runmodule

Runmodule is a term used in modular software environments to describe a component or utility responsible for executing modules at runtime. It can be implemented as a standalone tool, a library, or a service within an application and is used to run code units defined as modules, plugins, or tasks.

Purpose and core responsibilities encompass module discovery, loading, initialization, and invocation; dependency resolution; lifecycle management; isolation and error containment; and instrumentation.

Design and features commonly include a registry or manifest describing modules; support for dynamic loading, configuration injection, and entry points; sandboxing or process isolation; logging, tracing, and metrics; and considerations for version compatibility and hot-reloading in development environments.

Usage scenarios span plugin systems in software applications, extensible data processing pipelines, test runners that execute test modules, automation frameworks, and scripting or automation environments in which units of work are defined as modules.

Relation to other concepts positions runmodule as an execution engine within a plugin architecture, related to but distinct from module loaders, dependency managers, and build tools; it often works with a plugin interface or API.

Limitations and considerations include security risk from executing third-party modules; potential performance overhead; cross-language compatibility concerns; and the need for robust error handling, tracing, and governance to maintain reliability.