[Qgis-developer] Decorations

[Borys Jurgiel]

> > By the way I don't know when you last disabled python, but QGIS starts
> > up really quickly without it - I think scanning python plugins adds a
> > lot more overhead than scanning C++ ones...or maybe its loading up the
> > python bindings in general that kill start up time.
> 
> I know, there is quite a difference.
> 
> One thing that makes the loading slow is that the plugin installer
> walks through all the plugins (even those which are disabled) and
> calls their classFactory() method to find out whether a plugin is
> broken (due some import / syntax errors).
> @Borys: is it possible to get rid of this check during startup?

Done. The check is now performed only when installing a new plugin:

https://github.com/borysiasty/Quantum-GIS

In my computer (186 python plugins installed) disabling this check decreases 
the loading time from ~12 to ~9 sec with all plugins (except the installer) 
disabled, and doesn't make any visible difference when they all are enabled 
(~21 sec). I counted from start to the splashscreen disapear; not included the 
first run after any modification.

> To optimize the loading speed I would like to move plugins' metadata
> from __init__.py to a text file (e.g. metadata.txt) - this would mean
> that the plugin code would not have to be loaded at all if disabled.

Well, I haven't noticed any difference in this. Also completely disabling the 
installer gives loading speed ~ 8-9 sec (the <1 sec speed-up can be within the 
measurement error).

> Moreover reading of metadata would be simpler for plugin repository.

without any doubts