Ensure plugin manifest is non-nullable

Flow.Launcher.Plugin/Interfaces/IPublicAPI.cs

@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Reloads any Plugins that have the
         /// IReloadable implemented. It refeshes
         /// Plugin's in memory data with new content
         /// added by user.
         /// </summary>
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@
         Task<Stream> HttpGetStreamAsync(string url, CancellationToken token = default);
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Download the specific url to a cretain file path
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="url">URL to download file</param>
         /// <param name="filePath">path to save downloaded file</param>
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Log an Exception. Will throw if in debug mode so developer will be aware,
         /// otherwise logs the eror message. This is the primary logging method used for Flow
         /// </summary>
         void LogException(string className, string message, Exception e, [CallerMemberName] string methodName = "");
 
@@ -533,12 +533,12 @@
         public Task<bool> UpdatePluginManifestAsync(bool usePrimaryUrlOnly = false, CancellationToken token = default);
 
         /// <summary>
-        /// Get the plugin manifest.
+        /// Get the current plugin manifest entries known to Flow Launcher.
         /// </summary>
-        /// <remarks>
-        /// If Flow cannot get manifest data, this could be null
-        /// </remarks>
-        /// <returns></returns>
+        /// <returns>
+        /// A non-null read-only list of <see cref="UserPlugin"/> entries. The list may be empty if the
+        /// manifest has not been loaded yet, or if no successful manifest fetch has completed in the current session.
+        /// </returns>
         public IReadOnlyList<UserPlugin> GetPluginManifest();
 
         /// <summary>

Flow.Launcher/PublicAPIInstance.cs

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-using System;
+using System;
 using System.Collections.Concurrent;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Collections.Specialized;
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 using Flow.Launcher.Plugin.SharedCommands;
 using Flow.Launcher.Plugin.SharedModels;
 using Flow.Launcher.ViewModel;
 using iNKORE.UI.WPF.Modern;
 using JetBrains.Annotations;
 using Squirrel;
 using Stopwatch = Flow.Launcher.Infrastructure.Stopwatch;
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@
         public Task<bool> UpdatePluginManifestAsync(bool usePrimaryUrlOnly = false, CancellationToken token = default) =>
             PluginsManifest.UpdateManifestAsync(usePrimaryUrlOnly, token);
 
-        public IReadOnlyList<UserPlugin> GetPluginManifest() => PluginsManifest.UserPlugins;
+        public IReadOnlyList<UserPlugin> GetPluginManifest() => PluginsManifest.UserPlugins ?? [];
 
         public bool PluginModified(string id) => PluginManager.PluginModified(id);
 

Flow.Launcher/SettingPages/ViewModels/SettingsPanePluginStoreViewModel.cs

@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ public bool ShowExecutable
         }
     }
 
-    public IList<PluginStoreItemViewModel> ExternalPlugins => App.API.GetPluginManifest()?
+    public IList<PluginStoreItemViewModel> ExternalPlugins => App.API.GetPluginManifest()
         .Select(p => new PluginStoreItemViewModel(p))
         .OrderByDescending(p => p.Category == PluginStoreItemViewModel.NewRelease)
         .ThenByDescending(p => p.Category == PluginStoreItemViewModel.RecentlyUpdated)