Plugins: replaces various plugin imports with pluginImporter (#108002)

* Plugins: renames plugin_loader

* Wip

* chore: adds pluginImporter

* chore: some small refactors

* chore: better typings

* chore: merge functions

* chore: create a generic plugin cache

* chore: adds comments

* chore: change to const

* chore: remove unused change

* chore: put everything behind feature toggle

* chore: rename test file and props

* chore: adds sync cache as well

* chore: fix the typings

* chore: fix broken unit test

* chore: small rename

* chore: adds tests

* chore: updates after PR feedback

* chore: updates after PR feedback

pkg/services/featuremgmt/registry.go

@@ -1755,6 +1755,16 @@ var (
 			FrontendOnly:      true,
 			Expression:        "false",
 		},
+		{
+			Name:              "enablePluginImporter",
+			Description:       "Set this to true to use the new PluginImporter functionality",
+			Stage:             FeatureStageExperimental,
+			Owner:             grafanaPluginsPlatformSquad,
+			HideFromAdminPage: true,
+			HideFromDocs:      true,
+			FrontendOnly:      true,
+			Expression:        "false",
+		},
 	}
 )
 

pkg/services/featuremgmt/toggles_gen.csv

@@ -228,3 +228,4 @@ tabularNumbers,GA,@grafana/grafana-frontend-platform,false,false,false
 newInfluxDSConfigPageDesign,privatePreview,@grafana/partner-datasources,false,false,false
 enableAppChromeExtensions,experimental,@grafana/plugins-platform-backend,false,false,true
 foldersAppPlatformAPI,experimental,@grafana/grafana-search-navigate-organise,false,false,true
+enablePluginImporter,experimental,@grafana/plugins-platform-backend,false,false,true

pkg/services/featuremgmt/toggles_gen.go

@@ -922,4 +922,8 @@ const (
 	// FlagFoldersAppPlatformAPI
 	// Enables use of app platform API for folders
 	FlagFoldersAppPlatformAPI = "foldersAppPlatformAPI"
+
+	// FlagEnablePluginImporter
+	// Set this to true to use the new PluginImporter functionality
+	FlagEnablePluginImporter = "enablePluginImporter"
 )

pkg/services/featuremgmt/toggles_gen.json

@@ -1003,6 +1003,22 @@
         "hideFromAdminPage": true
       }
     },
+    {
+      "metadata": {
+        "name": "enablePluginImporter",
+        "resourceVersion": "1752591728321",
+        "creationTimestamp": "2025-07-15T15:02:08Z"
+      },
+      "spec": {
+        "description": "Set this to true to use the new PluginImporter functionality",
+        "stage": "experimental",
+        "codeowner": "@grafana/plugins-platform-backend",
+        "frontend": true,
+        "hideFromAdminPage": true,
+        "hideFromDocs": true,
+        "expression": "false"
+      }
+    },
     {
       "metadata": {
         "name": "enableSCIM",
@@ -2317,6 +2333,23 @@
         "requiresRestart": true
       }
     },
+    {
+      "metadata": {
+        "name": "pluginLoadingRefactor",
+        "resourceVersion": "1752218524617",
+        "creationTimestamp": "2025-07-11T07:22:04Z",
+        "deletionTimestamp": "2025-07-11T07:23:34Z"
+      },
+      "spec": {
+        "description": "Set this to true to use the new plugin loading functionality",
+        "stage": "experimental",
+        "codeowner": "@grafana/plugins-platform-backend",
+        "frontend": true,
+        "hideFromAdminPage": true,
+        "hideFromDocs": true,
+        "expression": "false"
+      }
+    },
     {
       "metadata": {
         "name": "pluginProxyPreserveTrailingSlash",