docs: update XML docs

src/PepperDash.Essentials.Core/Plugins/IPluginDeviceFactory.cs

@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 using System.Collections.Generic;
-using PepperDash.Core;
 
 
 namespace PepperDash.Essentials.Core
@@ -16,8 +15,16 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials.Core
 
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Defines a factory for creating plugin development devices, including support for specific framework versions.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <remarks>This interface extends <see cref="IPluginDeviceFactory"/> to provide additional functionality
+    /// specific to plugin development environments.</remarks>
     public interface IPluginDevelopmentDeviceFactory : IPluginDeviceFactory
     {
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Gets a list of Essentials versions that this device is compatible with.
+        /// </summary>
         List<string> DevelopmentEssentialsFrameworkVersions { get; }
     }
 }

src/PepperDash.Essentials.Core/Plugins/IncompatiblePlugin.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+using Newtonsoft.Json;
+
+
+namespace PepperDash.Essentials;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Represents a plugin that is incompatible with the current system or configuration.
+/// </summary>
+/// <remarks>This class provides details about an incompatible plugin, including its name, the reason for the
+/// incompatibility, and the plugin that triggered the incompatibility. The triggering plugin can be updated dynamically
+/// using the <see cref="UpdateTriggeringPlugin(string)"/> method.</remarks>
+/// <param name="name"></param>
+/// <param name="reason"></param>
+/// <param name="triggeredBy"></param>
+public class IncompatiblePlugin(string name, string reason, string triggeredBy = null)
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets the name associated with the object.
+    /// </summary>
+    [JsonProperty("name")]
+    public string Name { get; private set; } = name;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets the reason associated with the current operation or response.
+    /// </summary>
+    [JsonProperty("reason")]
+    public string Reason { get; private set; } = reason;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets the identifier of the entity or process that triggered the current operation.
+    /// </summary>
+    [JsonProperty("triggeredBy")]
+    public string TriggeredBy { get; private set; } = triggeredBy ?? "Direct load";
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Updates the name of the plugin that triggered the current operation.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="triggeringPlugin">The name of the triggering plugin. Must not be null or empty. If the value is null or empty, the operation is
+    /// ignored.</param>
+    public void UpdateTriggeringPlugin(string triggeringPlugin)
+    {
+        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(triggeringPlugin))
+        {
+            TriggeredBy = triggeringPlugin;
+        }
+    }
+}

src/PepperDash.Essentials.Core/Plugins/LoadedAssembly.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+using System.Reflection;
+using Newtonsoft.Json;
+
+
+namespace PepperDash.Essentials;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Represents an assembly that has been loaded, including its name, version, and the associated <see
+/// cref="System.Reflection.Assembly"/> instance.
+/// </summary>
+/// <remarks>This class provides information about a loaded assembly, including its name and version as strings, 
+/// and the associated <see cref="System.Reflection.Assembly"/> object. The assembly instance can be updated  using the
+/// <see cref="SetAssembly(Assembly)"/> method.</remarks>
+/// <param name="name"></param>
+/// <param name="version"></param>
+/// <param name="assembly"></param>
+public class LoadedAssembly(string name, string version, Assembly assembly)
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets the name associated with the object.
+    /// </summary>
+    [JsonProperty("name")]
+    public string Name { get; private set; } = name;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets the version of the object as a string.
+    /// </summary>
+    [JsonProperty("version")]
+    public string Version { get; private set; } = version;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets the assembly associated with the current instance.
+    /// </summary>
+    [JsonIgnore]
+    public Assembly Assembly { get; private set; } = assembly;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Sets the assembly associated with the current instance.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="assembly">The <see cref="System.Reflection.Assembly"/> to associate with the current instance. Cannot be <see
+    /// langword="null"/>.</param>
+    public void SetAssembly(Assembly assembly)
+    {
+        Assembly = assembly;
+    }
+}

src/PepperDash.Essentials.Core/Plugins/Net8CompatibleAttribute.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+using System;
+
+
+namespace PepperDash.Essentials;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Indicates whether the assembly is compatible with .NET 8.
+/// </summary>
+/// <remarks>This attribute is used to specify compatibility with .NET 8 for an assembly.  By default, the
+/// assembly is considered compatible unless explicitly marked otherwise.</remarks>
+/// <param name="isCompatible">A boolean value indicating whether the assembly is compatible with .NET 8.  The default value is <see
+/// langword="true"/>.</param>
+[AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Assembly)]
+public class Net8CompatibleAttribute(bool isCompatible = true) : Attribute
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets a value indicating whether the current object is compatible with the required conditions.
+    /// </summary>
+    public bool IsCompatible { get; } = isCompatible;
+}

src/PepperDash.Essentials.Core/Plugins/PluginLoader.cs

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-using System;
+using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Linq;
 using Crestron.SimplSharp;
@@ -10,53 +10,78 @@ using System.Reflection.Metadata;
 using PepperDash.Core;
 using PepperDash.Essentials.Core;
 using Serilog.Events;
-using Newtonsoft.Json;
 
 
-namespace PepperDash.Essentials
+namespace PepperDash.Essentials;
-{
+
 /// <summary>
-    /// Deals with loading plugins at runtime
+/// Provides functionality for loading and managing plugins and assemblies in the application.
 /// </summary>
+/// <remarks>The <see cref="PluginLoader"/> class is responsible for discovering, loading, and managing assemblies
+/// and plugins, including handling compatibility checks for .NET 8. It supports loading assemblies from  the program
+/// directory, plugins folder, and .cplz archives. Additionally, it tracks incompatible plugins  and provides reporting
+/// capabilities for loaded assemblies and their versions.</remarks>
 public static class PluginLoader
 {
     /// <summary>
-        /// The complete list of loaded assemblies. Includes Essentials Framework assemblies and plugins
+    /// Gets the list of assemblies that have been loaded into the application.
     /// </summary>
     public static List<LoadedAssembly> LoadedAssemblies { get; private set; }
 
     /// <summary>
-        /// The list of assemblies loaded from the plugins folder
+    /// Represents a collection of assemblies loaded from the plugin folder.
     /// </summary>
-        static List<LoadedAssembly> LoadedPluginFolderAssemblies;
+    /// <remarks>This field is used to store assemblies that have been dynamically loaded from a designated
+    /// plugin folder. It is intended for internal use and should not be modified directly.</remarks>
+    private static readonly List<LoadedAssembly> LoadedPluginFolderAssemblies;
 
     /// <summary>
-        /// List of plugins that were found to be incompatible with .NET 8
+    /// Gets the list of plugins that are incompatible with the current system or configuration.
     /// </summary>
+    /// <remarks>This property provides information about plugins that are not supported or cannot function
+    /// correctly in the current environment. Use this list to identify and handle incompatible plugins appropriately in
+    /// your application logic.</remarks>
     public static List<IncompatiblePlugin> IncompatiblePlugins { get; private set; }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets the loaded assembly that contains the core functionality of the application.
+    /// </summary>
     public static LoadedAssembly EssentialsAssembly { get; private set; }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets the loaded assembly information for the PepperDash Core library.
+    /// </summary>
     public static LoadedAssembly PepperDashCoreAssembly { get; private set; }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets the list of assemblies that are Essentials plugins loaded by the application.
+    /// </summary>
     public static List<LoadedAssembly> EssentialsPluginAssemblies { get; private set; }
 
     /// <summary>
-        /// The directory to look in for .cplz plugin packages
+    /// Gets the directory path where plugins are stored.
     /// </summary>
-        static string _pluginDirectory => Global.FilePathPrefix + "plugins";
+    private static string PluginDirectory => Global.FilePathPrefix + "plugins";
 
     /// <summary>
-        /// The directory where plugins will be moved to and loaded from
+    /// Gets the directory path where loaded plugin assemblies are stored.
     /// </summary>
-        static string _loadedPluginsDirectoryPath => _pluginDirectory + Global.DirectorySeparator + "loadedAssemblies";
+    private static string LoadedPluginsDirectoryPath => PluginDirectory + Global.DirectorySeparator + "loadedAssemblies";
 
-        // The temp directory where .cplz archives will be unzipped to
+    /// <summary>
-        static string _tempDirectory => _pluginDirectory + Global.DirectorySeparator + "temp";
+    /// Gets the path to the temporary directory used by the plugin.
+    /// </summary>
+    private static string TempDirectory => PluginDirectory + Global.DirectorySeparator + "temp";
 
-        // Known incompatible types in .NET 8
+    /// <summary>
-        private static readonly HashSet<string> KnownIncompatibleTypes = new HashSet<string>
+    /// Represents a collection of fully qualified type names that are known to be incompatible with the current
-        {
+    /// application or framework.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <remarks>This collection contains the names of types that are deprecated, obsolete, or otherwise
+    /// incompatible with the intended usage of the application. These types may represent security risks, unsupported
+    /// features, or legacy APIs that should be avoided.</remarks>
+    private static readonly HashSet<string> KnownIncompatibleTypes =
+    [
         "System.Net.ICertificatePolicy",
         "System.Security.Cryptography.SHA1CryptoServiceProvider",
         "System.Web.HttpUtility",
@@ -68,19 +93,31 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
         "System.Security.SecurityManager",
         "System.Security.Permissions.FileIOPermission",
         "System.AppDomain.CreateDomain"
-        };
+    ];
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Initializes static members of the <see cref="PluginLoader"/> class.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <remarks>This static constructor initializes the collections used to manage plugin assemblies and
+    /// track incompatible plugins.</remarks>
     static PluginLoader()
     {
-            LoadedAssemblies = new List<LoadedAssembly>();
+        LoadedAssemblies = [];
-            LoadedPluginFolderAssemblies = new List<LoadedAssembly>();
+        LoadedPluginFolderAssemblies = [];
-            EssentialsPluginAssemblies = new List<LoadedAssembly>();
+        EssentialsPluginAssemblies = [];
-            IncompatiblePlugins = new List<IncompatiblePlugin>();
+        IncompatiblePlugins = [];
     }
 
     /// <summary>
-        /// Retrieves all the loaded assemblies from the program directory
+    /// Loads and registers assemblies from the application's directory that match specific naming patterns.
     /// </summary>
+    /// <remarks>This method scans the application's directory for assemblies with filenames containing 
+    /// "Essentials" or "PepperDash" and registers them in the <see cref="LoadedAssemblies"/> collection.  It also
+    /// assigns specific assemblies to predefined properties, such as <see cref="EssentialsAssembly"/>  and <see
+    /// cref="PepperDashCoreAssembly"/>, based on their names.   Debug messages are logged at various stages to provide
+    /// detailed information about the process,  including the number of assemblies found and their versions. This
+    /// method is intended to be used  during application initialization to ensure required assemblies are loaded and
+    /// tracked.</remarks>
     public static void AddProgramAssemblies()
     {
         Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Verbose, "Getting Assemblies loaded with Essentials");
@@ -137,31 +174,42 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
         }
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Associates the specified assembly with the given name in the loaded assemblies collection.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <remarks>If an assembly with the specified name already exists in the loaded assemblies collection, 
+    /// this method updates its associated assembly. If no matching name is found, the method does nothing.</remarks>
+    /// <param name="name">The name used to identify the assembly. This value is case-sensitive and must not be null or empty.</param>
+    /// <param name="assembly">The assembly to associate with the specified name. This value must not be null.</param>
     public static void SetEssentialsAssembly(string name, Assembly assembly)
     {
         var loadedAssembly = LoadedAssemblies.FirstOrDefault(la => la.Name.Equals(name));
 
-            if (loadedAssembly != null)
+        loadedAssembly?.SetAssembly(assembly);
-            {
-                loadedAssembly.SetAssembly(assembly);
-            }
     }
 
     /// <summary>
-        /// Checks if a plugin is compatible with .NET 8 by examining its metadata
+    /// Determines whether a plugin assembly is compatible with .NET 8.
     /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="filePath">Path to the plugin assembly</param>
+    /// <remarks>This method analyzes the provided assembly to determine compatibility with .NET 8 by checking
-        /// <returns>Tuple with compatibility result, reason if incompatible, and referenced assemblies</returns>
+    /// for known incompatible types, inspecting custom attributes, and collecting assembly references. If the analysis
+    /// encounters an error, the method returns <see langword="false"/> with an appropriate error message.</remarks>
+    /// <param name="filePath">The file path to the plugin assembly to analyze.</param>
+    /// <returns>A tuple containing the following: <list type="bullet"> <item> <description><see langword="true"/> if the plugin
+    /// is compatible with .NET 8; otherwise, <see langword="false"/>.</description> </item> <item> <description>A
+    /// string providing the reason for incompatibility, or <see langword="null"/> if the plugin is
+    /// compatible.</description> </item> <item> <description>A list of assembly references found in the
+    /// plugin.</description> </item> </list></returns>
     public static (bool IsCompatible, string Reason, List<string> References) IsPluginCompatibleWithNet8(string filePath)
     {
         try
         {
-                List<string> referencedAssemblies = new List<string>();
+            List<string> referencedAssemblies = [];
+
+            using FileStream fs = new(filePath, FileMode.Open,
+                    FileAccess.Read, FileShare.ReadWrite);
+            using PEReader peReader = new(fs);
 
-                using (FileStream fs = new FileStream(filePath, FileMode.Open, 
-                        FileAccess.Read, FileShare.ReadWrite))
-                using (PEReader peReader = new PEReader(fs))
-                {
             if (!peReader.HasMetadata)
                 return (false, "Not a valid .NET assembly", referencedAssemblies);
 
@@ -218,7 +266,6 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
             // If we can't determine incompatibility, assume it's compatible
             return (true, null, referencedAssemblies);
         }
-            }
         catch (Exception ex)
         {
             return (false, $"Error analyzing assembly: {ex.Message}", new List<string>());
@@ -226,11 +273,21 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
     }
 
     /// <summary>
-        /// Loads an assembly via Reflection and adds it to the list of loaded assemblies
+    /// Loads an assembly from the specified file path and verifies its compatibility with .NET 8.
     /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="filePath">Path to the assembly file</param>
+    /// <remarks>This method performs a compatibility check to ensure the assembly is compatible with .NET 8
-        /// <param name="requestedBy">Name of the plugin requesting this assembly (null for direct loads)</param>
+    /// before attempting to load it. If the assembly is incompatible, it is added to the list of incompatible plugins,
-        static LoadedAssembly LoadAssembly(string filePath, string requestedBy = null)
+    /// and a warning is logged. If the assembly is already loaded, the existing instance is returned instead of
+    /// reloading it.  Exceptions during the load process are handled internally, and appropriate log messages are
+    /// generated for issues such as: <list type="bullet"> <item><description>Incompatibility with .NET
+    /// 8.</description></item> <item><description>File load conflicts (e.g., an assembly with the same name is already
+    /// loaded).</description></item> <item><description>General errors, including potential .NET Framework
+    /// compatibility issues.</description></item> </list></remarks>
+    /// <param name="filePath">The full path to the assembly file to load. This cannot be null or empty.</param>
+    /// <param name="requestedBy">An optional identifier for the entity requesting the load operation. This can be null.</param>
+    /// <returns>A <see cref="LoadedAssembly"/> object representing the loaded assembly if the operation succeeds; otherwise,
+    /// <see langword="null"/>.</returns>
+    private static LoadedAssembly LoadAssembly(string filePath, string requestedBy = null)
     {
         try
         {
@@ -303,10 +360,16 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
     }
 
     /// <summary>
-        /// Attempts to get the assembly informational version and if not possible gets the version
+    /// Retrieves the version information of the specified assembly.
     /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="assembly"></param>
+    /// <remarks>This method first attempts to retrieve the version from the <see
-        /// <returns></returns>
+    /// cref="AssemblyInformationalVersionAttribute"/>. If the attribute is not present, it falls back to the assembly's
+    /// version as defined in its metadata.</remarks>
+    /// <param name="assembly">The assembly from which to retrieve the version information. Cannot be <see langword="null"/>.</param>
+    /// <returns>A string representing the version of the assembly. If the assembly has an <see
+    /// cref="AssemblyInformationalVersionAttribute"/>, its <see
+    /// cref="AssemblyInformationalVersionAttribute.InformationalVersion"/> value is returned. Otherwise, the assembly's
+    /// version is returned in the format "Major.Minor.Build.Revision".</returns>
     public static string GetAssemblyVersion(Assembly assembly)
     {
         var ver = assembly.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(AssemblyInformationalVersionAttribute), false);
@@ -326,10 +389,12 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
     }
 
     /// <summary>
-        /// Checks if the filename matches an already loaded assembly file's name
+    /// Determines whether an assembly with the specified name is currently loaded.
     /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="filename"></param>
+    /// <remarks>This method performs a case-sensitive comparison to determine if the specified assembly is
-        /// <returns>True if file already matches loaded assembly file.</returns>
+    /// loaded. It logs verbose messages indicating the status of the check.</remarks>
+    /// <param name="name">The name of the assembly to check. This value is case-sensitive.</param>
+    /// <returns><see langword="true"/> if an assembly with the specified name is loaded; otherwise, <see langword="false"/>.</returns>
     public static bool CheckIfAssemblyLoaded(string name)
     {
         Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Verbose, "Checking if assembly: {0} is loaded...", name);
@@ -348,9 +413,13 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
     }
 
     /// <summary>
-        /// Used by console command to report the currently loaded assemblies and versions
+    /// Reports the versions of the Essentials framework, PepperDash Core, and loaded plugins to the console.
     /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="command"></param>
+    /// <remarks>This method outputs version information for the Essentials framework, PepperDash Core, and
+    /// all loaded Essentials plugins to the Crestron console. If any incompatible plugins are detected, their details
+    /// are also reported, including the reason for incompatibility and the plugin that required them, if
+    /// applicable.</remarks>
+    /// <param name="command">The command string that triggered the version report. This parameter is not used directly by the method.</param>
     public static void ReportAssemblyVersions(string command)
     {
         CrestronConsole.ConsoleCommandResponse("Essentials Version: {0}" + CrestronEnvironment.NewLine, Global.AssemblyVersion);
@@ -381,20 +450,24 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
     }
 
     /// <summary>
-        /// Moves any .dll assemblies not already loaded from the plugins folder to loadedPlugins folder
+    /// Moves .dll assemblies from the plugins folder to the loaded plugins directory.
     /// </summary>
-        static void MoveDllAssemblies()
+    /// <remarks>This method scans the plugins folder for .dll files and moves them to the loaded plugins
+    /// directory if they are not already loaded. If a file with the same name exists in the target directory, it is
+    /// replaced. The method logs the process at various stages and handles exceptions for individual files to ensure
+    /// the operation continues for other files.</remarks>
+    private static void MoveDllAssemblies()
     {
         Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Information, "Looking for .dll assemblies from plugins folder...");
 
-            var pluginDi = new DirectoryInfo(_pluginDirectory);
+        var pluginDi = new DirectoryInfo(PluginDirectory);
         var pluginFiles = pluginDi.GetFiles("*.dll");
 
         if (pluginFiles.Length > 0)
         {
-                if (!Directory.Exists(_loadedPluginsDirectoryPath))
+            if (!Directory.Exists(LoadedPluginsDirectoryPath))
             {
-                    Directory.CreateDirectory(_loadedPluginsDirectoryPath);
+                Directory.CreateDirectory(LoadedPluginsDirectoryPath);
             }
         }
 
@@ -408,7 +481,7 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
                 {
                     string filePath = string.Empty;
 
-                        filePath = _loadedPluginsDirectoryPath + Global.DirectorySeparator + pluginFile.Name;
+                    filePath = LoadedPluginsDirectoryPath + Global.DirectorySeparator + pluginFile.Name;
 
                     // Check if there is a previous file in the loadedPlugins directory and delete
                     if (File.Exists(filePath))
@@ -437,12 +510,17 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
     }
 
     /// <summary>
-        /// Unzips each .cplz archive into the temp directory and moves any unloaded files into loadedPlugins
+    /// Extracts and processes .cplz archive files found in the specified directories, moving their contents to the
+    /// appropriate plugin directory.
     /// </summary>
-        static void UnzipAndMoveCplzArchives()
+    /// <remarks>This method searches for .cplz files in the plugin directory and user folder, extracts their
+    /// contents, and moves any .dll files to the loaded plugins directory. If a .dll file with the same name already
+    /// exists in the target directory, it is replaced with the new file. Temporary files and directories created during
+    /// the process are cleaned up after the operation completes.</remarks>
+    private static void UnzipAndMoveCplzArchives()
     {
         Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Information, "Looking for .cplz archives from plugins folder...");
-            var di = new DirectoryInfo(_pluginDirectory);
+        var di = new DirectoryInfo(PluginDirectory);
         var zFiles = di.GetFiles("*.cplz");
 
         //// Find cplz files at the root of the user folder. Makes development/testing easier for VC-4, and helps with mistakes by end users
@@ -457,16 +535,16 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
 
         if (cplzFiles.Length > 0)
         {
-                if (!Directory.Exists(_loadedPluginsDirectoryPath))
+            if (!Directory.Exists(LoadedPluginsDirectoryPath))
             {
-                    Directory.CreateDirectory(_loadedPluginsDirectoryPath);
+                Directory.CreateDirectory(LoadedPluginsDirectoryPath);
             }
         }
 
         foreach (var zfi in cplzFiles)
         {
-                Directory.CreateDirectory(_tempDirectory);
+            Directory.CreateDirectory(TempDirectory);
-                var tempDi = new DirectoryInfo(_tempDirectory);
+            var tempDi = new DirectoryInfo(TempDirectory);
 
             Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Information, "Found cplz: {0}. Unzipping into temp plugins directory", zfi.FullName);
             var result = CrestronZIP.Unzip(zfi.FullName, tempDi.FullName);
@@ -481,7 +559,7 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
                     {
                         string filePath = string.Empty;
 
-                            filePath = _loadedPluginsDirectoryPath + Global.DirectorySeparator + tempFile.Name;
+                        filePath = LoadedPluginsDirectoryPath + Global.DirectorySeparator + tempFile.Name;
 
                         // Check if there is a previous file in the loadedPlugins directory and delete
                         if (File.Exists(filePath))
@@ -507,7 +585,7 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
             }
 
             // Delete the .cplz and the temp directory
-                Directory.Delete(_tempDirectory, true);
+            Directory.Delete(TempDirectory, true);
             zfi.Delete();
         }
 
@@ -515,12 +593,16 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
     }
 
     /// <summary>
-        /// Attempts to load the assemblies from the loadedPlugins folder
+    /// Loads plugin assemblies from the designated plugin directory, checks their compatibility with .NET 8,  and loads
+    /// the compatible assemblies into the application.
     /// </summary>
-        static void LoadPluginAssemblies()
+    /// <remarks>This method scans the plugin directory for all `.dll` files, verifies their compatibility
+    /// with .NET 8,  and attempts to load the compatible assemblies. Assemblies that are incompatible are logged as
+    /// warnings  and added to a list of incompatible plugins for further inspection.</remarks>
+    private static void LoadPluginAssemblies()
     {
         Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Information, "Loading assemblies from loadedPlugins folder...");
-            var pluginDi = new DirectoryInfo(_loadedPluginsDirectoryPath);
+        var pluginDi = new DirectoryInfo(LoadedPluginsDirectoryPath);
         var pluginFiles = pluginDi.GetFiles("*.dll");
 
         Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Verbose, "Found {0} plugin assemblies to load", pluginFiles.Length);
@@ -538,7 +620,7 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
         foreach (var pluginFile in pluginFiles)
         {
             string fileName = pluginFile.Name;
-                var (isCompatible, reason, references) = assemblyCompatibility[fileName];
+            var (isCompatible, reason, _) = assemblyCompatibility[fileName];
             
             if (!isCompatible)
             {
@@ -560,9 +642,13 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
     }
 
     /// <summary>
-        /// Iterate the loaded assemblies and try to call the LoadPlugin method
+    /// Loads and initializes custom plugin types from the assemblies in the plugin folder.
     /// </summary>
-        static void LoadCustomPluginTypes()
+    /// <remarks>This method iterates through all loaded plugin assemblies, identifies types that implement 
+    /// the <see cref="IPluginDeviceFactory"/> interface, and attempts to instantiate and load them.  Assemblies or
+    /// types that cannot be loaded due to missing dependencies, type loading errors,  or other exceptions are logged,
+    /// and incompatible plugins are tracked for further analysis.</remarks>
+    private static void LoadCustomPluginTypes()
     {
         Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Information, "Loading Custom Plugin Types...");
         
@@ -576,7 +662,7 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
             try
             {
                 var assy = loadedAssembly.Assembly;
-                    Type[] types = {};
+                Type[] types = [];
                 try
                 {
                     types = assy.GetTypes();
@@ -682,8 +768,13 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
     }
 
     /// <summary>
-        /// Updates incompatible plugins with information about which plugins depend on them
+    /// Updates the triggering plugin information for incompatible plugins based on their dependencies.
     /// </summary>
+    /// <remarks>This method iterates through a predefined list of incompatible plugins and updates their
+    /// triggering plugin information if they were directly loaded and are found to be dependencies of other plugins.
+    /// The update is performed for the first plugin that depends on the incompatible plugin.</remarks>
+    /// <param name="pluginDependencies">A dictionary where the key is the name of a plugin and the value is a list of its dependencies. Each dependency
+    /// is represented as a string, which may include additional metadata.</param>
     private static void UpdateIncompatiblePluginDependencies(Dictionary<string, List<string>> pluginDependencies)
     {
         // For each incompatible plugin
@@ -709,16 +800,21 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
             }
         }
     }
-        /// <summary>
-        /// Loads a
-        /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="plugin"></param>
-        /// <param name="loadedAssembly"></param>
-        static void LoadCustomPlugin(IPluginDeviceFactory plugin, LoadedAssembly loadedAssembly)
-        {
-            var developmentPlugin = plugin as IPluginDevelopmentDeviceFactory;
    
-            var passed = developmentPlugin != null ? Global.IsRunningDevelopmentVersion
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Loads a custom plugin and performs a dependency check to ensure compatibility with the required Essentials
+    /// framework version.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <remarks>This method verifies that the plugin meets the minimum required Essentials framework version
+    /// before loading it.  If the plugin fails the dependency check, it is skipped, and a log message is generated.  If
+    /// the plugin passes the check, it is loaded, and its type factories are initialized.</remarks>
+    /// <param name="plugin">The plugin to be loaded, implementing the <see cref="IPluginDeviceFactory"/> interface.  If the plugin also
+    /// implements <see cref="IPluginDevelopmentDeviceFactory"/>, additional checks for development versions are
+    /// performed.</param>
+    /// <param name="loadedAssembly">The assembly associated with the plugin being loaded. This is used for logging and tracking purposes.</param>
+    private static void LoadCustomPlugin(IPluginDeviceFactory plugin, LoadedAssembly loadedAssembly)
+    {
+        var passed = plugin is IPluginDevelopmentDeviceFactory developmentPlugin ? Global.IsRunningDevelopmentVersion
             (developmentPlugin.DevelopmentEssentialsFrameworkVersions, developmentPlugin.MinimumEssentialsFrameworkVersion)
             : Global.IsRunningMinimumVersionOrHigher(plugin.MinimumEssentialsFrameworkVersion);
 
@@ -742,59 +838,20 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
     }    
 
     /// <summary>
-        /// Loads a a custom plugin via the legacy method
+    /// Loads plugins from the designated plugin directory, processes them, and integrates them into the application.
-        /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="type"></param>
-        /// <param name="loadPlugin"></param>
-        static void LoadCustomLegacyPlugin(Type type, MethodInfo loadPlugin, LoadedAssembly loadedAssembly)
-        {
-            Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Verbose, "LoadPlugin method found in {0}", type.Name);
-
-            var fields = type.GetFields(BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.Static);
-
-            var minimumVersion = fields.FirstOrDefault(p => p.Name.Equals("MinimumEssentialsFrameworkVersion"));
-            if (minimumVersion != null)
-            {
-                Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Verbose, "MinimumEssentialsFrameworkVersion found");
-
-                var minimumVersionString = minimumVersion.GetValue(null) as string;
-
-                if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(minimumVersionString))
-                {
-                    var passed = Global.IsRunningMinimumVersionOrHigher(minimumVersionString);
-
-                    if (!passed)
-                    {
-                        Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Information, "Plugin indicates minimum Essentials version {0}.  Dependency check failed.  Skipping Plugin", minimumVersionString);
-                        return;
-                    }
-                    else
-                    {
-                        Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Information, "Passed plugin passed dependency check (required version {0})", minimumVersionString);
-                    }
-                }
-                else
-                {
-                    Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Information, "MinimumEssentialsFrameworkVersion found but not set.  Loading plugin, but your mileage may vary.");
-                }
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Information, "MinimumEssentialsFrameworkVersion not found.  Loading plugin, but your mileage may vary.");
-            }
-
-            Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Information, "Loading legacy plugin: {0}", loadedAssembly.Name);
-            loadPlugin.Invoke(null, null);
-        }
-
-        /// <summary>
-        /// Loads plugins
     /// </summary>
+    /// <remarks>This method performs the following steps: <list type="bullet"> <item><description>Checks if
+    /// the plugin directory exists.</description></item> <item><description>Processes any plugin files, including .dll
+    /// and .cplz files, by moving or extracting them as needed.</description></item> <item><description>Loads
+    /// assemblies from the processed plugins into the application domain.</description></item>
+    /// <item><description>Identifies and reports any incompatible plugins, including the reason for
+    /// incompatibility.</description></item> </list> Plugins that are successfully loaded are made available for use,
+    /// while incompatible plugins are logged for review.</remarks>
     public static void LoadPlugins()
     {
-            Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Information, "Attempting to Load Plugins from {_pluginDirectory}", _pluginDirectory);
+        Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Information, "Attempting to Load Plugins from {_pluginDirectory}", PluginDirectory);
 
-            if (Directory.Exists(_pluginDirectory))
+        if (Directory.Exists(PluginDirectory))
         {
             Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Information, "Plugins directory found, checking for plugins");
 
@@ -804,7 +861,7 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
             // Deal with any .cplz files
             UnzipAndMoveCplzArchives();
 
-                if (Directory.Exists(_loadedPluginsDirectoryPath))
+            if (Directory.Exists(LoadedPluginsDirectoryPath))
             {
                 // Load the assemblies from the loadedPlugins folder into the AppDomain
                 LoadPluginAssemblies();
@@ -834,77 +891,3 @@ namespace PepperDash.Essentials
         }
     }
 }
-
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Represents an assembly loaded at runtime and it's associated metadata
-    /// </summary>
-    public class LoadedAssembly
-    {
-        [JsonProperty("name")]
-        public string Name { get; private set; }
-        [JsonProperty("version")]
-        public string Version { get; private set; }
-        [JsonIgnore]
-        public Assembly Assembly { get; private set; }
-
-        public LoadedAssembly(string name, string version, Assembly assembly)
-        {
-            Name = name;
-            Version = version;
-            Assembly = assembly;
-        }
-
-        public void SetAssembly(Assembly assembly)
-        {
-            Assembly = assembly;
-        }
-    }
-    
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Represents a plugin that was found to be incompatible with .NET 8
-    /// </summary>
-    public class IncompatiblePlugin
-    {
-        [JsonProperty("name")]
-        public string Name { get; private set; }
-        
-        [JsonProperty("reason")]
-        public string Reason { get; private set; }
-        
-        [JsonProperty("triggeredBy")]
-        public string TriggeredBy { get; private set; }
-        
-        public IncompatiblePlugin(string name, string reason, string triggeredBy = null)
-        {
-            Name = name;
-            Reason = reason;
-            TriggeredBy = triggeredBy ?? "Direct load";
-        }
-        
-        /// <summary>
-        /// Updates the plugin that triggered this incompatibility
-        /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="triggeringPlugin">Name of the plugin that requires this incompatible plugin</param>
-        public void UpdateTriggeringPlugin(string triggeringPlugin)
-        {
-            if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(triggeringPlugin))
-            {
-                TriggeredBy = triggeringPlugin;
-            }
-        }
-    }
-    
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Attribute to explicitly mark a plugin as .NET 8 compatible
-    /// </summary>
-    [AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Assembly)]
-    public class Net8CompatibleAttribute : Attribute
-    {
-        public bool IsCompatible { get; }
-        
-        public Net8CompatibleAttribute(bool isCompatible = true)
-        {
-            IsCompatible = isCompatible;
-        }
-    }
-}