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Version: Next

Installing Abstract Backend and Providers

Use this guide to install the core library, layer in provider packages, and verify that entry-point discovery works end-to-end.

Step 1 · Install the core package​

Pick the workflow that matches your dependency manager.

python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate  # Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate
pip install abstract-backend

At this point you have access to the shared abstractions: QueueBackend, EventConsumer, the plugin loader, and the in-memory MemoryBackend fallback.

Step 2 · Install one or more providers​

Providers are distributed as normal Python packages that register the abe.backends.message_queue entry point group. Install as many as you need:

pip install abe-backend-memory              # ships with the repo (development only)
pip install abe-backend-redis              # example third-party provider
pip install abe-backend-sqs                # another provider

Replace the package names with the providers published by your organization. Providers must expose a from_env() class method that creates the backend instance.

Step 3 · Select a provider at runtime​

Abstract Backend chooses the first non-memory provider it finds unless you override it. Set the QUEUE_BACKEND environment variable to pick a specific implementation:

export QUEUE_BACKEND=redis   # macOS/Linux
set QUEUE_BACKEND=redis      # Windows (cmd)
$env:QUEUE_BACKEND="redis"   # Windows (PowerShell)

Skip this step to accept the auto-selection behavior (or fall back to the memory backend when no providers are installed).

Step 4 · Verify discovery​

Run this snippet after installation to make sure your provider can be resolved:

from abe.backends.message_queue.loader import load_backend

backend = load_backend()
print(type(backend).__name__)

You should see the class name of the provider you installed (for example RedisBackend). If the memory fallback loads instead, double-check the environment variable and that the provider package exposes the entry point.

Optional · Installing straight from source​

If you are contributing to the library itself, clone the repository and install it in editable mode:

git clone https://github.com/Chisanan232/abstract-backend.git
cd abstract-backend
pip install -e .[dev]

Editable installs keep your working tree and installed package in sync while you experiment.

Move on to How to Run to wire the loader and consumer into your application.