Extract employee directory into a plugin

Third core feature pulled into a plugin (blueprint-only, like slides). The
employee directory is a read-only lookup over a separate HR database.

- plugins/employees/: manifest (api_prefix /api/employees, no deps), api/ (moved
  blueprint, contract-pure: success/error/ErrorCodes + employee_connection all
  from shopdb.api), plugin.py (get_blueprint, get_models -> []).
- employee_connection STAYS core infrastructure in shopdb.api (config-driven
  external DB connector, shared by search + the notifications shopfloor feed). So
  no get_services needed and no contract change - the plugin owns the directory
  FEATURE, core owns the shared connector.
- Fixed a latent bug in the move: error paths used ErrorCodes.DATABASE_ERROR
  which does not exist -> ErrorCodes.INTERNAL_ERROR (so a directory outage now
  returns a clean 500 envelope instead of an AttributeError crash).
- De-cored: deleted shopdb/core/api/employees.py, removed from
  CORE_BLUEPRINT_NAMES + core/api/__init__ import/__all__. Registered in
  instance/plugins.json.

Pinned first: validation (400) + graceful-degrade (500) characterization tests;
the degrade test caught the DATABASE_ERROR bug and goes green with the fix.
184 tests pass, naming green, app boots 9 bundled plugins, endpoint verified live.

Plugin extractions complete: knowledgebase, slides, employees.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>

plugins/employees/__init__.py

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+"""Employees plugin package."""
+
+from .plugin import EmployeesPlugin
+
+__all__ = ['EmployeesPlugin']

plugins/employees/api/__init__.py

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+"""Employees plugin API."""
+
+from .routes import employees_bp
+
+__all__ = ['employees_bp']

plugins/employees/api/routes.py

@@ -1,16 +1,22 @@
 """Employee lookup API endpoints.
 
-These read from the separate employee directory DB (see shopdb.utils.employee_db).
-They are intentionally reachable by the unauthenticated shopfloor kiosk displays
-(recognition wall), so they are not JWT-gated; keep them read-only and never
-return more than the directory fields below.
+These read from the separate employee directory DB (employee_connection is core
+infrastructure exposed via shopdb.api, shared with search + notifications). The
+endpoints are intentionally reachable by the unauthenticated shopfloor kiosk
+displays (recognition wall), so they are not JWT-gated; keep them read-only and
+never return more than the directory fields below.
 """
 
 import logging
 
 from flask import Blueprint, request
-from shopdb.utils.responses import success_response, error_response, ErrorCodes
-from shopdb.utils.employee_db import employee_connection
+
+from shopdb.api import (
+    success_response,
+    error_response,
+    ErrorCodes,
+    employee_connection,
+)
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -56,7 +62,7 @@ def search_employees():
     except Exception:
         logger.exception('Employee search failed')
         return error_response(
-            ErrorCodes.DATABASE_ERROR,
+            ErrorCodes.INTERNAL_ERROR,
             'Employee lookup failed',
             http_code=500
         )
@@ -92,7 +98,7 @@ def lookup_employee(sso):
     except Exception:
         logger.exception('Employee lookup failed for SSO %s', sso)
         return error_response(
-            ErrorCodes.DATABASE_ERROR,
+            ErrorCodes.INTERNAL_ERROR,
             'Employee lookup failed',
             http_code=500
         )
@@ -138,7 +144,7 @@ def lookup_employees():
     except Exception:
         logger.exception('Employee multi-lookup failed')
         return error_response(
-            ErrorCodes.DATABASE_ERROR,
+            ErrorCodes.INTERNAL_ERROR,
             'Employee lookup failed',
             http_code=500
         )

plugins/employees/manifest.json

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+{
+  "name": "employees",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "description": "Read-only employee directory lookup (separate HR database)",
+  "author": "ShopDB Team",
+  "dependencies": [],
+  "core_version": ">=0.1.0,<1.0.0",
+  "api_prefix": "/api/employees",
+  "provides": {
+    "features": ["employee_directory"]
+  }
+}

plugins/employees/plugin.py

@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+"""Employees plugin main class.
+
+Blueprint-only plugin: a read-only employee directory lookup over a separate HR
+database. No model (the directory is an external DB) and no AssetType. The
+connection helper (employee_connection) stays core infrastructure in shopdb.api,
+shared with search and the notifications shopfloor feed.
+"""
+
+import json
+import logging
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import List, Dict, Optional, Type
+
+from flask import Flask, Blueprint
+
+from shopdb.plugins.base import BasePlugin, PluginMeta
+
+from .api import employees_bp
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+class EmployeesPlugin(BasePlugin):
+    """Employees plugin - read-only HR directory lookup."""
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        self._manifest = self._load_manifest()
+
+    def _load_manifest(self) -> Dict:
+        """Load plugin manifest from JSON file."""
+        manifest_path = Path(__file__).parent / 'manifest.json'
+        if manifest_path.exists():
+            with open(manifest_path, 'r') as f:
+                return json.load(f)
+        return {}
+
+    @property
+    def meta(self) -> PluginMeta:
+        """Return plugin metadata."""
+        return PluginMeta(
+            name=self._manifest.get('name', 'employees'),
+            version=self._manifest.get('version', '1.0.0'),
+            description=self._manifest.get(
+                'description',
+                'Read-only employee directory lookup'
+            ),
+            author=self._manifest.get('author', 'ShopDB Team'),
+            dependencies=self._manifest.get('dependencies', []),
+            core_version=self._manifest.get('core_version', '>=0.1.0,<1.0.0'),
+            api_prefix=self._manifest.get('api_prefix', '/api/employees'),
+        )
+
+    def get_blueprint(self) -> Optional[Blueprint]:
+        """Return Flask Blueprint with API routes."""
+        return employees_bp
+
+    def get_models(self) -> List[Type]:
+        """No models - the directory is an external database."""
+        return []
+
+    def init_app(self, app: Flask, db_instance) -> None:
+        """Initialize plugin with Flask app."""
+        logger.info(f"Employees plugin initialized (v{self.meta.version})")

shopdb/__init__.py

@@ -105,7 +105,6 @@ CORE_BLUEPRINT_NAMES = (
     'search',
     'reports',
     'collector',
-    'employees',
     'settings',
     'auditlogs',
     'users',

shopdb/core/api/__init__.py

@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ from .applications import applications_bp
 from .search import search_bp
 from .reports import reports_bp
 from .collector import collector_bp
-from .employees import employees_bp
 from .settings import settings_bp
 from .auditlogs import auditlogs_bp
 from .users import users_bp
@@ -34,7 +33,6 @@ __all__ = [
     'search_bp',
     'reports_bp',
     'collector_bp',
-    'employees_bp',
     'settings_bp',
     'auditlogs_bp',
     'users_bp',

tests/test_core/test_employees.py

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+"""Characterization tests for the employee directory endpoints.
+
+Written before extracting employees into a plugin. The wjf_employees DB is not
+available under test, so these assert the DB-independent behaviors: validation
+(400) and graceful failure (500 envelope, not an unhandled crash) when the
+directory is unreachable. Behavior must be identical as a plugin blueprint.
+"""
+
+
+def test_search_requires_min_query(client, db):
+    """A too-short query is rejected before touching the directory DB."""
+    resp = client.get('/api/employees/search?q=a')
+    assert resp.status_code == 400
+
+
+def test_lookup_requires_numeric_sso(client, db):
+    """Non-numeric SSO is rejected without touching the directory DB."""
+    resp = client.get('/api/employees/lookup/abc')
+    assert resp.status_code == 400
+
+
+def test_search_degrades_when_directory_unreachable(client, db):
+    """With the directory DB unavailable, search returns a clean 500 envelope."""
+    resp = client.get('/api/employees/search?q=smith')
+    assert resp.status_code == 500
+    assert resp.get_json()['status'] == 'error'

tests/test_plugin_contract.py

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ from shopdb.plugins import plugin_manager
 from shopdb.plugins.base import BasePlugin, PluginMeta
 
 
-BUNDLED_PLUGINS = ('computers', 'equipment', 'knowledgebase', 'network', 'notifications', 'printers', 'slides', 'usb')
+BUNDLED_PLUGINS = ('computers', 'employees', 'equipment', 'knowledgebase', 'network', 'notifications', 'printers', 'slides', 'usb')
 
 
 @pytest.fixture

tests/test_smoke.py

@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ def test_plugin_loader_discovers_bundled_plugins(app):
 
     expected_plugins = {
         'computers',
+        'employees',
         'equipment',
         'knowledgebase',
         'network',