Add a `bv.get_metadata(key, default=None)` so we have a non-throwing api for querying metadata.

[utkonos]

Version and Platform (required):

• Binary Ninja Version: 5.3.8876-dev Ultimate, bed91080
• OS: macos
• OS Version: 26.2.0
• CPU Architecture: arm64

Bug Description:
If you access metadata inside an is_valid callback function, and there are Sidekick indexes that have been created, there is noticeable UI lag. There is a number of indexes where the lag becomes a beachball. And there is a number where Binary Ninja crashes and must be force quit.

Steps To Reproduce:

1. Create a local plugin file with the contents below.
2. Open binary ninja
3. Open a database
4. Open a workbench script
5. Make lots of indexes via workbench script
6. Notice lag
7. Make more indexes
8. Notice beachball
9. Start over
10. Make even more indexes
11. Notice you have to force quit.

from binaryninja.plugin import PluginCommand
PluginCommand.register('Fight Sidekick', 'Fight Sidekick', lambda x: True, lambda x: not x.metadata.get('fight'))

Expected Behavior:
No lag, no beachball, no crash.

[kristopax]

Sidekick is not the source of this issue. The lag occurs any time a large amount of data is stored in the binary view metadata. To demonstrate or reproduce the behavior without Sidekick at all, follow these steps:

1. Create a local plugin file with the contents above.
2. Open binary ninja
3. Open a database
4. Open the Python console and enter the following:

bv.store_metadata("my_data", {f"{i}": 10*f"{i}" for i in range(100000)})

5. Notice lag

If anything can be done about this performance issue, it will have to be within Binary Ninja and the plugin ecosystem itself.

[plafosse]

do not use bv.metadata.get('fight') this will build a python map of all metadata. Instead use bv.query_metadata('fight') It is important that programmers have an is_valid as it gets called frequently.

[utkonos]

@plafosse thanks! I had used .get() because there isn't an exception raised for a missing value. Would there be value in an alternative api method for accessing metadata like .get_metadata('keyname', default=None)?

[plafosse]

yeah that's a reasonable ask.