centralize docstring extraction in UI module

src/blenderbim/blenderbim/bim/module/patch/operator.py

@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import os
 import bpy
 import json
 import ifcpatch
-from .helper import extract_docs
 
 
 class SelectIfcPatchInput(bpy.types.Operator):
@@ -69,23 +68,21 @@ class ExecuteIfcPatch(bpy.types.Operator):
 class PopulatePatchArguments(bpy.types.Operator):
     bl_idname = "bim.populate_patch_arguments"
     bl_label = "Update IFC Patch arguments"
-    recipe: bpy.props.StringProperty()
+    inputs: bpy.props.StringProperty()
 
     def execute(self, context):
         patch_args = context.scene.BIMPatchProperties.ifc_patch_args_attr
         patch_args.clear()
-        docs = extract_docs(ifcpatch, self.recipe, "Patcher", "__init__",  ("src", "file", "logger", "args"))
-        if "inputs" in docs:
-            for arg_name in docs["inputs"]:
-                arg_info = docs["inputs"][arg_name]
-                new_attr = patch_args.add()
-                new_attr.data_type = {
-                    "str": "string",
-                    "float": "float",
-                    "int": "integer",
-                    "bool": "boolean",
-                }[arg_info["type"]]
-                new_attr.name = arg_name
-                new_attr.set_value(arg_info.get("default", new_attr.get_value_default()))
-                new_attr.description = arg_info.get("description", "")
+        for name, _type, default, description in json.loads(self.inputs):
+            new_attr = patch_args.add()
+            new_attr.data_type = {
+                "str": "string",
+                "float": "float",
+                "int": "integer",
+                "bool": "boolean",
+            }[_type]
+            new_attr.name = name
+            if default is not None:
+                new_attr.set_value(default)
+            new_attr.description = description
         return {"FINISHED"}

src/blenderbim/blenderbim/bim/module/patch/ui.py

@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 import bpy
-import importlib
-import importlib.util
 import ifcpatch
 from blenderbim.bim.helper import draw_attributes
 from .helper import extract_docs
 from .operator import PopulatePatchArguments
+import json
 
 
 class BIM_PT_patch(bpy.types.Panel):
@@ -23,7 +22,7 @@ class BIM_PT_patch(bpy.types.Panel):
         scene = context.scene
         props = scene.BIMPatchProperties
         row = layout.row()
-        row.prop(props, "ifc_patch_recipes")      
+        row.prop(props, "ifc_patch_recipes")
         
         recipe = props.ifc_patch_recipes
 
@@ -41,9 +40,16 @@ class BIM_PT_patch(bpy.types.Panel):
         row.prop(props, "ifc_patch_output")
         row.operator("bim.select_ifc_patch_output", icon="FILE_FOLDER", text="")
 
-        op = layout.operator(PopulatePatchArguments.bl_idname)
-        op.recipe = recipe
-        if props.ifc_patch_args_attr and bool(docs["inputs"]):
+        update_args_op = layout.operator(PopulatePatchArguments.bl_idname)
+        update_args_op.inputs = json.dumps([
+            (
+                v["name"], 
+                v["type"], 
+                v.get("default", None), 
+                v.get("description", "")
+            ) 
+            for v in docs.get("inputs", {}).values()])
+        if props.ifc_patch_args_attr and update_args_op.inputs:
             draw_attributes(props.ifc_patch_args_attr, layout, show_description=True)
         else:
             row = layout.row()
@@ -51,4 +57,4 @@ class BIM_PT_patch(bpy.types.Panel):
 
         row = layout.row()
         op = row.operator("bim.execute_ifc_patch")
-        op.use_json_for_args = not bool(docs["inputs"])
+        op.use_json_for_args = not update_args_op.inputs