Problem Statement

Currently, the scanner uses a hardcoded list of known pytest plugin package names (e.g., pytest_mock, pytest_asyncio, pytest_django, etc.) to identify which packages to scan for fixtures. This approach has several limitations:

• New or custom plugins are not discovered
• The list requires manual maintenance
• Some plugins may be missed if they don't follow naming conventions

Proposed Solution

Replace the hardcoded pytest plugin package names with dynamic discovery via pytest11 entry points in .dist-info/entry_points.txt. This is the standard mechanism pytest itself uses to discover plugins.

Background

The entry_points.txt file in a .dist-info directory looks like:

[pytest11]
plugin_name = package.module:optional_attr
mock = pytest_mock
asyncio = pytest_asyncio.plugin

Each entry in the [pytest11] section registers a pytest plugin module that should be loaded.

Implementation Requirements

Scanner Changes (src/fixtures/scanner.rs)

1. Add load_plugin_from_entry_point() method to:

   • Read entry_points.txt from .dist-info directories
   • Parse the [pytest11] section
   • Resolve module paths to file paths within site-packages
   • Scan discovered plugin modules for fixtures

2. Modify scan_pytest_plugins() to:

   • Iterate over ALL .dist-info directories instead of filtering by package name
   • Call load_plugin_from_entry_point() for each dist-info directory
   • Remove or deprecate the hardcoded pytest_packages list

Scope

This issue focuses on discovering plugins installed normally in site-packages. Editable installs (pip install -e) are out of scope and will be addressed in a follow up issue.

Expected Benefits

1. Automatic discovery: Any properly registered pytest plugin will be discovered
2. No maintenance: No need to update a hardcoded list when new plugins are released
3. Custom plugins: User's own pytest plugins are discovered if properly packaged

Testing Requirements

Tests should verify:

• Entry point parsing and module resolution
• Fixture discovery from dynamically discovered plugins
• Handling of malformed or missing entry_points.txt files
• Packages without pytest11 entry points are not scanned