# SearXNG’s engines loader — SearXNG Documentation (2024.5.4+dbed8da28)

# SearXNG’s engines loader

Load and initialize the `engines`, see `load_engines()` and register `engine_shortcuts`.

usage:

    load_engines( settings['engines'] )

searx.engines.is_missing_required_attributes(engine)

  An attribute is required when its name doesn’t start with `_` (underline). Required attributes must not be `None`.

searx.engines.load_engine(engine_data: dict ) → Engine | types.ModuleType | None

  Load engine from `engine_data`.

  Parameters:

    engine_data (dict) – Attributes from YAML `settings:engines/<engine>`

  Returns:

    initialized namespace of the `<engine>`.

  1. create a namespace and load module of the `<engine>`

  2. update namespace with the defaults from `ENGINE_DEFAULT_ARGS`

  3. update namespace with values from `engine_data`

  If engine is active, return namespace of the engine, otherwise return `None`.

  This function also returns `None` if initialization of the namespace fails for one of the following reasons:

  - engine name contains underscore

  - engine name is not lowercase

  - required attribute is not set `is_missing_required_attributes()`

searx.engines.load_engines(engine_list)

  usage: `engine_list = settings['engines']`

searx.engines.using_tor_proxy(engine: Engine | types.ModuleType )

  Return True if the engine configuration declares to use Tor.

searx.engines.engine_shortcuts

  Simple map of registered shortcuts to name of the engine (or `None`).

      engine_shortcuts[engine.shortcut] = engine.name