
+        """
+        Connect the widget's value-changed signal to a generic slot function (widget, value).
+        This now delegates the logic to the widget's handler.
+        """
+        handler_class = WidgetIO._find_handler(widget)
+        if handler_class:
+            handler = handler_class()
+            handler.connect_change_signal(widget, slot)
+
     @staticmethod
     def check_and_adjust_limits(spin_box: QDoubleSpinBox, number: float):
         """
@@ -306,8 +388,8 @@ class WidgetHierarchy:
                 WidgetHierarchy.import_config_from_dict(child, widget_config, set_values)
 
 
-# Example application to demonstrate the usage of the functions
-if __name__ == "__main__":  # pragma: no cover
+# Example usage
+def hierarchy_example():  # pragma: no cover
     app = QApplication([])
 
     # Create instance of WidgetHierarchy
@@ -362,3 +444,37 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":  # pragma: no cover
     print(f"Config dict new REDUCED: {config_dict_new_reduced}")
 
     app.exec()
+
+
+def widget_io_signal_example():  # pragma: no cover
+    app = QApplication([])
+
+    main_widget = QWidget()
+    layout = QVBoxLayout(main_widget)
+    line_edit = QLineEdit(main_widget)
+    combo_box = QComboBox(main_widget)
+    spin_box = QSpinBox(main_widget)
+    combo_box.addItems(["Option 1", "Option 2", "Option 3"])
+
+    layout.addWidget(line_edit)
+    layout.addWidget(combo_box)
+    layout.addWidget(spin_box)
+
+    main_widget.show()
+
+    def universal_slot(w, val):
+        print(f"Widget {w.objectName() or w} changed, new value: {val}")
+
+    # Connect all supported widgets through their handlers
+    WidgetIO.connect_widget_change_signal(line_edit, universal_slot)
+    WidgetIO.connect_widget_change_signal(combo_box, universal_slot)
+    WidgetIO.connect_widget_change_signal(spin_box, universal_slot)
+
+    app.exec_()
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":  # pragma: no cover
+    # Change example function to test different scenarios
+
+    # hierarchy_example()
+    widget_io_signal_example()

bec_widgets/utils/widget_state_manager.py

@@ -0,0 +1,223 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from bec_lib import bec_logger
+from qtpy.QtCore import QSettings
+from qtpy.QtWidgets import (
+    QApplication,
+    QCheckBox,
+    QFileDialog,
+    QHBoxLayout,
+    QLabel,
+    QLineEdit,
+    QPushButton,
+    QSpinBox,
+    QVBoxLayout,
+    QWidget,
+)
+
+logger = bec_logger.logger
+
+
+class WidgetStateManager:
+    """
+    A class to manage the state of a widget by saving and loading the state to and from a INI file.
+
+    Args:
+        widget(QWidget): The widget to manage the state for.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, widget):
+        self.widget = widget
+
+    def save_state(self, filename: str = None):
+        """
+        Save the state of the widget to an INI file.
+
+        Args:
+            filename(str): The filename to save the state to.
+        """
+        if not filename:
+            filename, _ = QFileDialog.getSaveFileName(
+                self.widget, "Save Settings", "", "INI Files (*.ini)"
+            )
+        if filename:
+            settings = QSettings(filename, QSettings.IniFormat)
+            self._save_widget_state_qsettings(self.widget, settings)
+
+    def load_state(self, filename: str = None):
+        """
+        Load the state of the widget from an INI file.
+
+        Args:
+            filename(str): The filename to load the state from.
+        """
+        if not filename:
+            filename, _ = QFileDialog.getOpenFileName(
+                self.widget, "Load Settings", "", "INI Files (*.ini)"
+            )
+        if filename:
+            settings = QSettings(filename, QSettings.IniFormat)
+            self._load_widget_state_qsettings(self.widget, settings)
+
+    def _save_widget_state_qsettings(self, widget: QWidget, settings: QSettings):
+        """
+        Save the state of the widget to QSettings.
+
+        Args:
+            widget(QWidget): The widget to save the state for.
+            settings(QSettings): The QSettings object to save the state to.
+        """
+        if widget.property("skip_settings") is True:
+            return
+
+        meta = widget.metaObject()
+        widget_name = self._get_full_widget_name(widget)
+        settings.beginGroup(widget_name)
+        for i in range(meta.propertyCount()):
+            prop = meta.property(i)
+            name = prop.name()
+            if (
+                name == "objectName"
+                or not prop.isReadable()
+                or not prop.isWritable()
+                or not prop.isStored()  # can be extended to fine filter
+            ):
+                continue
+            value = widget.property(name)
+            settings.setValue(name, value)
+        settings.endGroup()
+
+        # Recursively process children (only if they aren't skipped)
+        for child in widget.children():
+            if (
+                child.objectName()
+                and child.property("skip_settings") is not True
+                and not isinstance(child, QLabel)
+            ):
+                self._save_widget_state_qsettings(child, settings)
+
+    def _load_widget_state_qsettings(self, widget: QWidget, settings: QSettings):
+        """
+        Load the state of the widget from QSettings.
+
+        Args:
+            widget(QWidget): The widget to load the state for.
+            settings(QSettings): The QSettings object to load the state from.
+        """
+        if widget.property("skip_settings") is True:
+            return
+
+        meta = widget.metaObject()
+        widget_name = self._get_full_widget_name(widget)
+        settings.beginGroup(widget_name)
+        for i in range(meta.propertyCount()):
+            prop = meta.property(i)
+            name = prop.name()
+            if settings.contains(name):
+                value = settings.value(name)
+                widget.setProperty(name, value)
+        settings.endGroup()
+
+        # Recursively process children (only if they aren't skipped)
+        for child in widget.children():
+            if (
+                child.objectName()
+                and child.property("skip_settings") is not True
+                and not isinstance(child, QLabel)
+            ):
+                self._load_widget_state_qsettings(child, settings)
+
+    def _get_full_widget_name(self, widget: QWidget):
+        """
+        Get the full name of the widget including its parent names.
+
+        Args:
+            widget(QWidget): The widget to get the full name for.
+
+        Returns:
+            str: The full name of the widget.
+        """
+        name = widget.objectName()
+        parent = widget.parent()
+        while parent:
+            obj_name = parent.objectName() or parent.metaObject().className()
+            name = obj_name + "." + name
+            parent = parent.parent()
+        return name
+
+
+class ExampleApp(QWidget):  # pragma: no cover:
+    def __init__(self):
+        super().__init__()
+        self.setObjectName("MainWindow")
+        self.setWindowTitle("State Manager Example")
+
+        layout = QVBoxLayout(self)
+
+        # A line edit to store some user text
+        self.line_edit = QLineEdit(self)
+        self.line_edit.setObjectName("MyLineEdit")
+        self.line_edit.setPlaceholderText("Enter some text here...")
+        layout.addWidget(self.line_edit)
+
+        # A spin box to hold a numeric value
+        self.spin_box = QSpinBox(self)
+        self.spin_box.setObjectName("MySpinBox")
+        self.spin_box.setRange(0, 100)
+        layout.addWidget(self.spin_box)
+
+        # A checkbox to hold a boolean value
+        self.check_box = QCheckBox("Enable feature?", self)
+        self.check_box.setObjectName("MyCheckBox")
+        layout.addWidget(self.check_box)
+
+        # A checkbox that we want to skip
+        self.check_box_skip = QCheckBox("Enable feature - skip save?", self)
+        self.check_box_skip.setProperty("skip_state", True)
+        self.check_box_skip.setObjectName("MyCheckBoxSkip")
+        layout.addWidget(self.check_box_skip)
+
+        #  CREATE A "SIDE PANEL" with nested structure and skip all what is inside
+        self.side_panel = QWidget(self)
+        self.side_panel.setObjectName("SidePanel")
+        self.side_panel.setProperty("skip_settings", True)  # skip the ENTIRE panel
+        layout.addWidget(self.side_panel)
+
+        # Put some sub-widgets inside side_panel
+        panel_layout = QVBoxLayout(self.side_panel)
+        self.panel_label = QLabel("Label in side panel", self.side_panel)
+        self.panel_label.setObjectName("PanelLabel")
+        panel_layout.addWidget(self.panel_label)
+
+        self.panel_edit = QLineEdit(self.side_panel)
+        self.panel_edit.setObjectName("PanelLineEdit")
+        self.panel_edit.setPlaceholderText("I am inside side panel")
+        panel_layout.addWidget(self.panel_edit)
+
+        self.panel_checkbox = QCheckBox("Enable feature in side panel?", self.side_panel)
+        self.panel_checkbox.setObjectName("PanelCheckBox")
+        panel_layout.addWidget(self.panel_checkbox)
+
+        # Save/Load buttons
+        button_layout = QHBoxLayout()
+        self.save_button = QPushButton("Save State", self)
+        self.load_button = QPushButton("Load State", self)
+        button_layout.addWidget(self.save_button)
+        button_layout.addWidget(self.load_button)
+        layout.addLayout(button_layout)
+
+        # Create the state manager
+        self.state_manager = WidgetStateManager(self)
+
+        # Connect buttons
+        self.save_button.clicked.connect(lambda: self.state_manager.save_state())
+        self.load_button.clicked.connect(lambda: self.state_manager.load_state())
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":  # pragma: no cover:
+    import sys
+
+    app = QApplication(sys.argv)
+    w = ExampleApp()
+    w.show()
+    sys.exit(app.exec_())

bec_widgets/widgets/__init__.py

@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-

bec_widgets/widgets/base_classes/device_input_base.py

@@ -1,123 +0,0 @@
-from __future__ import annotations
-
-from bec_widgets.utils import ConnectionConfig
-from bec_widgets.utils.bec_widget import BECWidget
-
-
-class DeviceInputConfig(ConnectionConfig):
-    device_filter: str | list[str] | None = None
-    default: str | None = None
-    arg_name: str | None = None
-
-
-class DeviceInputBase(BECWidget):
-    """
-    Mixin class for device input widgets. This class provides methods to get the device list and device object based
-    on the current text of the widget.
-    """
-
-    def __init__(self, client=None, config=None, gui_id=None):
-        if config is None:
-            config = DeviceInputConfig(widget_class=self.__class__.__name__)
-        else:
-            if isinstance(config, dict):
-                config = DeviceInputConfig(**config)
-            self.config = config
-        super().__init__(client=client, config=config, gui_id=gui_id)
-
-        self.get_bec_shortcuts()
-        self._device_filter = None
-        self._devices = []
-
-    @property
-    def devices(self) -> list[str]:
-        """
-        Get the list of devices.
-
-        Returns:
-            list[str]: List of devices.
-        """
-        return self._devices
-
-    @devices.setter
-    def devices(self, value: list[str]):
-        """
-        Set the list of devices.
-
-        Args:
-            value: List of devices.
-        """
-        self._devices = value
-
-    def set_device_filter(self, device_filter: str | list[str]):
-        """
-        Set the device filter.
-
-        Args:
-            device_filter(str): Device filter, name of the device class.
-        """
-        self.validate_device_filter(device_filter)
-        self.config.device_filter = device_filter
-        self._device_filter = device_filter
-
-    def set_default_device(self, default_device: str):
-        """
-        Set the default device.
-
-        Args:
-            default_device(str): Default device name.
-        """
-        self.validate_device(default_device)
-        self.config.default = default_device
-
-    def get_device_list(self, filter: str | list[str] | None = None) -> list[str]:
-        """
-        Get the list of device names based on the filter of current BEC client.
-
-        Args:
-            filter(str|None): Class name filter to apply on the device list.
-
-        Returns:
-            devices(list[str]): List of device names.
-        """
-        all_devices = self.dev.enabled_devices
-        if filter is not None:
-            self.validate_device_filter(filter)
-            if isinstance(filter, str):
-                filter = [filter]
-            devices = [device.name for device in all_devices if device.__class__.__name__ in filter]
-        else:
-            devices = [device.name for device in all_devices]
-        return devices
-
-    def get_available_filters(self):
-        """
-        Get the available device classes which can be used as filters.
-        """
-        all_devices = self.dev.enabled_devices
-        filters = {device.__class__.__name__ for device in all_devices}
-        return filters
-
-    def validate_device_filter(self, filter: str | list[str]) -> None:
-        """
-        Validate the device filter if the class name is present in the current BEC instance.
-
-        Args:
-            filter(str|list[str]): Class name to use as a device filter.
-        """
-        if isinstance(filter, str):
-            filter = [filter]
-        available_filters = self.get_available_filters()
-        for f in filter:
-            if f not in available_filters:
-                raise ValueError(f"Device filter {f} is not valid.")
-
-    def validate_device(self, device: str) -> None:
-        """
-        Validate the device if it is present in current BEC instance.
-
-        Args:
-            device(str): Device to validate.
-        """
-        if device not in self.get_device_list(self.config.device_filter):
-            raise ValueError(f"Device {device} is not valid.")

bec_widgets/widgets/containers/dock/dock.py

@@ -1,25 +1,32 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Literal, Optional
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Literal, Optional, cast
 
+from bec_lib.logger import bec_logger
 from pydantic import Field
 from pyqtgraph.dockarea import Dock, DockLabel
 from qtpy import QtCore, QtGui
 
-from bec_widgets.cli.rpc_wigdet_handler import widget_handler
+from bec_widgets.cli.client_utils import IGNORE_WIDGETS
+from bec_widgets.cli.rpc.rpc_widget_handler import widget_handler
 from bec_widgets.utils import ConnectionConfig, GridLayoutManager
 from bec_widgets.utils.bec_widget import BECWidget
+from bec_widgets.utils.container_utils import WidgetContainerUtils
+
+logger = bec_logger.logger
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from qtpy.QtWidgets import QWidget
 
+    from bec_widgets.widgets.containers.dock.dock_area import BECDockArea
+
 
 class DockConfig(ConnectionConfig):
     widgets: dict[str, Any] = Field({}, description="The widgets in the dock.")
     position: Literal["bottom", "top", "left", "right", "above", "below"] = Field(
         "bottom", description="The position of the dock."
     )
-    parent_dock_area: Optional[str] = Field(
+    parent_dock_area: Optional[str] | None = Field(
         None, description="The GUI ID of parent dock area of the dock."
     )
 
@@ -103,16 +110,17 @@ class BECDock(BECWidget, Dock):
     ICON_NAME = "widgets"
     USER_ACCESS = [
         "_config_dict",
-        "_rpc_id",
-        "widget_list",
+        "element_list",
+        "elements",
+        "new",
+        "show",
+        "hide",
         "show_title_bar",
-        "hide_title_bar",
-        "get_widgets_positions",
         "set_title",
-        "add_widget",
-        "list_eligible_widgets",
-        "move_widget",
-        "remove_widget",
+        "hide_title_bar",
+        "available_widgets",
+        "delete",
+        "delete_all",
         "remove",
         "attach",
         "detach",
@@ -121,7 +129,8 @@ class BECDock(BECWidget, Dock):
     def __init__(
         self,
         parent: QWidget | None = None,
-        parent_dock_area: QWidget | None = None,
+        parent_dock_area: BECDockArea | None = None,
+        parent_id: str | None = None,
         config: DockConfig | None = None,
         name: str | None = None,
         client=None,
@@ -129,21 +138,24 @@ class BECDock(BECWidget, Dock):
         closable: bool = True,
         **kwargs,
     ) -> None:
+
         if config is None:
             config = DockConfig(
-                widget_class=self.__class__.__name__, parent_dock_area=parent_dock_area.gui_id
+                widget_class=self.__class__.__name__,
+                parent_dock_area=parent_dock_area.gui_id if parent_dock_area else None,
             )
         else:
             if isinstance(config, dict):
                 config = DockConfig(**config)
             self.config = config
-        super().__init__(client=client, config=config, gui_id=gui_id)
+        super().__init__(
+            client=client, config=config, gui_id=gui_id, name=name, parent_id=parent_id
+        )  # Name was checked and created in BEC Widget
         label = CustomDockLabel(text=name, closable=closable)
-        Dock.__init__(self, name=name, label=label, **kwargs)
+        Dock.__init__(self, name=name, label=label, parent=self, **kwargs)
         # Dock.__init__(self, name=name, **kwargs)
 
         self.parent_dock_area = parent_dock_area
-
         # Layout Manager
         self.layout_manager = GridLayoutManager(self.layout)
 
@@ -173,7 +185,18 @@ class BECDock(BECWidget, Dock):
             super().float()
 
     @property
-    def widget_list(self) -> list[BECWidget]:
+    def elements(self) -> dict[str, BECWidget]:
+        """
+        Get the widgets in the dock.
+
+        Returns:
+            widgets(dict): The widgets in the dock.
+        """
+        # pylint: disable=protected-access
+        return dict((widget._name, widget) for widget in self.element_list)
+
+    @property
+    def element_list(self) -> list[BECWidget]:
         """
         Get the widgets in the dock.
 
@@ -182,10 +205,6 @@ class BECDock(BECWidget, Dock):
         """
         return self.widgets
 
-    @widget_list.setter
-    def widget_list(self, value: list[BECWidget]):
-        self.widgets = value
-
     def hide_title_bar(self):
         """
         Hide the title bar of the dock.
@@ -194,6 +213,20 @@ class BECDock(BECWidget, Dock):
         self.label.hide()
         self.labelHidden = True
 
+    def show(self):
+        """
+        Show the dock.
+        """
+        super().show()
+        self.show_title_bar()
+
+    def hide(self):
+        """
+        Hide the dock.
+        """
+        self.hide_title_bar()
+        super().hide()
+
     def show_title_bar(self):
         """
         Hide the title bar of the dock.
@@ -211,7 +244,6 @@ class BECDock(BECWidget, Dock):
         """
         self.orig_area.docks[title] = self.orig_area.docks.pop(self.name())
         self.setTitle(title)
-        self._name = title
 
     def get_widgets_positions(self) -> dict:
         """
@@ -222,7 +254,7 @@ class BECDock(BECWidget, Dock):
         """
         return self.layout_manager.get_widgets_positions()
 
-    def list_eligible_widgets(
+    def available_widgets(
         self,
     ) -> list:  # TODO can be moved to some util mixin like container class for rpc widgets
         """
@@ -233,20 +265,30 @@ class BECDock(BECWidget, Dock):
         """
         return list(widget_handler.widget_classes.keys())
 
-    def add_widget(
+    def _get_list_of_widget_name_of_parent_dock_area(self) -> list[str]:
+        if (docks := self.parent_dock_area.panel_list) is None:
+            return []
+        widgets = []
+        for dock in docks:
+            widgets.extend(dock.elements.keys())
+        return widgets
+
+    def new(
         self,
         widget: BECWidget | str,
-        row=None,
-        col=0,
-        rowspan=1,
-        colspan=1,
+        name: str | None = None,
+        row: int | None = None,
+        col: int = 0,
+        rowspan: int = 1,
+        colspan: int = 1,
         shift: Literal["down", "up", "left", "right"] = "down",
     ) -> BECWidget:
         """
         Add a widget to the dock.
 
         Args:
-            widget(QWidget): The widget to add.
+            widget(QWidget): The widget to add. It can not be BECDock or BECDockArea.
+            name(str): The name of the widget.
             row(int): The row to add the widget to. If None, the widget will be added to the next available row.
             col(int): The column to add the widget to.
             rowspan(int): The number of rows the widget should span.
@@ -254,21 +296,46 @@ class BECDock(BECWidget, Dock):
             shift(Literal["down", "up", "left", "right"]): The direction to shift the widgets if the position is occupied.
         """
         if row is None:
+            # row = cast(int, self.layout.rowCount())  # type:ignore
             row = self.layout.rowCount()
+            # row = cast(int, row)
 
         if self.layout_manager.is_position_occupied(row, col):
             self.layout_manager.shift_widgets(shift, start_row=row)
 
+        existing_widgets_parent_dock = self._get_list_of_widget_name_of_parent_dock_area()
+
+        if name is not None:  # Name is provided
+            if name in existing_widgets_parent_dock:
+                # pylint: disable=protected-access
+                raise ValueError(
+                    f"Name {name} must be unique for widgets, but already exists in DockArea "
+                    f"with name: {self.parent_dock_area._name} and id {self.parent_dock_area.gui_id}."
+                )
+        else:  # Name is not provided
+            widget_class_name = widget if isinstance(widget, str) else widget.__class__.__name__
+            name = WidgetContainerUtils.generate_unique_name(
+                name=widget_class_name, list_of_names=existing_widgets_parent_dock
+            )
+        # Check that Widget is not BECDock or BECDockArea
+        widget_class_name = widget if isinstance(widget, str) else widget.__class__.__name__
+        if widget_class_name in IGNORE_WIDGETS:
+            raise ValueError(f"Widget {widget} can not be added to dock.")
+
         if isinstance(widget, str):
-            widget = widget_handler.create_widget(widget)
+            widget = cast(
+                BECWidget,
+                widget_handler.create_widget(
+                    widget_type=widget, name=name, parent_dock=self, parent_id=self.gui_id
+                ),
+            )
         else:
-            widget = widget
+            widget._name = name  # pylint: disable=protected-access
 
         self.addWidget(widget, row=row, col=col, rowspan=rowspan, colspan=colspan)
-
         if hasattr(widget, "config"):
-            self.config.widgets[widget.gui_id] = widget.config
-
+            widget.config.gui_id = widget.gui_id
+            self.config.widgets[widget._name] = widget.config  # pylint: disable=protected-access
         return widget
 
     def move_widget(self, widget: QWidget, new_row: int, new_col: int):
@@ -294,35 +361,66 @@ class BECDock(BECWidget, Dock):
         """
         self.float()
 
-    def remove_widget(self, widget_rpc_id: str):
-        """
-        Remove a widget from the dock.
-
-        Args:
-            widget_rpc_id(str): The ID of the widget to remove.
-        """
-        widget = self.rpc_register.get_rpc_by_id(widget_rpc_id)
-        self.layout.removeWidget(widget)
-        self.config.widgets.pop(widget_rpc_id, None)
-        widget.close()
-
     def remove(self):
         """
         Remove the dock from the parent dock area.
         """
-        # self.cleanup()
-        self.parent_dock_area.remove_dock(self.name())
+        self.parent_dock_area.delete(self._name)
+
+    def delete(self, widget_name: str) -> None:
+        """
+        Remove a widget from the dock.
+
+        Args:
+            widget_name(str): Delete the widget with the given name.
+        """
+        # pylint: disable=protected-access
+        widgets = [widget for widget in self.widgets if widget._name == widget_name]
+        if len(widgets) == 0:
+            logger.warning(
+                f"Widget with name {widget_name} not found in dock {self.name()}. "
+                f"Checking if gui_id was passed as widget_name."
+            )
+            # Try to find the widget in the RPC register, maybe the gui_id was passed as widget_name
+            widget = self.rpc_register.get_rpc_by_id(widget_name)
+            if widget is None:
+                logger.warning(
+                    f"Widget not found for name or gui_id: {widget_name} in dock {self.name()}"
+                )
+                return
+        else:
+            widget = widgets[0]
+        self.layout.removeWidget(widget)
+        self.config.widgets.pop(widget._name, None)
+        if widget in self.widgets:
+            self.widgets.remove(widget)
+        widget.close()
+
+    def delete_all(self):
+        """
+        Remove all widgets from the dock.
+        """
+        for widget in self.widgets:
+            self.delete(widget._name)  # pylint: disable=protected-access
 
     def cleanup(self):
         """
         Clean up the dock, including all its widgets.
         """
-        for widget in self.widgets:
-            if hasattr(widget, "cleanup"):
-                widget.cleanup()
+        # # FIXME Cleanup might be called twice
+        try:
+            logger.info(f"Cleaning up dock {self.name()}")
+            self.label.close()
+            self.label.deleteLater()
+        except Exception as e:
+            logger.error(f"Error while closing dock label: {e}")
+
+        # Remove the dock from the parent dock area
+        if self.parent_dock_area:
+            self.parent_dock_area.dock_area.docks.pop(self.name(), None)
+            self.parent_dock_area.config.docks.pop(self.name(), None)
+        self.delete_all()
         self.widgets.clear()
-        self.label.close()
-        self.label.deleteLater()
         super().cleanup()
 
     def close(self):
@@ -332,4 +430,15 @@ class BECDock(BECWidget, Dock):
         """
         self.cleanup()
         super().close()
-        self.parent_dock_area.dock_area.docks.pop(self.name(), None)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":  # pragma: no cover
+    import sys
+
+    from qtpy.QtWidgets import QApplication
+
+    app = QApplication([])
+    dock = BECDock(name="dock")
+    dock.show()
+    app.exec_()
+    sys.exit(app.exec_())

bec_widgets/widgets/containers/dock/dock_area.py

@@ -3,32 +3,40 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 from typing import Literal, Optional
 from weakref import WeakValueDictionary
 
+from bec_lib.endpoints import MessageEndpoints
+from bec_lib.logger import bec_logger
 from pydantic import Field
 from pyqtgraph.dockarea.DockArea import DockArea
-from qtpy.QtCore import Qt
+from qtpy.QtCore import QSize, Qt
 from qtpy.QtGui import QPainter, QPaintEvent
-from qtpy.QtWidgets import QSizePolicy, QVBoxLayout, QWidget
+from qtpy.QtWidgets import QApplication, QSizePolicy, QVBoxLayout, QWidget
 
-from bec_widgets.qt_utils.error_popups import SafeSlot
-from bec_widgets.qt_utils.toolbar import (
+from bec_widgets.cli.rpc.rpc_register import RPCRegister
+from bec_widgets.utils import ConnectionConfig, WidgetContainerUtils
+from bec_widgets.utils.bec_widget import BECWidget
+from bec_widgets.utils.error_popups import SafeSlot
+from bec_widgets.utils.toolbar import (
     ExpandableMenuAction,
     MaterialIconAction,
     ModularToolBar,
     SeparatorAction,
 )
-from bec_widgets.utils import ConnectionConfig, WidgetContainerUtils
-from bec_widgets.utils.bec_widget import BECWidget
-from bec_widgets.widgets.bec_queue.bec_queue import BECQueue
-from bec_widgets.widgets.bec_status_box.bec_status_box import BECStatusBox
-from bec_widgets.widgets.dark_mode_button.dark_mode_button import DarkModeButton
-from bec_widgets.widgets.dock.dock import BECDock, DockConfig
-from bec_widgets.widgets.image.image_widget import BECImageWidget
-from bec_widgets.widgets.motor_map.motor_map_widget import BECMotorMapWidget
-from bec_widgets.widgets.positioner_box.positioner_box import PositionerBox
-from bec_widgets.widgets.ring_progress_bar.ring_progress_bar import RingProgressBar
-from bec_widgets.widgets.scan_control.scan_control import ScanControl
-from bec_widgets.widgets.vscode.vscode import VSCodeEditor
-from bec_widgets.widgets.waveform.waveform_widget import BECWaveformWidget
+from bec_widgets.widgets.containers.dock.dock import BECDock, DockConfig
+from bec_widgets.widgets.control.device_control.positioner_box import PositionerBox
+from bec_widgets.widgets.control.scan_control.scan_control import ScanControl
+from bec_widgets.widgets.editors.vscode.vscode import VSCodeEditor
+from bec_widgets.widgets.plots.image.image import Image
+from bec_widgets.widgets.plots.motor_map.motor_map import MotorMap
+from bec_widgets.widgets.plots.multi_waveform.multi_waveform import MultiWaveform
+from bec_widgets.widgets.plots.scatter_waveform.scatter_waveform import ScatterWaveform
+from bec_widgets.widgets.plots.waveform.waveform import Waveform
+from bec_widgets.widgets.progress.ring_progress_bar.ring_progress_bar import RingProgressBar
+from bec_widgets.widgets.services.bec_queue.bec_queue import BECQueue
+from bec_widgets.widgets.services.bec_status_box.bec_status_box import BECStatusBox
+from bec_widgets.widgets.utility.logpanel.logpanel import LogPanel
+from bec_widgets.widgets.utility.visual.dark_mode_button.dark_mode_button import DarkModeButton
+
+logger = bec_logger.logger
 
 
 class DockAreaConfig(ConnectionConfig):
@@ -39,18 +47,24 @@ class DockAreaConfig(ConnectionConfig):
 
 
 class BECDockArea(BECWidget, QWidget):
+    PLUGIN = True
     USER_ACCESS = [
+        "_rpc_id",
         "_config_dict",
+        "_get_all_rpc",
+        "new",
+        "show",
+        "hide",
         "panels",
-        "save_state",
-        "remove_dock",
-        "restore_state",
-        "add_dock",
-        "clear_all",
+        "panel_list",
+        "delete",
+        "delete_all",
+        "remove",
         "detach_dock",
         "attach_all",
-        "_get_all_rpc",
-        "temp_areas",
+        "selected_device",
+        "save_state",
+        "restore_state",
     ]
 
     def __init__(
@@ -59,6 +73,8 @@ class BECDockArea(BECWidget, QWidget):
         config: DockAreaConfig | None = None,
         client=None,
         gui_id: str = None,
+        name: str | None = None,
+        **kwargs,
     ) -> None:
         if config is None:
             config = DockAreaConfig(widget_class=self.__class__.__name__)
@@ -66,8 +82,9 @@ class BECDockArea(BECWidget, QWidget):
             if isinstance(config, dict):
                 config = DockAreaConfig(**config)
             self.config = config
-        super().__init__(client=client, config=config, gui_id=gui_id)
+        super().__init__(client=client, config=config, gui_id=gui_id, name=name, **kwargs)
         QWidget.__init__(self, parent=parent)
+        self._parent = parent
         self.layout = QVBoxLayout(self)
         self.layout.setSpacing(5)
         self.layout.setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0)
@@ -81,17 +98,23 @@ class BECDockArea(BECWidget, QWidget):
                     label="Add Plot ",
                     actions={
                         "waveform": MaterialIconAction(
-                            icon_name=BECWaveformWidget.ICON_NAME,
-                            tooltip="Add Waveform",
+                            icon_name=Waveform.ICON_NAME, tooltip="Add Waveform", filled=True
+                        ),
+                        "scatter_waveform": MaterialIconAction(
+                            icon_name=ScatterWaveform.ICON_NAME,
+                            tooltip="Add Scatter Waveform",
+                            filled=True,
+                        ),
+                        "multi_waveform": MaterialIconAction(
+                            icon_name=MultiWaveform.ICON_NAME,
+                            tooltip="Add Multi Waveform",
                             filled=True,
                         ),
                         "image": MaterialIconAction(
-                            icon_name=BECImageWidget.ICON_NAME, tooltip="Add Image", filled=True
+                            icon_name=Image.ICON_NAME, tooltip="Add Image", filled=True
                         ),
                         "motor_map": MaterialIconAction(
-                            icon_name=BECMotorMapWidget.ICON_NAME,
-                            tooltip="Add Motor Map",
-                            filled=True,
+                            icon_name=MotorMap.ICON_NAME, tooltip="Add Motor Map", filled=True
                         ),
                     },
                 ),
@@ -127,6 +150,9 @@ class BECDockArea(BECWidget, QWidget):
                             tooltip="Add Circular ProgressBar",
                             filled=True,
                         ),
+                        "log_panel": MaterialIconAction(
+                            icon_name=LogPanel.ICON_NAME, tooltip="Add LogPanel", filled=True
+                        ),
                     },
                 ),
                 "separator_2": SeparatorAction(),
@@ -149,38 +175,50 @@ class BECDockArea(BECWidget, QWidget):
         self.toolbar.addWidget(DarkModeButton(toolbar=True))
         self._hook_toolbar()
 
+    def minimumSizeHint(self):
+        return QSize(800, 600)
+
     def _hook_toolbar(self):
         # Menu Plot
         self.toolbar.widgets["menu_plots"].widgets["waveform"].triggered.connect(
-            lambda: self.add_dock(widget="BECWaveformWidget", prefix="waveform")
+            lambda: self._create_widget_from_toolbar(widget_name="Waveform")
+        )
+        self.toolbar.widgets["menu_plots"].widgets["scatter_waveform"].triggered.connect(
+            lambda: self._create_widget_from_toolbar(widget_name="ScatterWaveform")
+        )
+        self.toolbar.widgets["menu_plots"].widgets["multi_waveform"].triggered.connect(
+            lambda: self._create_widget_from_toolbar(widget_name="MultiWaveform")
         )
         self.toolbar.widgets["menu_plots"].widgets["image"].triggered.connect(
-            lambda: self.add_dock(widget="BECImageWidget", prefix="image")
+            lambda: self._create_widget_from_toolbar(widget_name="Image")
         )
         self.toolbar.widgets["menu_plots"].widgets["motor_map"].triggered.connect(
-            lambda: self.add_dock(widget="BECMotorMapWidget", prefix="motor_map")
+            lambda: self._create_widget_from_toolbar(widget_name="MotorMap")
         )
 
         # Menu Devices
         self.toolbar.widgets["menu_devices"].widgets["scan_control"].triggered.connect(
-            lambda: self.add_dock(widget="ScanControl", prefix="scan_control")
+            lambda: self._create_widget_from_toolbar(widget_name="ScanControl")
         )
         self.toolbar.widgets["menu_devices"].widgets["positioner_box"].triggered.connect(
-            lambda: self.add_dock(widget="PositionerBox", prefix="positioner_box")
+            lambda: self._create_widget_from_toolbar(widget_name="PositionerBox")
         )
 
         # Menu Utils
         self.toolbar.widgets["menu_utils"].widgets["queue"].triggered.connect(
-            lambda: self.add_dock(widget="BECQueue", prefix="queue")
+            lambda: self._create_widget_from_toolbar(widget_name="BECQueue")
         )
         self.toolbar.widgets["menu_utils"].widgets["status"].triggered.connect(
-            lambda: self.add_dock(widget="BECStatusBox", prefix="status")
+            lambda: self._create_widget_from_toolbar(widget_name="BECStatusBox")
         )
         self.toolbar.widgets["menu_utils"].widgets["vs_code"].triggered.connect(
-            lambda: self.add_dock(widget="VSCodeEditor", prefix="vs_code")
+            lambda: self._create_widget_from_toolbar(widget_name="VSCodeEditor")
         )
         self.toolbar.widgets["menu_utils"].widgets["progress_bar"].triggered.connect(
-            lambda: self.add_dock(widget="RingProgressBar", prefix="progress_bar")
+            lambda: self._create_widget_from_toolbar(widget_name="RingProgressBar")
+        )
+        self.toolbar.widgets["menu_utils"].widgets["log_panel"].triggered.connect(
+            lambda: self._create_widget_from_toolbar(widget_name="LogPanel")
         )
 
         # Icons
@@ -188,6 +226,13 @@ class BECDockArea(BECWidget, QWidget):
         self.toolbar.widgets["save_state"].action.triggered.connect(self.save_state)
         self.toolbar.widgets["restore_state"].action.triggered.connect(self.restore_state)
 
+    @SafeSlot()
+    def _create_widget_from_toolbar(self, widget_name: str) -> None:
+        # Run with RPC broadcast to namespace of all widgets
+        with RPCRegister.delayed_broadcast():
+            dock_name = WidgetContainerUtils.generate_unique_name(widget_name, self.panels.keys())
+            self.new(name=dock_name, widget=widget_name)
+
     def paintEvent(self, event: QPaintEvent):  # TODO decide if we want any default instructions
         super().paintEvent(event)
         if self._instructions_visible:
@@ -195,9 +240,20 @@ class BECDockArea(BECWidget, QWidget):
             painter.drawText(
                 self.rect(),
                 Qt.AlignCenter,
-                "Add docks using 'add_dock' method from CLI\n or \n Add widget docks using the toolbar",
+                "Add docks using 'new' method from CLI\n or \n Add widget docks using the toolbar",
             )
 
+    @property
+    def selected_device(self) -> str:
+        gui_id = QApplication.instance().gui_id
+        auto_update_config = self.client.connector.get(
+            MessageEndpoints.gui_auto_update_config(gui_id)
+        )
+        try:
+            return auto_update_config.selected_device
+        except AttributeError:
+            return None
+
     @property
     def panels(self) -> dict[str, BECDock]:
         """
@@ -209,7 +265,17 @@ class BECDockArea(BECWidget, QWidget):
 
     @panels.setter
     def panels(self, value: dict[str, BECDock]):
-        self.dock_area.docks = WeakValueDictionary(value)
+        self.dock_area.docks = WeakValueDictionary(value)  # This can not work can it?
+
+    @property
+    def panel_list(self) -> list[BECDock]:
+        """
+        Get the docks in the dock area.
+
+        Returns:
+            list: The docks in the dock area.
+        """
+        return list(self.dock_area.docks.values())
 
     @property
     def temp_areas(self) -> list:
@@ -253,36 +319,17 @@ class BECDockArea(BECWidget, QWidget):
         self.config.docks_state = last_state
         return last_state
 
-    def remove_dock(self, name: str):
-        """
-        Remove a dock by name and ensure it is properly closed and cleaned up.
-
-        Args:
-            name(str): The name of the dock to remove.
-        """
-        dock = self.dock_area.docks.pop(name, None)
-        self.config.docks.pop(name, None)
-        if dock:
-            dock.close()
-            dock.deleteLater()
-            if len(self.dock_area.docks) <= 1:
-                for dock in self.dock_area.docks.values():
-                    dock.hide_title_bar()
-
-        else:
-            raise ValueError(f"Dock with name {name} does not exist.")
-
     @SafeSlot(popup_error=True)
-    def add_dock(
+    def new(
         self,
-        name: str = None,
-        position: Literal["bottom", "top", "left", "right", "above", "below"] = None,
+        name: str | None = None,
+        widget: str | QWidget | None = None,
+        widget_name: str | None = None,
+        position: Literal["bottom", "top", "left", "right", "above", "below"] = "bottom",
         relative_to: BECDock | None = None,
         closable: bool = True,
         floating: bool = False,
-        prefix: str = "dock",
-        widget: str | QWidget | None = None,
-        row: int = None,
+        row: int | None = None,
         col: int = 0,
         rowspan: int = 1,
         colspan: int = 1,
@@ -292,12 +339,11 @@ class BECDockArea(BECWidget, QWidget):
 
         Args:
             name(str): The name of the dock to be displayed and for further references. Has to be unique.
+            widget(str|QWidget|None): The widget to be added to the dock. While using RPC, only BEC RPC widgets from RPCWidgetHandler are allowed.
             position(Literal["bottom", "top", "left", "right", "above", "below"]): The position of the dock.
             relative_to(BECDock): The dock to which the new dock should be added relative to.
             closable(bool): Whether the dock is closable.
             floating(bool): Whether the dock is detached after creating.
-            prefix(str): The prefix for the dock name if no name is provided.
-            widget(str|QWidget|None): The widget to be added to the dock. While using RPC, only BEC RPC widgets from RPCWidgetHandler are allowed.
             row(int): The row of the added widget.
             col(int): The column of the added widget.
             rowspan(int): The rowspan of the added widget.
@@ -306,21 +352,20 @@ class BECDockArea(BECWidget, QWidget):
         Returns:
             BECDock: The created dock.
         """
-        if name is None:
-            name = WidgetContainerUtils.generate_unique_widget_id(
-                container=self.dock_area.docks, prefix=prefix
-            )
+        dock_names = [dock._name for dock in self.panel_list]  # pylint: disable=protected-access
+        if name is not None:  # Name is provided
+            if name in dock_names:
+                raise ValueError(
+                    f"Name {name} must be unique for docks, but already exists in DockArea "
+                    f"with name: {self._name} and id {self.gui_id}."
+                )
+        else:  # Name is not provided
+            name = WidgetContainerUtils.generate_unique_name(name="dock", list_of_names=dock_names)
 
-        if name in set(self.dock_area.docks.keys()):
-            raise ValueError(f"Dock with name {name} already exists.")
-
-        if position is None:
-            position = "bottom"
-
-        dock = BECDock(name=name, parent_dock_area=self, closable=closable)
+        dock = BECDock(name=name, parent_dock_area=self, parent_id=self.gui_id, closable=closable)
         dock.config.position = position
-        self.config.docks[name] = dock.config
-
+        self.config.docks[dock.name()] = dock.config
+        # The dock.name is equal to the name passed to BECDock
         self.dock_area.addDock(dock=dock, position=position, relativeTo=relative_to)
 
         if len(self.dock_area.docks) <= 1:
@@ -329,10 +374,11 @@ class BECDockArea(BECWidget, QWidget):
             for dock in self.dock_area.docks.values():
                 dock.show_title_bar()
 
-        if widget is not None and isinstance(widget, str):
-            dock.add_widget(widget=widget, row=row, col=col, rowspan=rowspan, colspan=colspan)
-        elif widget is not None and isinstance(widget, QWidget):
-            dock.addWidget(widget, row=row, col=col, rowspan=rowspan, colspan=colspan)
+        if widget is not None:
+            # Check if widget name exists.
+            dock.new(
+                widget=widget, name=widget_name, row=row, col=col, rowspan=rowspan, colspan=colspan
+            )
         if (
             self._instructions_visible
         ):  # TODO still decide how initial instructions should be handled
@@ -370,46 +416,90 @@ class BECDockArea(BECWidget, QWidget):
         Remove a temporary area from the dock area.
         This is a patched method of pyqtgraph's removeTempArea
         """
+        if area not in self.dock_area.tempAreas:
+            # FIXME add some context for the logging, I am not sure which object is passed.
+            # It looks like a pyqtgraph.DockArea
+            logger.info(f"Attempted to remove dock_area, but was not floating.")
+            return
         self.dock_area.tempAreas.remove(area)
         area.window().close()
         area.window().deleteLater()
 
-    def clear_all(self):
-        """
-        Close all docks and remove all temp areas.
-        """
-        self.attach_all()
-        for dock in dict(self.dock_area.docks).values():
-            dock.remove()
-        self.dock_area.docks.clear()
-
     def cleanup(self):
         """
         Cleanup the dock area.
         """
-        self.clear_all()
+        self.delete_all()
         self.toolbar.close()
         self.toolbar.deleteLater()
         self.dock_area.close()
         self.dock_area.deleteLater()
         super().cleanup()
 
-    def close(self):
+    def show(self):
+        """Show all windows including floating docks."""
+        super().show()
+        for docks in self.panels.values():
+            if docks.window() is self:
+                # avoid recursion
+                continue
+            docks.window().show()
+
+    def hide(self):
+        """Hide all windows including floating docks."""
+        super().hide()
+        for docks in self.panels.values():
+            if docks.window() is self:
+                # avoid recursion
+                continue
+            docks.window().hide()
+
+    def delete_all(self) -> None:
         """
-        Close the dock area and cleanup.
-        Has to be implemented to overwrite pyqtgraph event accept in Container close.
+        Delete all docks.
         """
-        self.cleanup()
-        super().close()
+        self.attach_all()
+        for dock_name in self.panels.keys():
+            self.delete(dock_name)
+
+    def delete(self, dock_name: str):
+        """
+        Delete a dock by name.
+
+        Args:
+            dock_name(str): The name of the dock to delete.
+        """
+        dock = self.dock_area.docks.pop(dock_name, None)
+        self.config.docks.pop(dock_name, None)
+        if dock:
+            dock.close()
+            dock.deleteLater()
+            if len(self.dock_area.docks) <= 1:
+                for dock in self.dock_area.docks.values():
+                    dock.hide_title_bar()
+        else:
+            raise ValueError(f"Dock with name {dock_name} does not exist.")
+        # self._broadcast_update()
+
+    def remove(self) -> None:
+        """Remove the dock area."""
+        self.close()
 
 
-if __name__ == "__main__":
-    from qtpy.QtWidgets import QApplication
+if __name__ == "__main__":  # pragma: no cover
+
+    import sys
 
     from bec_widgets.utils.colors import set_theme
 
     app = QApplication([])
     set_theme("auto")
     dock_area = BECDockArea()
+    dock_1 = dock_area.new(name="dock_0", widget="Waveform")
+    # dock_1 = dock_area.new(name="dock_0", widget="Waveform")
+    dock_area.new(widget="Waveform")
     dock_area.show()
+    dock_area.setGeometry(100, 100, 800, 600)
+    app.topLevelWidgets()
     app.exec_()
+    sys.exit(app.exec_())

bec_widgets/widgets/containers/dock/dock_area_plugin.py

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from qtpy.QtDesigner import QDesignerCustomWidgetInterface
 
 import bec_widgets
 from bec_widgets.utils.bec_designer import designer_material_icon
-from bec_widgets.widgets.dock import BECDockArea
+from bec_widgets.widgets.containers.dock import BECDockArea
 
 DOM_XML = """
 <ui language='c++'>

bec_widgets/widgets/containers/dock/register_dock_area.py

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ def main():  # pragma: no cover
         return
     from PySide6.QtDesigner import QPyDesignerCustomWidgetCollection
 
-    from bec_widgets.widgets.dock.dock_area_plugin import BECDockAreaPlugin
+    from bec_widgets.widgets.containers.dock.dock_area_plugin import BECDockAreaPlugin
 
     QPyDesignerCustomWidgetCollection.addCustomWidget(BECDockAreaPlugin())
 

bec_widgets/widgets/containers/layout_manager/layout_manager.py

@@ -0,0 +1,882 @@
+import math
+import sys
+from typing import Dict, Literal, Optional, Set, Tuple, Union
+
+from qtpy.QtWidgets import (
+    QApplication,
+    QComboBox,
+    QGridLayout,
+    QGroupBox,
+    QHBoxLayout,
+    QLabel,
+    QLineEdit,
+    QMainWindow,
+    QMessageBox,
+    QPushButton,
+    QSpinBox,
+    QSplitter,
+    QVBoxLayout,
+    QWidget,
+)
+from typeguard import typechecked
+
+from bec_widgets.cli.rpc.rpc_widget_handler import widget_handler
+
+
+class LayoutManagerWidget(QWidget):
+    """
+    A robust layout manager that extends QGridLayout functionality, allowing
+    users to add/remove widgets, access widgets by coordinates, shift widgets,
+    and change the layout dynamically with automatic reindexing to keep the grid compact.
+
+    Supports adding widgets via QWidget instances or string identifiers referencing the widget handler.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, parent=None, auto_reindex=True):
+        super().__init__(parent)
+        self.setObjectName("LayoutManagerWidget")
+        self.layout = QGridLayout(self)
+        self.auto_reindex = auto_reindex
+
+        # Mapping from widget to its position (row, col, rowspan, colspan)
+        self.widget_positions: Dict[QWidget, Tuple[int, int, int, int]] = {}
+
+        # Mapping from (row, col) to widget
+        self.position_widgets: Dict[Tuple[int, int], QWidget] = {}
+
+        # Keep track of the current position for automatic placement
+        self.current_row = 0
+        self.current_col = 0
+
+    def add_widget(
+        self,
+        widget: QWidget | str,
+        row: int | None = None,
+        col: Optional[int] = None,
+        rowspan: int = 1,
+        colspan: int = 1,
+        shift_existing: bool = True,
+        shift_direction: Literal["down", "up", "left", "right"] = "right",
+    ) -> QWidget:
+        """
+        Add a widget to the grid with enhanced shifting capabilities.
+
+        Args:
+            widget (QWidget | str): The widget to add. If str, it is used to create a widget via widget_handler.
+            row (int, optional): The row to add the widget to. If None, the next available row is used.
+            col (int, optional): The column to add the widget to. If None, the next available column is used.
+            rowspan (int): Number of rows the widget spans. Default is 1.
+            colspan (int): Number of columns the widget spans. Default is 1.
+            shift_existing (bool): Whether to shift existing widgets if the target position is occupied. Default is True.
+            shift_direction (Literal["down", "up", "left", "right"]): Direction to shift existing widgets. Default is "right".
+
+        Returns:
+            QWidget: The widget that was added.
+        """
+        # Handle widget creation if a BECWidget string identifier is provided
+        if isinstance(widget, str):
+            widget = widget_handler.create_widget(widget)
+
+        if row is None:
+            row = self.current_row
+        if col is None:
+            col = self.current_col
+
+        if (row, col) in self.position_widgets:
+            if shift_existing:
+                # Attempt to shift the existing widget in the specified direction
+                self.shift_widgets(direction=shift_direction, start_row=row, start_col=col)
+            else:
+                raise ValueError(f"Position ({row}, {col}) is already occupied.")
+
+            # Add the widget to the layout
+        self.layout.addWidget(widget, row, col, rowspan, colspan)
+        self.widget_positions[widget] = (row, col, rowspan, colspan)
+        self.position_widgets[(row, col)] = widget
+
+        # Update current position for automatic placement
+        self.current_col = col + colspan
+        self.current_row = max(self.current_row, row)
+
+        if self.auto_reindex:
+            self.reindex_grid()
+
+        return widget
+
+    def add_widget_relative(
+        self,
+        widget: QWidget | str,
+        reference_widget: QWidget,
+        position: Literal["left", "right", "top", "bottom"],
+        rowspan: int = 1,
+        colspan: int = 1,
+        shift_existing: bool = True,
+        shift_direction: Literal["down", "up", "left", "right"] = "right",
+    ) -> QWidget:
+        """
+        Add a widget relative to an existing widget.
+
+        Args:
+            widget (QWidget | str): The widget to add. If str, it is used to create a widget via widget_handler.
+            reference_widget (QWidget): The widget relative to which the new widget will be placed.
+            position (Literal["left", "right", "top", "bottom"]): Position relative to the reference widget.
+            rowspan (int): Number of rows the widget spans. Default is 1.
+            colspan (int): Number of columns the widget spans. Default is 1.
+            shift_existing (bool): Whether to shift existing widgets if the target position is occupied.
+            shift_direction (Literal["down", "up", "left", "right"]): Direction to shift existing widgets.
+
+        Returns:
+            QWidget: The widget that was added.
+
+        Raises:
+            ValueError: If the reference widget is not found.
+        """
+        if reference_widget not in self.widget_positions:
+            raise ValueError("Reference widget not found in layout.")
+
+        ref_row, ref_col, ref_rowspan, ref_colspan = self.widget_positions[reference_widget]
+
+        # Determine new widget position based on the specified relative position
+        if position == "left":
+            new_row = ref_row
+            new_col = ref_col - 1
+        elif position == "right":
+            new_row = ref_row
+            new_col = ref_col + ref_colspan
+        elif position == "top":
+            new_row = ref_row - 1
+            new_col = ref_col
+        elif position == "bottom":
+            new_row = ref_row + ref_rowspan
+            new_col = ref_col
+        else:
+            raise ValueError("Invalid position. Choose from 'left', 'right', 'top', 'bottom'.")
+
+        # Add the widget at the calculated position
+        return self.add_widget(
+            widget=widget,
+            row=new_row,
+            col=new_col,
+            rowspan=rowspan,
+            colspan=colspan,
+            shift_existing=shift_existing,
+            shift_direction=shift_direction,
+        )
+
+    def move_widget_by_coords(
+        self,
+        current_row: int,
+        current_col: int,
+        new_row: int,
+        new_col: int,
+        shift: bool = True,
+        shift_direction: Literal["down", "up", "left", "right"] = "right",
+    ) -> None:
+        """
+        Move a widget from (current_row, current_col) to (new_row, new_col).
+
+        Args:
+            current_row (int): Current row of the widget.
+            current_col (int): Current column of the widget.
+            new_row (int): Target row.
+            new_col (int): Target column.
+            shift (bool): Whether to shift existing widgets if the target position is occupied.
+            shift_direction (Literal["down", "up", "left", "right"]): Direction to shift existing widgets.
+
+        Raises:
+            ValueError: If the widget is not found or target position is invalid.
+        """
+        self.move_widget(
+            old_row=current_row,
+            old_col=current_col,
+            new_row=new_row,
+            new_col=new_col,
+            shift=shift,
+            shift_direction=shift_direction,
+        )
+
+    @typechecked
+    def move_widget_by_object(
+        self,
+        widget: QWidget,
+        new_row: int,
+        new_col: int,
+        shift: bool = True,
+        shift_direction: Literal["down", "up", "left", "right"] = "right",
+    ) -> None:
+        """
+        Move a widget to a new position using the widget object.
+
+        Args:
+            widget (QWidget): The widget to move.
+            new_row (int): Target row.
+            new_col (int): Target column.
+            shift (bool): Whether to shift existing widgets if the target position is occupied.
+            shift_direction (Literal["down", "up", "left", "right"]): Direction to shift existing widgets.
+
+        Raises:
+            ValueError: If the widget is not found or target position is invalid.
+        """
+        if widget not in self.widget_positions:
+            raise ValueError("Widget not found in layout.")
+
+        old_position = self.widget_positions[widget]
+        old_row, old_col = old_position[0], old_position[1]
+
+        self.move_widget(
+            old_row=old_row,
+            old_col=old_col,
+            new_row=new_row,
+            new_col=new_col,
+            shift=shift,
+            shift_direction=shift_direction,
+        )
+
+    @typechecked
+    def move_widget(
+        self,
+        old_row: int | None = None,
+        old_col: int | None = None,
+        new_row: int | None = None,
+        new_col: int | None = None,
+        shift: bool = True,
+        shift_direction: Literal["down", "up", "left", "right"] = "right",
+    ) -> None:
+        """
+        Move a widget to a new position. If the new position is occupied and shift is True,
+        shift the existing widget to the specified direction.
+
+        Args:
+            old_row (int, optional): The current row of the widget.
+            old_col (int, optional): The current column of the widget.
+            new_row (int, optional): The target row to move the widget to.
+            new_col (int, optional): The target column to move the widget to.
+            shift (bool): Whether to shift existing widgets if the target position is occupied.
+            shift_direction (Literal["down", "up", "left", "right"]): Direction to shift existing widgets.
+
+        Raises:
+            ValueError: If the widget is not found or target position is invalid.
+        """
+        if new_row is None or new_col is None:
+            raise ValueError("Must provide both new_row and new_col to move a widget.")
+
+        if old_row is None and old_col is None:
+            raise ValueError(f"No widget found at position ({old_row}, {old_col}).")
+        widget = self.get_widget(old_row, old_col)
+
+        if (new_row, new_col) in self.position_widgets:
+            if not shift:
+                raise ValueError(f"Position ({new_row}, {new_col}) is already occupied.")
+            # Shift the existing widget to make space
+            self.shift_widgets(
+                direction=shift_direction,
+                start_row=new_row if shift_direction in ["down", "up"] else 0,
+                start_col=new_col if shift_direction in ["left", "right"] else 0,
+            )
+
+        # Proceed to move the widget
+        self.layout.removeWidget(widget)
+        old_position = self.widget_positions.pop(widget)
+        self.position_widgets.pop((old_position[0], old_position[1]))
+
+        self.layout.addWidget(widget, new_row, new_col, old_position[2], old_position[3])
+        self.widget_positions[widget] = (new_row, new_col, old_position[2], old_position[3])
+        self.position_widgets[(new_row, new_col)] = widget
+
+        # Update current_row and current_col for automatic placement if needed
+        self.current_row = max(self.current_row, new_row)
+        self.current_col = max(self.current_col, new_col + old_position[3])
+
+        if self.auto_reindex:
+            self.reindex_grid()
+
+    @typechecked
+    def shift_widgets(
+        self,
+        direction: Literal["down", "up", "left", "right"],
+        start_row: int = 0,
+        start_col: int = 0,
+    ) -> None:
+        """
+        Shift widgets in the grid in the specified direction starting from the given position.
+
+        Args:
+            direction (Literal["down", "up", "left", "right"]): Direction to shift widgets.
+            start_row (int): Starting row index.
+            start_col (int): Starting column index.
+
+        Raises:
+            ValueError: If shifting causes widgets to go out of grid boundaries.
+        """
+        shifts = []
+        positions_to_shift = [(start_row, start_col)]
+        visited_positions = set()
+
+        while positions_to_shift:
+            row, col = positions_to_shift.pop(0)
+            if (row, col) in visited_positions:
+                continue
+            visited_positions.add((row, col))
+
+            widget = self.position_widgets.get((row, col))
+            if widget is None:
+                continue  # No widget at this position
+
+            # Compute new position based on the direction
+            if direction == "down":
+                new_row = row + 1
+                new_col = col
+            elif direction == "up":
+                new_row = row - 1
+                new_col = col
+            elif direction == "right":
+                new_row = row
+                new_col = col + 1
+            elif direction == "left":
+                new_row = row
+                new_col = col - 1
+
+            # Check for negative indices
+            if new_row < 0 or new_col < 0:
+                raise ValueError("Shifting widgets out of grid boundaries.")
+
+            # If the new position is occupied, add it to the positions to shift
+            if (new_row, new_col) in self.position_widgets:
+                positions_to_shift.append((new_row, new_col))
+
+            shifts.append(
+                (widget, (row, col), (new_row, new_col), self.widget_positions[widget][2:])
+            )
+
+        # Remove all widgets from their old positions
+        for widget, (old_row, old_col), _, _ in shifts:
+            self.layout.removeWidget(widget)
+            self.position_widgets.pop((old_row, old_col))
+
+        # Add widgets to their new positions
+        for widget, _, (new_row, new_col), (rowspan, colspan) in shifts:
+            self.layout.addWidget(widget, new_row, new_col, rowspan, colspan)
+            self.widget_positions[widget] = (new_row, new_col, rowspan, colspan)
+            self.position_widgets[(new_row, new_col)] = widget
+
+            # Update current_row and current_col if needed
+            self.current_row = max(self.current_row, new_row)
+            self.current_col = max(self.current_col, new_col + colspan)
+
+    def shift_all_widgets(self, direction: Literal["down", "up", "left", "right"]) -> None:
+        """
+        Shift all widgets in the grid in the specified direction to make room and prevent negative indices.
+
+        Args:
+            direction (Literal["down", "up", "left", "right"]): Direction to shift all widgets.
+        """
+        # First, collect all the shifts to perform
+        shifts = []
+        for widget, (row, col, rowspan, colspan) in self.widget_positions.items():
+
+            if direction == "down":
+                new_row = row + 1
+                new_col = col
+            elif direction == "up":
+                new_row = row - 1
+                new_col = col
+            elif direction == "right":
+                new_row = row
+                new_col = col + 1
+            elif direction == "left":
+                new_row = row
+                new_col = col - 1
+
+            # Check for negative indices
+            if new_row < 0 or new_col < 0:
+                raise ValueError("Shifting widgets out of grid boundaries.")
+
+            shifts.append((widget, (row, col), (new_row, new_col), (rowspan, colspan)))
+
+        # Now perform the shifts
+        for widget, (old_row, old_col), (new_row, new_col), (rowspan, colspan) in shifts:
+            self.layout.removeWidget(widget)
+            self.position_widgets.pop((old_row, old_col))
+
+        for widget, (old_row, old_col), (new_row, new_col), (rowspan, colspan) in shifts:
+            self.layout.addWidget(widget, new_row, new_col, rowspan, colspan)
+            self.widget_positions[widget] = (new_row, new_col, rowspan, colspan)
+            self.position_widgets[(new_row, new_col)] = widget
+
+        # Update current_row and current_col based on new widget positions
+        self.current_row = max((pos[0] for pos in self.position_widgets.keys()), default=0)
+        self.current_col = max((pos[1] for pos in self.position_widgets.keys()), default=0)
+
+    def remove(
+        self,
+        row: int | None = None,
+        col: int | None = None,
+        coordinates: Tuple[int, int] | None = None,
+    ) -> None:
+        """
+        Remove a widget from the layout. Can be removed by widget ID or by coordinates.
+
+        Args:
+            row (int, optional): The row coordinate of the widget to remove.
+            col (int, optional): The column coordinate of the widget to remove.
+            coordinates (tuple[int, int], optional): The (row, col) coordinates of the widget to remove.
+
+        Raises:
+            ValueError: If the widget to remove is not found.
+        """
+        if coordinates:
+            row, col = coordinates
+            widget = self.get_widget(row, col)
+            if widget is None:
+                raise ValueError(f"No widget found at coordinates {coordinates}.")
+        elif row is not None and col is not None:
+            widget = self.get_widget(row, col)
+            if widget is None:
+                raise ValueError(f"No widget found at position ({row}, {col}).")
+        else:
+            raise ValueError(
+                "Must provide either widget_id, coordinates, or both row and col for removal."
+            )
+
+        self.remove_widget(widget)
+
+    def remove_widget(self, widget: QWidget) -> None:
+        """
+        Remove a widget from the grid and reindex the grid to keep it compact.
+
+        Args:
+            widget (QWidget): The widget to remove.
+
+        Raises:
+            ValueError: If the widget is not found in the layout.
+        """
+        if widget not in self.widget_positions:
+            raise ValueError("Widget not found in layout.")
+
+        position = self.widget_positions.pop(widget)
+        self.position_widgets.pop((position[0], position[1]))
+        self.layout.removeWidget(widget)
+        widget.setParent(None)  # Remove widget from the parent
+        widget.deleteLater()
+
+        # Reindex the grid to maintain compactness
+        if self.auto_reindex:
+            self.reindex_grid()
+
+    def get_widget(self, row: int, col: int) -> QWidget | None:
+        """
+        Get the widget at the specified position.
+
+        Args:
+            row (int): The row coordinate.
+            col (int): The column coordinate.
+
+        Returns:
+            QWidget | None: The widget at the specified position, or None if empty.
+        """
+        return self.position_widgets.get((row, col))
+
+    def get_widget_position(self, widget: QWidget) -> Tuple[int, int, int, int] | None:
+        """
+        Get the position of the specified widget.
+
+        Args:
+            widget (QWidget): The widget to query.
+
+        Returns:
+            Tuple[int, int, int, int] | None: The (row, col, rowspan, colspan) tuple, or None if not found.
+        """
+        return self.widget_positions.get(widget)
+
+    def change_layout(self, num_rows: int | None = None, num_cols: int | None = None) -> None:
+        """
+        Change the layout to have a certain number of rows and/or columns,
+        rearranging the widgets accordingly.
+
+        If only one of num_rows or num_cols is provided, the other is calculated automatically
+        based on the number of widgets and the provided constraint.
+
+        If both are provided, num_rows is calculated based on num_cols.
+
+        Args:
+            num_rows (int | None): The new maximum number of rows.
+            num_cols (int | None): The new maximum number of columns.
+        """
+        if num_rows is None and num_cols is None:
+            return  # Nothing to change
+
+        total_widgets = len(self.widget_positions)
+
+        if num_cols is not None:
+            # Calculate num_rows based on num_cols
+            num_rows = math.ceil(total_widgets / num_cols)
+        elif num_rows is not None:
+            # Calculate num_cols based on num_rows
+            num_cols = math.ceil(total_widgets / num_rows)
+
+        # Sort widgets by current position (row-major order)
+        widgets_sorted = sorted(
+            self.widget_positions.items(),
+            key=lambda item: (item[1][0], item[1][1]),  # Sort by row, then column
+        )
+
+        # Clear the layout without deleting widgets
+        for widget, _ in widgets_sorted:
+            self.layout.removeWidget(widget)
+
+        # Reset position mappings
+        self.widget_positions.clear()
+        self.position_widgets.clear()
+
+        # Re-add widgets based on new layout constraints
+        current_row, current_col = 0, 0
+        for widget, _ in widgets_sorted:
+            if current_col >= num_cols:
+                current_col = 0
+                current_row += 1
+            self.layout.addWidget(widget, current_row, current_col, 1, 1)
+            self.widget_positions[widget] = (current_row, current_col, 1, 1)
+            self.position_widgets[(current_row, current_col)] = widget
+            current_col += 1
+
+        # Update current_row and current_col for automatic placement
+        self.current_row = current_row
+        self.current_col = current_col
+
+        # Reindex the grid to ensure compactness
+        self.reindex_grid()
+
+    def clear_layout(self) -> None:
+        """
+        Remove all widgets from the layout without deleting them.
+        """
+        for widget in list(self.widget_positions):
+            self.layout.removeWidget(widget)
+            self.position_widgets.pop(
+                (self.widget_positions[widget][0], self.widget_positions[widget][1])
+            )
+            self.widget_positions.pop(widget)
+            widget.setParent(None)  # Optionally hide/remove the widget
+
+        self.current_row = 0
+        self.current_col = 0
+
+    def reindex_grid(self) -> None:
+        """
+        Reindex the grid to remove empty rows and columns, ensuring that
+        widget coordinates are contiguous and start from (0, 0).
+        """
+        # Step 1: Collect all occupied positions
+        occupied_positions = sorted(self.position_widgets.keys())
+
+        if not occupied_positions:
+            # No widgets to reindex
+            self.clear_layout()
+            return
+
+        # Step 2: Determine the new mapping by eliminating empty columns and rows
+        # Find unique rows and columns
+        unique_rows = sorted(set(pos[0] for pos in occupied_positions))
+        unique_cols = sorted(set(pos[1] for pos in occupied_positions))
+
+        # Create mappings from old to new indices
+        row_mapping = {old_row: new_row for new_row, old_row in enumerate(unique_rows)}
+        col_mapping = {old_col: new_col for new_col, old_col in enumerate(unique_cols)}
+
+        # Step 3: Collect widgets with their new positions
+        widgets_with_new_positions = []
+        for widget, (row, col, rowspan, colspan) in self.widget_positions.items():
+            new_row = row_mapping[row]
+            new_col = col_mapping[col]
+            widgets_with_new_positions.append((widget, new_row, new_col, rowspan, colspan))
+
+        # Step 4: Clear the layout and reset mappings
+        self.clear_layout()
+
+        # Reset current_row and current_col
+        self.current_row = 0
+        self.current_col = 0
+
+        # Step 5: Re-add widgets with new positions
+        for widget, new_row, new_col, rowspan, colspan in widgets_with_new_positions:
+            self.layout.addWidget(widget, new_row, new_col, rowspan, colspan)
+            self.widget_positions[widget] = (new_row, new_col, rowspan, colspan)
+            self.position_widgets[(new_row, new_col)] = widget
+
+            # Update current position for automatic placement
+            self.current_col = max(self.current_col, new_col + colspan)
+            self.current_row = max(self.current_row, new_row)
+
+    def get_widgets_positions(self) -> Dict[QWidget, Tuple[int, int, int, int]]:
+        """
+        Get the positions of all widgets in the layout.
+
+        Returns:
+            Dict[QWidget, Tuple[int, int, int, int]]: Mapping of widgets to their (row, col, rowspan, colspan).
+        """
+        return self.widget_positions.copy()
+
+    def print_all_button_text(self):
+        """Debug function to print the text of all QPushButton widgets."""
+        print("Coordinates - Button Text")
+        for coord, widget in self.position_widgets.items():
+            if isinstance(widget, QPushButton):
+                print(f"{coord} - {widget.text()}")
+
+
+####################################################################################################
+# The following code is for the GUI control panel to interact with the LayoutManagerWidget.
+# It is not covered by any tests as it serves only as an example for the LayoutManagerWidget class.
+####################################################################################################
+
+
+class ControlPanel(QWidget):  # pragma: no cover
+    def __init__(self, layout_manager: LayoutManagerWidget):
+        super().__init__()
+        self.layout_manager = layout_manager
+        self.init_ui()
+
+    def init_ui(self):
+        main_layout = QVBoxLayout()
+
+        # Add Widget by Coordinates
+        add_coord_group = QGroupBox("Add Widget by Coordinates")
+        add_coord_layout = QGridLayout()
+
+        add_coord_layout.addWidget(QLabel("Text:"), 0, 0)
+        self.text_input = QLineEdit()
+        add_coord_layout.addWidget(self.text_input, 0, 1)
+
+        add_coord_layout.addWidget(QLabel("Row:"), 1, 0)
+        self.row_input = QSpinBox()
+        self.row_input.setMinimum(0)
+        add_coord_layout.addWidget(self.row_input, 1, 1)
+
+        add_coord_layout.addWidget(QLabel("Column:"), 2, 0)
+        self.col_input = QSpinBox()
+        self.col_input.setMinimum(0)
+        add_coord_layout.addWidget(self.col_input, 2, 1)
+
+        self.add_button = QPushButton("Add at Coordinates")
+        self.add_button.clicked.connect(self.add_at_coordinates)
+        add_coord_layout.addWidget(self.add_button, 3, 0, 1, 2)
+
+        add_coord_group.setLayout(add_coord_layout)
+        main_layout.addWidget(add_coord_group)
+
+        # Add Widget Relative
+        add_rel_group = QGroupBox("Add Widget Relative to Existing")
+        add_rel_layout = QGridLayout()
+
+        add_rel_layout.addWidget(QLabel("Text:"), 0, 0)
+        self.rel_text_input = QLineEdit()
+        add_rel_layout.addWidget(self.rel_text_input, 0, 1)
+
+        add_rel_layout.addWidget(QLabel("Reference Widget:"), 1, 0)
+        self.ref_widget_combo = QComboBox()
+        add_rel_layout.addWidget(self.ref_widget_combo, 1, 1)
+
+        add_rel_layout.addWidget(QLabel("Position:"), 2, 0)
+        self.position_combo = QComboBox()
+        self.position_combo.addItems(["left", "right", "top", "bottom"])
+        add_rel_layout.addWidget(self.position_combo, 2, 1)
+
+        self.add_rel_button = QPushButton("Add Relative")
+        self.add_rel_button.clicked.connect(self.add_relative)
+        add_rel_layout.addWidget(self.add_rel_button, 3, 0, 1, 2)
+
+        add_rel_group.setLayout(add_rel_layout)
+        main_layout.addWidget(add_rel_group)
+
+        # Remove Widget
+        remove_group = QGroupBox("Remove Widget")
+        remove_layout = QGridLayout()
+
+        remove_layout.addWidget(QLabel("Row:"), 0, 0)
+        self.remove_row_input = QSpinBox()
+        self.remove_row_input.setMinimum(0)
+        remove_layout.addWidget(self.remove_row_input, 0, 1)
+
+        remove_layout.addWidget(QLabel("Column:"), 1, 0)
+        self.remove_col_input = QSpinBox()
+        self.remove_col_input.setMinimum(0)
+        remove_layout.addWidget(self.remove_col_input, 1, 1)
+
+        self.remove_button = QPushButton("Remove at Coordinates")
+        self.remove_button.clicked.connect(self.remove_widget)
+        remove_layout.addWidget(self.remove_button, 2, 0, 1, 2)
+
+        remove_group.setLayout(remove_layout)
+        main_layout.addWidget(remove_group)
+
+        # Change Layout
+        change_layout_group = QGroupBox("Change Layout")
+        change_layout_layout = QGridLayout()
+
+        change_layout_layout.addWidget(QLabel("Number of Rows:"), 0, 0)
+        self.change_rows_input = QSpinBox()
+        self.change_rows_input.setMinimum(1)
+        self.change_rows_input.setValue(1)  # Default value
+        change_layout_layout.addWidget(self.change_rows_input, 0, 1)
+
+        change_layout_layout.addWidget(QLabel("Number of Columns:"), 1, 0)
+        self.change_cols_input = QSpinBox()
+        self.change_cols_input.setMinimum(1)
+        self.change_cols_input.setValue(1)  # Default value
+        change_layout_layout.addWidget(self.change_cols_input, 1, 1)
+
+        self.change_layout_button = QPushButton("Apply Layout Change")
+        self.change_layout_button.clicked.connect(self.change_layout)
+        change_layout_layout.addWidget(self.change_layout_button, 2, 0, 1, 2)
+
+        change_layout_group.setLayout(change_layout_layout)
+        main_layout.addWidget(change_layout_group)
+
+        # Remove All Widgets
+        self.clear_all_button = QPushButton("Clear All Widgets")
+        self.clear_all_button.clicked.connect(self.clear_all_widgets)
+        main_layout.addWidget(self.clear_all_button)
+
+        # Refresh Reference Widgets and Print Button
+        self.refresh_button = QPushButton("Refresh Reference Widgets")
+        self.refresh_button.clicked.connect(self.refresh_references)
+        self.print_button = QPushButton("Print All Button Text")
+        self.print_button.clicked.connect(self.layout_manager.print_all_button_text)
+        main_layout.addWidget(self.refresh_button)
+        main_layout.addWidget(self.print_button)
+
+        main_layout.addStretch()
+        self.setLayout(main_layout)
+        self.refresh_references()
+
+    def refresh_references(self):
+        self.ref_widget_combo.clear()
+        widgets = self.layout_manager.get_widgets_positions()
+        for widget in widgets:
+            if isinstance(widget, QPushButton):
+                self.ref_widget_combo.addItem(widget.text(), widget)
+
+    def add_at_coordinates(self):
+        text = self.text_input.text()
+        row = self.row_input.value()
+        col = self.col_input.value()
+
+        if not text:
+            QMessageBox.warning(self, "Input Error", "Please enter text for the button.")
+            return
+
+        button = QPushButton(text)
+        try:
+            self.layout_manager.add_widget(widget=button, row=row, col=col)
+            self.refresh_references()
+        except Exception as e:
+            QMessageBox.critical(self, "Error", str(e))
+
+    def add_relative(self):
+        text = self.rel_text_input.text()
+        ref_index = self.ref_widget_combo.currentIndex()
+        ref_widget = self.ref_widget_combo.itemData(ref_index)
+        position = self.position_combo.currentText()
+
+        if not text:
+            QMessageBox.warning(self, "Input Error", "Please enter text for the button.")
+            return
+
+        if ref_widget is None:
+            QMessageBox.warning(self, "Input Error", "Please select a reference widget.")
+            return
+
+        button = QPushButton(text)
+        try:
+            self.layout_manager.add_widget_relative(
+                widget=button, reference_widget=ref_widget, position=position
+            )
+            self.refresh_references()
+        except Exception as e:
+            QMessageBox.critical(self, "Error", str(e))
+
+    def remove_widget(self):
+        row = self.remove_row_input.value()
+        col = self.remove_col_input.value()
+
+        try:
+            widget = self.layout_manager.get_widget(row, col)
+            if widget is None:
+                QMessageBox.warning(self, "Not Found", f"No widget found at ({row}, {col}).")
+                return
+            self.layout_manager.remove_widget(widget)
+            self.refresh_references()
+        except Exception as e:
+            QMessageBox.critical(self, "Error", str(e))
+
+    def change_layout(self):
+        num_rows = self.change_rows_input.value()
+        num_cols = self.change_cols_input.value()
+
+        try:
+            self.layout_manager.change_layout(num_rows=num_rows, num_cols=num_cols)
+            self.refresh_references()
+        except Exception as e:
+            QMessageBox.critical(self, "Error", str(e))
+
+    def clear_all_widgets(self):
+        reply = QMessageBox.question(
+            self,
+            "Confirm Clear",
+            "Are you sure you want to remove all widgets?",
+            QMessageBox.Yes | QMessageBox.No,
+            QMessageBox.No,
+        )
+
+        if reply == QMessageBox.Yes:
+            try:
+                self.layout_manager.clear_layout()
+                self.refresh_references()
+            except Exception as e:
+                QMessageBox.critical(self, "Error", str(e))
+
+
+class MainWindow(QMainWindow):  # pragma: no cover
+    def __init__(self):
+        super().__init__()
+        self.setWindowTitle("Layout Manager Demo")
+        self.resize(800, 600)
+        self.init_ui()
+
+    def init_ui(self):
+        central_widget = QWidget()
+        main_layout = QHBoxLayout()
+
+        # Layout Area GroupBox
+        layout_group = QGroupBox("Layout Area")
+        layout_group.setMinimumSize(400, 400)
+        layout_layout = QVBoxLayout()
+
+        self.layout_manager = LayoutManagerWidget()
+        layout_layout.addWidget(self.layout_manager)
+
+        layout_group.setLayout(layout_layout)
+
+        # Splitter
+        splitter = QSplitter()
+        splitter.addWidget(layout_group)
+
+        # Control Panel
+        control_panel = ControlPanel(self.layout_manager)
+        control_group = QGroupBox("Control Panel")
+        control_layout = QVBoxLayout()
+        control_layout.addWidget(control_panel)
+        control_layout.addStretch()
+        control_group.setLayout(control_layout)
+        splitter.addWidget(control_group)
+
+        main_layout.addWidget(splitter)
+        central_widget.setLayout(main_layout)
+        self.setCentralWidget(central_widget)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":  # pragma: no cover
+    app = QApplication(sys.argv)
+    window = MainWindow()
+    window.show()
+    sys.exit(app.exec_())

bec_widgets/widgets/containers/main_window/main_window.py

@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+from bec_lib.logger import bec_logger
+from qtpy.QtWidgets import QApplication, QMainWindow
+
+from bec_widgets.cli.rpc.rpc_register import RPCRegister
+from bec_widgets.utils.bec_widget import BECWidget
+from bec_widgets.utils.container_utils import WidgetContainerUtils
+from bec_widgets.widgets.containers.dock.dock_area import BECDockArea
+
+logger = bec_logger.logger
+
+
+class BECMainWindow(BECWidget, QMainWindow):
+    def __init__(self, gui_id: str = None, *args, **kwargs):
+        BECWidget.__init__(self, gui_id=gui_id, **kwargs)
+        QMainWindow.__init__(self, *args, **kwargs)
+
+    def _dump(self):
+        """Return a dictionary with informations about the application state, for use in tests"""
+        # TODO: ModularToolBar and something else leak top-level widgets (3 or 4 QMenu + 2 QWidget);
+        # so, a filtering based on title is applied here, but the solution is to not have those widgets
+        # as top-level (so for now, a window with no title does not appear in _dump() result)
+
+        # NOTE: the main window itself is excluded, since we want to dump dock areas
+        info = {
+            tlw.gui_id: {
+                "title": tlw.windowTitle(),
+                "visible": tlw.isVisible(),
+                "class": str(type(tlw)),
+            }
+            for tlw in QApplication.instance().topLevelWidgets()
+            if tlw is not self and tlw.windowTitle()
+        }
+        # Add the main window dock area
+        info[self.centralWidget().gui_id] = {
+            "title": self.windowTitle(),
+            "visible": self.isVisible(),
+            "class": str(type(self.centralWidget())),
+        }
+        return info
+
+    def new_dock_area(
+        self, name: str | None = None, geometry: tuple[int, int, int, int] | None = None
+    ) -> BECDockArea:
+        """Create a new dock area.
+
+        Args:
+            name(str): The name of the dock area.
+            geometry(tuple): The geometry parameters to be passed to the dock area.
+        Returns:
+            BECDockArea: The newly created dock area.
+        """
+        with RPCRegister.delayed_broadcast() as rpc_register:
+            existing_dock_areas = rpc_register.get_names_of_rpc_by_class_type(BECDockArea)
+            if name is not None:
+                if name in existing_dock_areas:
+                    raise ValueError(
+                        f"Name {name} must be unique for dock areas, but already exists: {existing_dock_areas}."
+                    )
+            else:
+                name = "dock_area"
+                name = WidgetContainerUtils.generate_unique_name(name, existing_dock_areas)
+            dock_area = BECDockArea(name=name)
+            dock_area.resize(dock_area.minimumSizeHint())
+            # TODO Should we simply use the specified name as title here?
+            dock_area.window().setWindowTitle(f"BEC - {name}")
+            logger.info(f"Created new dock area: {name}")
+            logger.info(f"Existing dock areas: {geometry}")
+            if geometry is not None:
+                dock_area.setGeometry(*geometry)
+            dock_area.show()
+            return dock_area
+
+    def cleanup(self):
+        super().close()

bec_widgets/widgets/control/buttons/button_abort/abort_button_plugin.py

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 from qtpy.QtDesigner import QDesignerCustomWidgetInterface
 
 from bec_widgets.utils.bec_designer import designer_material_icon
-from bec_widgets.widgets.button_abort.button_abort import AbortButton
+from bec_widgets.widgets.control.buttons.button_abort.button_abort import AbortButton
 
 DOM_XML = """
 <ui language='c++'>

bec_widgets/widgets/control/buttons/button_abort/button_abort.py

@@ -2,19 +2,27 @@ from bec_qthemes import material_icon
 from qtpy.QtCore import Qt
 from qtpy.QtWidgets import QHBoxLayout, QPushButton, QToolButton, QWidget
 
-from bec_widgets.qt_utils.error_popups import SafeSlot
 from bec_widgets.utils.bec_widget import BECWidget
+from bec_widgets.utils.error_popups import SafeSlot
 
 
 class AbortButton(BECWidget, QWidget):
     """A button that abort the scan."""
 
+    PLUGIN = True
     ICON_NAME = "cancel"
 
     def __init__(
-        self, parent=None, client=None, config=None, gui_id=None, toolbar=False, scan_id=None
+        self,
+        parent=None,
+        client=None,
+        config=None,
+        gui_id=None,
+        toolbar=False,
+        scan_id=None,
+        **kwargs,
     ):
-        super().__init__(client=client, config=config, gui_id=gui_id)
+        super().__init__(client=client, config=config, gui_id=gui_id, **kwargs)
         QWidget.__init__(self, parent=parent)
 
         self.get_bec_shortcuts()

bec_widgets/widgets/control/buttons/button_abort/register_abort_button.py

@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ def main():  # pragma: no cover
         return
     from PySide6.QtDesigner import QPyDesignerCustomWidgetCollection
 
-    from bec_widgets.widgets.button_abort.abort_button_plugin import AbortButtonPlugin
+    from bec_widgets.widgets.control.buttons.button_abort.abort_button_plugin import (
+        AbortButtonPlugin,
+    )
 
     QPyDesignerCustomWidgetCollection.addCustomWidget(AbortButtonPlugin())
 

bec_widgets/widgets/control/buttons/button_reset/button_reset.py

@@ -2,17 +2,18 @@ from bec_qthemes import material_icon
 from qtpy.QtCore import Qt
 from qtpy.QtWidgets import QHBoxLayout, QMessageBox, QPushButton, QToolButton, QWidget
 
-from bec_widgets.qt_utils.error_popups import SafeSlot
 from bec_widgets.utils.bec_widget import BECWidget
+from bec_widgets.utils.error_popups import SafeSlot
 
 
 class ResetButton(BECWidget, QWidget):
     """A button that resets the scan queue."""
 
+    PLUGIN = True
     ICON_NAME = "restart_alt"
 
-    def __init__(self, parent=None, client=None, config=None, gui_id=None, toolbar=False):
-        super().__init__(client=client, config=config, gui_id=gui_id)
+    def __init__(self, parent=None, client=None, config=None, gui_id=None, toolbar=False, **kwargs):
+        super().__init__(client=client, config=config, gui_id=gui_id, **kwargs)
         QWidget.__init__(self, parent=parent)
 
         self.get_bec_shortcuts()

bec_widgets/widgets/control/buttons/button_reset/register_reset_button.py

@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ def main():  # pragma: no cover
         return
     from PySide6.QtDesigner import QPyDesignerCustomWidgetCollection
 
-    from bec_widgets.widgets.button_reset.reset_button_plugin import ResetButtonPlugin
+    from bec_widgets.widgets.control.buttons.button_reset.reset_button_plugin import (
+        ResetButtonPlugin,
+    )
 
     QPyDesignerCustomWidgetCollection.addCustomWidget(ResetButtonPlugin())
 

bec_widgets/widgets/control/buttons/button_reset/reset_button_plugin.py

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 from qtpy.QtDesigner import QDesignerCustomWidgetInterface
 
 from bec_widgets.utils.bec_designer import designer_material_icon
-from bec_widgets.widgets.button_reset.button_reset import ResetButton
+from bec_widgets.widgets.control.buttons.button_reset.button_reset import ResetButton
 
 DOM_XML = """
 <ui language='c++'>

bec_widgets/widgets/control/buttons/button_resume/button_resume.py

@@ -2,17 +2,18 @@ from bec_qthemes import material_icon
 from qtpy.QtCore import Qt
 from qtpy.QtWidgets import QHBoxLayout, QPushButton, QToolButton, QWidget
 
-from bec_widgets.qt_utils.error_popups import SafeSlot
 from bec_widgets.utils.bec_widget import BECWidget
+from bec_widgets.utils.error_popups import SafeSlot
 
 
 class ResumeButton(BECWidget, QWidget):
     """A button that continue scan queue."""
 
+    PLUGIN = True
     ICON_NAME = "resume"
 
-    def __init__(self, parent=None, client=None, config=None, gui_id=None, toolbar=False):
-        super().__init__(client=client, config=config, gui_id=gui_id)
+    def __init__(self, parent=None, client=None, config=None, gui_id=None, toolbar=False, **kwargs):
+        super().__init__(client=client, config=config, gui_id=gui_id, **kwargs)
         QWidget.__init__(self, parent=parent)
 
         self.get_bec_shortcuts()

bec_widgets/widgets/control/buttons/button_resume/register_resume_button.py

@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ def main():  # pragma: no cover
         return
     from PySide6.QtDesigner import QPyDesignerCustomWidgetCollection
 
-    from bec_widgets.widgets.button_resume.resume_button_plugin import ResumeButtonPlugin
+    from bec_widgets.widgets.control.buttons.button_resume.resume_button_plugin import (
+        ResumeButtonPlugin,
+    )
 
     QPyDesignerCustomWidgetCollection.addCustomWidget(ResumeButtonPlugin())
 

bec_widgets/widgets/control/buttons/button_resume/resume_button_plugin.py

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 from qtpy.QtDesigner import QDesignerCustomWidgetInterface
 
 from bec_widgets.utils.bec_designer import designer_material_icon
-from bec_widgets.widgets.button_resume.button_resume import ResumeButton
+from bec_widgets.widgets.control.buttons.button_resume.button_resume import ResumeButton
 
 DOM_XML = """
 <ui language='c++'>

bec_widgets/widgets/control/buttons/stop_button/register_stop_button.py

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ def main():  # pragma: no cover
         return
     from PySide6.QtDesigner import QPyDesignerCustomWidgetCollection
 
-    from bec_widgets.widgets.stop_button.stop_button_plugin import StopButtonPlugin
+    from bec_widgets.widgets.control.buttons.stop_button.stop_button_plugin import StopButtonPlugin
 
     QPyDesignerCustomWidgetCollection.addCustomWidget(StopButtonPlugin())
 

bec_widgets/widgets/control/buttons/stop_button/stop_button.py

@@ -2,17 +2,18 @@ from bec_qthemes import material_icon
 from qtpy.QtCore import Qt
 from qtpy.QtWidgets import QHBoxLayout, QPushButton, QSizePolicy, QToolButton, QWidget
 
-from bec_widgets.qt_utils.error_popups import SafeSlot
 from bec_widgets.utils.bec_widget import BECWidget
+from bec_widgets.utils.error_popups import SafeSlot
 
 
 class StopButton(BECWidget, QWidget):
     """A button that stops the current scan."""
 
+    PLUGIN = True
     ICON_NAME = "dangerous"
 
-    def __init__(self, parent=None, client=None, config=None, gui_id=None, toolbar=False):
-        super().__init__(client=client, config=config, gui_id=gui_id)
+    def __init__(self, parent=None, client=None, config=None, gui_id=None, toolbar=False, **kwargs):
+        super().__init__(client=client, config=config, gui_id=gui_id, **kwargs)
         QWidget.__init__(self, parent=parent)
 
         self.get_bec_shortcuts()
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@ class StopButton(BECWidget, QWidget):
             self.button.setToolTip("Stop the scan queue")
         else:
             self.button = QPushButton()
-            self.button.setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy.Policy.Expanding, QSizePolicy.Policy.Expanding)
+            self.button.setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy.Policy.Minimum, QSizePolicy.Policy.Fixed)
             self.button.setText("Stop")
             self.button.setStyleSheet(
                 f"background-color:  #cc181e; color: white; font-weight: bold; font-size: 12px;"

bec_widgets/widgets/control/buttons/stop_button/stop_button_plugin.py

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from qtpy.QtDesigner import QDesignerCustomWidgetInterface
 
 import bec_widgets
 from bec_widgets.utils.bec_designer import designer_material_icon
-from bec_widgets.widgets.stop_button.stop_button import StopButton
+from bec_widgets.widgets.control.buttons.stop_button.stop_button import StopButton
 
 DOM_XML = """
 <ui language='c++'>

bec_widgets/widgets/control/device_control/position_indicator/position_indicator.py

@@ -9,11 +9,11 @@ from bec_widgets.utils.colors import get_accent_colors, get_theme_palette
 
 class PositionIndicator(BECWidget, QWidget):
     USER_ACCESS = ["set_value", "set_range", "vertical", "indicator_width", "rounded_corners"]
-
+    PLUGIN = True
     ICON_NAME = "horizontal_distribute"
 
-    def __init__(self, parent=None, client=None, config=None, gui_id=None):
-        super().__init__(client=client, config=config, gui_id=gui_id)
+    def __init__(self, parent=None, client=None, config=None, gui_id=None, **kwargs):
+        super().__init__(client=client, config=config, gui_id=gui_id, **kwargs)
         QWidget.__init__(self, parent=parent)
         self.position = 50
         self.min_value = 0

bec_widgets/widgets/control/device_control/position_indicator/position_indicator_plugin.py

@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ from qtpy.QtDesigner import QDesignerCustomWidgetInterface
 
 import bec_widgets
 from bec_widgets.utils.bec_designer import designer_material_icon
-from bec_widgets.widgets.position_indicator.position_indicator import PositionIndicator
+from bec_widgets.widgets.control.device_control.position_indicator.position_indicator import (
+    PositionIndicator,
+)
 
 DOM_XML = """
 <ui language='c++'>

bec_widgets/widgets/control/device_control/position_indicator/register_position_indicator.py

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ def main():  # pragma: no cover
         return
     from PySide6.QtDesigner import QPyDesignerCustomWidgetCollection
 
-    from bec_widgets.widgets.position_indicator.position_indicator_plugin import (
+    from bec_widgets.widgets.control.device_control.position_indicator.position_indicator_plugin import (
         PositionIndicatorPlugin,
     )
 

bec_widgets/widgets/control/device_control/positioner_box/__init__.py

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+from bec_widgets.widgets.control.device_control.positioner_box.positioner_box.positioner_box import (
+    PositionerBox,
+)
+from bec_widgets.widgets.control.device_control.positioner_box.positioner_box_2d.positioner_box_2d import (
+    PositionerBox2D,
+)
+from bec_widgets.widgets.control.device_control.positioner_box.positioner_control_line.positioner_control_line import (
+    PositionerControlLine,
+)
+
+__ALL__ = ["PositionerBox", "PositionerControlLine", "PositionerBox2D"]

bec_widgets/widgets/control/device_control/positioner_box/_base/__init__.py

@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+from .positioner_box_base import PositionerBoxBase
+
+__ALL__ = ["PositionerBoxBase"]

bec_widgets/widgets/control/device_control/positioner_box/_base/positioner_box_base.py

@@ -0,0 +1,244 @@
+import uuid
+from abc import abstractmethod
+from typing import Callable, TypedDict
+
+from bec_lib.device import Positioner
+from bec_lib.endpoints import MessageEndpoints
+from bec_lib.logger import bec_logger
+from bec_lib.messages import ScanQueueMessage
+from qtpy.QtWidgets import (
+    QDialog,
+    QDoubleSpinBox,
+    QGroupBox,
+    QLabel,
+    QLineEdit,
+    QPushButton,
+    QVBoxLayout,
+)
+
+from bec_widgets.utils.bec_widget import BECWidget
+from bec_widgets.utils.compact_popup import CompactPopupWidget
+from bec_widgets.widgets.control.device_control.position_indicator.position_indicator import (
+    PositionIndicator,
+)
+from bec_widgets.widgets.control.device_input.base_classes.device_input_base import BECDeviceFilter
+from bec_widgets.widgets.control.device_input.device_line_edit.device_line_edit import (
+    DeviceLineEdit,
+)
+from bec_widgets.widgets.utility.spinner.spinner import SpinnerWidget
+
+logger = bec_logger.logger
+
+
+class DeviceUpdateUIComponents(TypedDict):
+    spinner: SpinnerWidget
+    setpoint: QLineEdit
+    readback: QLabel
+    position_indicator: PositionIndicator
+    step_size: QDoubleSpinBox
+    device_box: QGroupBox
+    stop: QPushButton
+    tweak_increase: QPushButton
+    tweak_decrease: QPushButton
+
+
+class PositionerBoxBase(BECWidget, CompactPopupWidget):
+    """Contains some core logic for positioner box widgets"""
+
+    current_path = ""
+    ICON_NAME = "switch_right"
+
+    def __init__(self, parent=None, **kwargs):
+        """Initialize the PositionerBox widget.
+
+        Args:
+            parent: The parent widget.
+            device (Positioner): The device to control.
+        """
+        super().__init__(**kwargs)
+        CompactPopupWidget.__init__(self, parent=parent, layout=QVBoxLayout)
+        self._dialog = None
+        self.get_bec_shortcuts()
+
+    def _check_device_is_valid(self, device: str):
+        """Check if the device is a positioner
+
+        Args:
+            device (str): The device name
+        """
+        if device not in self.dev:
+            logger.info(f"Device {device} not found in the device list")
+            return False
+        if not isinstance(self.dev[device], Positioner):
+            logger.info(f"Device {device} is not a positioner")
+            return False
+        return True
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def _device_ui_components(self, device: str) -> DeviceUpdateUIComponents: ...
+
+    def _init_device(
+        self,
+        device: str,
+        position_emit: Callable[[float], None],
+        limit_update: Callable[[tuple[float, float]], None],
+    ):
+        """Init the device view and readback"""
+        if self._check_device_is_valid(device):
+            data = self.dev[device].read()
+            self._on_device_readback(
+                device,
+                self._device_ui_components(device),
+                {"signals": data},
+                {},
+                position_emit,
+                limit_update,
+            )
+
+    def _stop_device(self, device: str):
+        """Stop call"""
+        request_id = str(uuid.uuid4())
+        params = {"device": device, "rpc_id": request_id, "func": "stop", "args": [], "kwargs": {}}
+        msg = ScanQueueMessage(
+            scan_type="device_rpc",
+            parameter=params,
+            queue="emergency",
+            metadata={"RID": request_id, "response": False},
+        )
+        self.client.connector.send(MessageEndpoints.scan_queue_request(), msg)
+
+    # pylint: disable=unused-argument
+    def _on_device_readback(
+        self,
+        device: str,
+        ui_components: DeviceUpdateUIComponents,
+        msg_content: dict,
+        metadata: dict,
+        position_emit: Callable[[float], None],
+        limit_update: Callable[[tuple[float, float]], None],
+    ):
+        signals = msg_content.get("signals", {})
+        # pylint: disable=protected-access
+        hinted_signals = self.dev[device]._hints
+        precision = self.dev[device].precision
+
+        spinner = ui_components["spinner"]
+        position_indicator = ui_components["position_indicator"]
+        readback = ui_components["readback"]
+        setpoint = ui_components["setpoint"]
+
+        readback_val = None
+        setpoint_val = None
+
+        if len(hinted_signals) == 1:
+            signal = hinted_signals[0]
+            readback_val = signals.get(signal, {}).get("value")
+
+        for setpoint_signal in ["setpoint", "user_setpoint"]:
+            setpoint_val = signals.get(f"{device}_{setpoint_signal}", {}).get("value")
+            if setpoint_val is not None:
+                break
+
+        if f"{device}_motor_done_move" in signals:
+            is_moving = not signals[f"{device}_motor_done_move"].get("value")
+        elif f"{device}_motor_is_moving" in signals:
+            is_moving = signals[f"{device}_motor_is_moving"].get("value")
+        else:
+            is_moving = None
+
+        if is_moving is not None:
+            spinner.setVisible(True)
+            if is_moving:
+                spinner.start()
+                spinner.setToolTip("Device is moving")
+                self.set_global_state("warning")
+            else:
+                spinner.stop()
+                spinner.setToolTip("Device is idle")
+                self.set_global_state("success")
+        else:
+            spinner.setVisible(False)
+
+        if readback_val is not None:
+            readback.setText(f"{readback_val:.{precision}f}")
+            position_emit(readback_val)
+
+        if setpoint_val is not None:
+            setpoint.setText(f"{setpoint_val:.{precision}f}")
+
+        limits = self.dev[device].limits
+        limit_update(limits)
+        if limits is not None and readback_val is not None and limits[0] != limits[1]:
+            pos = (readback_val - limits[0]) / (limits[1] - limits[0])
+            position_indicator.set_value(pos)
+
+    def _update_limits_ui(
+        self, limits: tuple[float, float], position_indicator, setpoint_validator
+    ):
+        if limits is not None and limits[0] != limits[1]:
+            position_indicator.setToolTip(f"Min: {limits[0]}, Max: {limits[1]}")
+            setpoint_validator.setRange(limits[0], limits[1])
+        else:
+            position_indicator.setToolTip("No limits set")
+            setpoint_validator.setRange(float("-inf"), float("inf"))
+
+    def _update_device_ui(self, device: str, ui: DeviceUpdateUIComponents):
+        ui["device_box"].setTitle(device)
+        ui["readback"].setToolTip(f"{device} readback")
+        ui["setpoint"].setToolTip(f"{device} setpoint")
+        ui["step_size"].setToolTip(f"Step size for {device}")
+        precision = self.dev[device].precision
+        if precision is not None:
+            ui["step_size"].setDecimals(precision)
+            ui["step_size"].setValue(10**-precision * 10)
+
+    def _swap_readback_signal_connection(self, slot, old_device, new_device):
+        self.bec_dispatcher.disconnect_slot(slot, MessageEndpoints.device_readback(old_device))
+        self.bec_dispatcher.connect_slot(slot, MessageEndpoints.device_readback(new_device))
+
+    def _toggle_enable_buttons(self, ui: DeviceUpdateUIComponents, enable: bool) -> None:
+        """Toogle enable/disable on available buttons
+
+        Args:
+            enable (bool): Enable buttons
+        """
+        ui["tweak_increase"].setEnabled(enable)
+        ui["tweak_decrease"].setEnabled(enable)
+        ui["stop"].setEnabled(enable)
+        ui["setpoint"].setEnabled(enable)
+        ui["step_size"].setEnabled(enable)
+
+    def _on_device_change(
+        self,
+        old_device: str,
+        new_device: str,
+        position_emit: Callable[[float], None],
+        limit_update: Callable[[tuple[float, float]], None],
+        on_device_readback: Callable,
+        ui: DeviceUpdateUIComponents,
+    ):
+        logger.info(f"Device changed from {old_device} to {new_device}")
+        self._toggle_enable_buttons(ui, True)
+        self._init_device(new_device, position_emit, limit_update)
+        self._swap_readback_signal_connection(on_device_readback, old_device, new_device)
+        self._update_device_ui(new_device, ui)
+
+    def _open_dialog_selection(self, set_positioner: Callable):
+        def _ods():
+            """Open dialog window for positioner selection"""
+            self._dialog = QDialog(self)
+            self._dialog.setWindowTitle("Positioner Selection")
+            layout = QVBoxLayout()
+            line_edit = DeviceLineEdit(
+                self, client=self.client, device_filter=[BECDeviceFilter.POSITIONER]
+            )
+            line_edit.textChanged.connect(set_positioner)
+            layout.addWidget(line_edit)
+            close_button = QPushButton("Close")
+            close_button.clicked.connect(self._dialog.accept)
+            layout.addWidget(close_button)
+            self._dialog.setLayout(layout)
+            self._dialog.exec()
+            self._dialog = None
+
+        return _ods

bec_widgets/widgets/control/device_control/positioner_box/positioner_box/positioner_box.py

@@ -0,0 +1,264 @@
+"""Module for a PositionerBox widget to control a positioner device."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import os
+
+from bec_lib.device import Positioner
+from bec_lib.logger import bec_logger
+from bec_qthemes import material_icon
+from qtpy.QtCore import Signal
+from qtpy.QtGui import QDoubleValidator
+from qtpy.QtWidgets import QDoubleSpinBox
+
+from bec_widgets.utils import UILoader
+from bec_widgets.utils.colors import get_accent_colors, set_theme
+from bec_widgets.utils.error_popups import SafeProperty, SafeSlot
+from bec_widgets.widgets.control.device_control.positioner_box._base import PositionerBoxBase
+from bec_widgets.widgets.control.device_control.positioner_box._base.positioner_box_base import (
+    DeviceUpdateUIComponents,
+)
+
+logger = bec_logger.logger
+
+MODULE_PATH = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(__file__)))
+
+
+class PositionerBox(PositionerBoxBase):
+    """Simple Widget to control a positioner in box form"""
+
+    ui_file = "positioner_box.ui"
+    dimensions = (234, 224)
+
+    PLUGIN = True
+
+    USER_ACCESS = ["set_positioner"]
+    device_changed = Signal(str, str)
+    # Signal emitted to inform listeners about a position update
+    position_update = Signal(float)
+
+    def __init__(self, parent=None, device: Positioner | str | None = None, **kwargs):
+        """Initialize the PositionerBox widget.
+
+        Args:
+            parent: The parent widget.
+            device (Positioner): The device to control.
+        """
+        super().__init__(parent=parent, **kwargs)
+
+        self._device = ""
+        self._limits = None
+        if self.current_path == "":
+            self.current_path = os.path.dirname(__file__)
+
+        self.init_ui()
+        self.device = device
+        self._init_device(self.device, self.position_update.emit, self.update_limits)
+
+    def init_ui(self):
+        """Init the ui"""
+        self.device_changed.connect(self.on_device_change)
+
+        self.ui = UILoader(self).loader(os.path.join(self.current_path, self.ui_file))
+
+        self.addWidget(self.ui)
+        self.layout.setSpacing(0)
+        self.layout.setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0)
+
+        # fix the size of the device box
+        db = self.ui.device_box
+        db.setFixedHeight(self.dimensions[0])
+        db.setFixedWidth(self.dimensions[1])
+
+        self.ui.step_size.setStepType(QDoubleSpinBox.AdaptiveDecimalStepType)
+        self.ui.stop.clicked.connect(self.on_stop)
+        self.ui.stop.setToolTip("Stop")
+        self.ui.stop.setStyleSheet(
+            f"QPushButton {{background-color: {get_accent_colors().emergency.name()}; color: white;}}"
+        )
+        self.ui.tweak_right.clicked.connect(self.on_tweak_right)
+        self.ui.tweak_right.setToolTip("Tweak right")
+        self.ui.tweak_left.clicked.connect(self.on_tweak_left)
+        self.ui.tweak_left.setToolTip("Tweak left")
+        self.ui.setpoint.returnPressed.connect(self.on_setpoint_change)
+
+        self.setpoint_validator = QDoubleValidator()
+        self.ui.setpoint.setValidator(self.setpoint_validator)
+        self.ui.spinner_widget.start()
+        self.ui.tool_button.clicked.connect(self._open_dialog_selection(self.set_positioner))
+        icon = material_icon(icon_name="edit_note", size=(16, 16), convert_to_pixmap=False)
+        self.ui.tool_button.setIcon(icon)
+
+    def force_update_readback(self):
+        self._init_device(self.device, self.position_update.emit, self.update_limits)
+
+    @SafeProperty(str)
+    def device(self):
+        """Property to set the device"""
+        return self._device
+
+    @device.setter
+    def device(self, value: str):
+        """Setter, checks if device is a string"""
+        if not value or not isinstance(value, str):
+            return
+        if not self._check_device_is_valid(value):
+            return
+        old_device = self._device
+        self._device = value
+        if not self.label:
+            self.label = value
+        self.device_changed.emit(old_device, value)
+
+    @SafeProperty(bool)
+    def hide_device_selection(self):
+        """Hide the device selection"""
+        return not self.ui.tool_button.isVisible()
+
+    @hide_device_selection.setter
+    def hide_device_selection(self, value: bool):
+        """Set the device selection visibility"""
+        self.ui.tool_button.setVisible(not value)
+
+    @SafeSlot(bool)
+    def show_device_selection(self, value: bool):
+        """Show the device selection
+
+        Args:
+            value (bool): Show the device selection
+        """
+        self.hide_device_selection = not value
+
+    @SafeSlot(str)
+    def set_positioner(self, positioner: str | Positioner):
+        """Set the device
+
+        Args:
+            positioner (Positioner | str) : Positioner to set, accepts str or the device
+        """
+        if isinstance(positioner, Positioner):
+            positioner = positioner.name
+        self.device = positioner
+
+    @SafeSlot(str, str)
+    def on_device_change(self, old_device: str, new_device: str):
+        """Upon changing the device, a check will be performed if the device is a Positioner.
+
+        Args:
+            old_device (str): The old device name.
+            new_device (str): The new device name.
+        """
+        if not self._check_device_is_valid(new_device):
+            return
+        self._on_device_change(
+            old_device,
+            new_device,
+            self.position_update.emit,
+            self.update_limits,
+            self.on_device_readback,
+            self._device_ui_components(new_device),
+        )
+
+    def _device_ui_components(self, device: str) -> DeviceUpdateUIComponents:
+        return {
+            "spinner": self.ui.spinner_widget,
+            "position_indicator": self.ui.position_indicator,
+            "readback": self.ui.readback,
+            "setpoint": self.ui.setpoint,
+            "step_size": self.ui.step_size,
+            "device_box": self.ui.device_box,
+            "stop": self.ui.stop,
+            "tweak_increase": self.ui.tweak_right,
+            "tweak_decrease": self.ui.tweak_left,
+        }
+
+    @SafeSlot(dict, dict)
+    def on_device_readback(self, msg_content: dict, metadata: dict):
+        """Callback for device readback.
+
+        Args:
+            msg_content (dict): The message content.
+            metadata (dict): The message metadata.
+        """
+        self._on_device_readback(
+            self.device,
+            self._device_ui_components(self.device),
+            msg_content,
+            metadata,
+            self.position_update.emit,
+            self.update_limits,
+        )
+
+    def update_limits(self, limits: tuple):
+        """Update limits
+
+        Args:
+            limits (tuple): Limits of the positioner
+        """
+        if limits == self._limits:
+            return
+        self._limits = limits
+        self._update_limits_ui(limits, self.ui.position_indicator, self.setpoint_validator)
+
+    @SafeSlot()
+    def on_stop(self):
+        self._stop_device(self.device)
+
+    @property
+    def step_size(self):
+        """Step size for tweak"""
+        return self.ui.step_size.value()
+
+    @SafeSlot()
+    def on_tweak_right(self):
+        """Tweak motor right"""
+        setpoint = self._get_setpoint()
+        if setpoint is None:
+            self.dev[self.device].move(self.step_size, relative=True)
+            return
+        target = setpoint + self.step_size
+        self.dev[self.device].move(target, relative=False)
+
+    @SafeSlot()
+    def on_tweak_left(self):
+        """Tweak motor left"""
+        setpoint = self._get_setpoint()
+        if setpoint is None:
+            self.dev[self.device].move(-self.step_size, relative=True)
+            return
+        target = setpoint - self.step_size
+        self.dev[self.device].move(target, relative=False)
+
+    def _get_setpoint(self) -> float | None:
+        """Get the setpoint of the motor"""
+        setpoint = getattr(self.dev[self.device], "setpoint", None)
+        if not setpoint:
+            setpoint = getattr(self.dev[self.device], "user_setpoint", None)
+        if not setpoint:
+            return None
+        try:
+            return float(setpoint.get())
+        except Exception:
+            return None
+
+    @SafeSlot()
+    def on_setpoint_change(self):
+        """Change the setpoint for the motor"""
+        self.ui.setpoint.clearFocus()
+        setpoint = self.ui.setpoint.text()
+        self.dev[self.device].move(float(setpoint), relative=False)
+        self.ui.tweak_left.setToolTip(f"Tweak left by {self.step_size}")
+        self.ui.tweak_right.setToolTip(f"Tweak right by {self.step_size}")
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":  # pragma: no cover
+    import sys
+
+    from qtpy.QtWidgets import QApplication  # pylint: disable=ungrouped-imports
+
+    app = QApplication(sys.argv)
+    set_theme("dark")
+    widget = PositionerBox(device="bpm4i")
+
+    widget.show()
+    sys.exit(app.exec_())

bec_widgets/widgets/control/device_control/positioner_box/positioner_box/positioner_box_plugin.py

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import os
 from qtpy.QtDesigner import QDesignerCustomWidgetInterface
 
 from bec_widgets.utils.bec_designer import designer_material_icon
-from bec_widgets.widgets.positioner_box.positioner_box import PositionerBox
+from bec_widgets.widgets.control.device_control.positioner_box import PositionerBox
 
 DOM_XML = """
 <ui language='c++'>

bec_widgets/widgets/control/device_control/positioner_box/positioner_box/register_positioner_box.py

@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ def main():  # pragma: no cover
         return
     from PySide6.QtDesigner import QPyDesignerCustomWidgetCollection
 
-    from bec_widgets.widgets.positioner_box.positioner_box_plugin import PositionerBoxPlugin
+    from bec_widgets.widgets.control.device_control.positioner_box.positioner_box.positioner_box_plugin import (
+        PositionerBoxPlugin,
+    )
 
     QPyDesignerCustomWidgetCollection.addCustomWidget(PositionerBoxPlugin())