New plugin hook for before reactor construction

armi/plugins.py

@@ -267,6 +267,15 @@ def onProcessCoreLoading(core, cs, dbLoad) -> None:
         constructing a Core from Blueprints, or after loading it from a database.
         """
 
+    @staticmethod
+    @HOOKSPEC
+    def beforeReactorConstruction(cs) -> None:
+        """
+        Function to call before the reactor is constructed.
+
+        TODO fill out. Requirement for this?
+        """
+
     @staticmethod
     @HOOKSPEC
     def defineFlags() -> Dict[str, Union[int, flags.auto]]:

armi/reactor/__init__.py

@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@
 
 from typing import Dict, Callable, Union, TYPE_CHECKING
 
+from armi import materials
 from armi import plugins
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
@@ -62,6 +63,18 @@
 class ReactorPlugin(plugins.ArmiPlugin):
     """Plugin exposing built-in reactor components, blocks, assemblies, etc."""
 
+    @staticmethod
+    @plugins.HOOKIMPL
+    def beforeReactorConstruction(cs) -> None:
+        from armi.settings.fwSettings.globalSettings import (
+            CONF_MATERIAL_NAMESPACE_ORDER,
+        )
+
+        # just before reactor construction, update the material "registry" with user settings,
+        # if it is set. Often it is set by the application.
+        if cs[CONF_MATERIAL_NAMESPACE_ORDER]:
+            materials.setMaterialNamespaceOrder(cs[CONF_MATERIAL_NAMESPACE_ORDER])
+
     @staticmethod
     @plugins.HOOKIMPL
     def defineBlockTypes():

armi/reactor/reactors.py

@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 from typing import Optional
 import copy
 
-from armi import materials
+from armi import getPluginManagerOrFail
 from armi import runLog
 from armi.reactor import composites
 from armi.reactor import reactorParameters
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
 from armi.reactor.systemLayoutInput import SystemLayoutInput
 from armi.settings.fwSettings.globalSettings import (
     CONF_GEOM_FILE,
-    CONF_MATERIAL_NAMESPACE_ORDER,
     CONF_SORT_REACTOR,
 )
 from armi.utils import directoryChangers
@@ -180,10 +179,9 @@ def factory(cs, bp, geom: Optional[SystemLayoutInput] = None) -> Reactor:
     from armi.reactor import blueprints
 
     runLog.header("=========== Constructing Reactor and Verifying Inputs ===========")
-    # just before reactor construction, update the material "registry" with user settings,
-    # if it is set. Often it is set by the application.
-    if cs[CONF_MATERIAL_NAMESPACE_ORDER]:
-        materials.setMaterialNamespaceOrder(cs[CONF_MATERIAL_NAMESPACE_ORDER])
+
+    getPluginManagerOrFail().hook.beforeReactorConstruction(cs=cs)
+
     r = Reactor(cs.caseTitle, bp)
 
     if cs[CONF_GEOM_FILE]:

doc/release/0.4.rst

@@ -14,11 +14,12 @@ New Features
 #. Adding ``--skip-inspection`` flag to ``CompareCases`` CLI. (`PR#1842 <https://github.com/terrapower/armi/pull/1842>`_)
 #. Allow merging a component with zero area into another component (`PR#1858 <https://github.com/terrapower/armi/pull/1858>`_)
 #. Use ``Block.getNumPins()`` in ``HexBlock._rotatePins()``. (`PR#1859 <https://github.com/terrapower/armi/pull/1859>`_)
-#. Provide utilities for determining location of a rotated object in a hexagonal lattice (``getIndexOfRotatedCell``). (`PR#1846 <https://github.com/terrapower/armi/1846`)
+#. Provide utilities for determining location of a rotated object in a hexagonal lattice (``getIndexOfRotatedCell``). (`PR#1846 <https://github.com/terrapower/armi/1846>`_)
 #. Allow merging a component with zero area into another component. (`PR#1858 <https://github.com/terrapower/armi/pull/1858>`_)
 #. Provide ``Parameter.hasCategory`` for quickly checking if a parameter is defined with a given category. (`PR#1899 <https://github.com/terrapower/armi/pull/1899>`_)
 #. Provide ``ParameterCollection.where`` for efficient iteration over parameters who's definition matches a given condition. (`PR#1899 <https://github.com/terrapower/armi/pull/1899>`_)
-#. Plugins can provide the ``getAxialExpansionChanger`` hook to customize axial expansion. (`PR#1870 <https://github.com/terrapower/armi/pull/1870`_)
+#. Plugins can provide the ``getAxialExpansionChanger`` hook to customize axial expansion. (`PR#1870 <https://github.com/terrapower/armi/pull/1870>`_)
+#. New plugin hook ``beforeReactorConstruction`` added to enable plugins to process case settings before reactor init. (`PR#1945 <https://github.com/terrapower/armi/pull/1945>`_)
 #. TBD
 
 API Changes
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ API Changes
 #. Removing ``buildEqRingSchedule``. (`PR#1928 <https://github.com/terrapower/armi/pull/1928>`_)
 #. Allowing for unknown Flags when opening a DB. (`PR#1844 <https://github.com/terrapower/armi/pull/1835>`_)
 #. Removing ``assemblyLists.py`` and the ``AssemblyList`` class. (`PR#1891 <https://github.com/terrapower/armi/pull/1891>`_)
-#. Removing ``Assembly.rotatePins`` and ``Block.rotatePins``. Prefer ``Assembly.rotate`` and ``Block.rotate``. (`PR#1846 <https://github.com/terrapower/armi/1846`_)
+#. Removing ``Assembly.rotatePins`` and ``Block.rotatePins``. Prefer ``Assembly.rotate`` and ``Block.rotate``. (`PR#1846 <https://github.com/terrapower/armi/1846>`_)
 #. Transposing ``pinMgFluxes`` parameters so that leading dimension is pin index (`PR#1937 <https://github.com/terrapower/armi/pull/1937>`)
 #. TBD