YTEP-0037: Code Styling

source/YTEPs/YTEP-0037.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,267 @@
+YTEP-0037: Code styling
+=======================
+
+Abstract
+--------
+
+Created: May 18, 2020
+Author: Clément Robert
+
+This YTEP proposes the enforcement of code styling guidelines with auto-formatting tools.
+
+
+Status
+------
+
+Accepted
+
+Project Management Links
+------------------------
+
+The following PR corpus demonstrates the feasibility of the proposal
+
+  * sorting imports with `isort <https://github.com/timothycrosley/isort>`_ (`#2592 <https://github.com/yt-project/yt/pull/2592>`_)
+  * code formatting with `black <https://github.com/psf/black>`_ (`#2596 <https://github.com/yt-project/yt/pull/2596>`_)
+  * add a ``pyproject.toml`` file (`#2598 <https://github.com/yt-project/yt/pull/2598>`_)
+  * add a precommit hook configuration file (`#2600 <https://github.com/yt-project/yt/pull/2600>`_)
+  * apply fstrings everywhere (`#2605 <https://github.com/yt-project/yt/pull/2605>`_)
+
+Detailed Description
+--------------------
+
+Code styling guidelines are already presented in the `project's documentation
+<https://yt-project.org/docs/dev/developing/developing.html#coding-style-guide>`_,
+though enforcing them is not explicitly made part of the reviewing process.
+
+We already use ``flake8`` and integrate it to our CI to catch a subset of
+infractions to `PEP 8 <https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0008/>`_. From
+``flake8``'s `pipy page <https://pypi.org/project/flake8/>`_
+
+  Flake8 is a wrapper around these tools:
+    - PyFlakes
+    - pycodestyle
+    - Ned Batchelder’s McCabe script
+
+From ``black``'s `documentation <https://black.readthedocs.io/en/stable/the_black_code_style.html>`_
+
+  The rules for horizontal whitespace can be summarized as: do whatever makes
+  pycodestyle happy.
+  (...)
+  The coding style used by Black can be viewed as a strict subset of PEP 8.
+
+so it is expected that ``black`` plays nicely with ``flake8`` by construction.
+``black`` applies an opinated style, and offers very little configuration options
+by design. Only the target line length can be changed. This makes it a critical 
+point, requiring discussion if this YTEP is approved.
+
+**maximal line length**
+
+The guidelines states that
+
+    Line widths should not be more than 80 characters
+
+Despite this being respected in most of the code base, there remains a large amount of
+outliers, that would be time-consuming to go through by hand. Taking the example of the
+yt-4.0 branch at the time of writing, there are 2158 lines exceeding 80 characters
+(~1.5% of the whole code base), or, visually
+
+.. image:: ../images/lw-ytep-37.png
+
+Note that when long strings are present, ``black`` will not attempt to split them to
+shorten the individual lines.
+This is most important in the case of dosctrings, and I explore the tools available to
+validate them hereafter (see `additional rules`_).
+
+There is a range of possible values we might give preference to. Python's standard
+library caps line-length at 79, pandas does so at 88. By default, ``black`` will target
+88, as its authors claim it reduces the total number of lines by some 10% (as compared
+to enforcing 80).
+
+In first drafting the PR linked above, I chose a line-length of 100, so as to minimize
+the amount of manual tweaking left to me after a ``black`` pass. I estimated that
+imposing a strict limit to 80 chars would leave 545 lines to be manually updated, while
+caping at 88 leaves a mere 135 (75% less work). As a reference, ``dask`` uses black's
+default settings, *and* allows flexibility for docstrings up to 120 characters through
+flake8.
+
+
+**sorting imports**
+
+PEP8 `recommends sorting imports statments <https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0008/#imports>`_,
+Needless to say, the task is daunting and definitely not worthy of anyone's time if we
+had to go back and apply those rules manually to the code base.
+Luckilly, ``isort`` is able to check for and auto-apply those rules, so it can easily be
+added to the CI-linting process.
+
+Moreover, ``isort`` is configurable so that it allows for the definition of custom
+"sections" within import statements. This can be use to isolate imports from ``unyt``,
+which falls somewhere in between the default sections "third party" (external
+dependency) and "first party" (the project). This is done in 
+`#2592 <https://github.com/yt-project/yt/pull/2592>`_.
+
+.. _additional rules:
+**additional rules & flake8 pluggings**
+
+Since the oldest python version supported (as of yt-4.0) is 3.6, it means we can start
+using fstrings instead of ``str.format()`` and ``%`` formatting.
+`#2605 <https://github.com/yt-project/yt/pull/2605>`_ demonstrates how a transition can
+be performed using ``flynt``.
+
+--
+
+`flake8-bugbear <https://github.com/PyCQA/flake8-bugbear>`_ is a ``flake8`` plugging
+that goes beyond code style and detects some additional anti-patterns, most of which are
+correspond very likely to design flaws in otherwise syntaxically valid statement. For
+instance, it will catch mutable default values such as in
+
+.. code:: python
+
+    def spam(a={}, b=[]):
+        #...
+
+which, in most contexts, should be rewritten as 
+
+.. code:: python
+
+    def spam(a=None, b=None):
+        if a is None:
+            a = {}
+        if b is None:
+            b = []
+
+This is a well known "gotcha", as documented for instance
+`here <https://docs.python-guide.org/writing/gotchas/#mutable-default-arguments>`_.
+In short, this plugin detects bugs that went under the radar up to now, so it's
+probably worth adding it to our linting CI.
+
+--
+
+Another plugging can be added to enforce docstring formatting
+(`flake8-docstrings <https://github.com/PyCQA/flake8-docstrings>`_), and has a
+straight-forward option configuration to validate docstrings are numpy-styled. However,
+there is currently a very large debt in errors caught by this tool, and no way to
+automatically solve them. However, it could still be added to our linting CI, if check
+for *new* errors only, such as
+
+.. code:: bash
+
+    git diff upstream/master -u -- "*.py" | flake8 --diff
+
+(snippet borrowed from pandas' contributing guide)
+
+
+
+**side effects**
+
+Although some default options in ``isort`` conflict with ``black``'s opinated standard,
+it can be configured so that the tools play nicely with each other.
+This is demonstrated in `#2596 <https://github.com/yt-project/yt/pull/2596>`_ where both
+check pass on Travis.
+
+On another note, black only recognizes ``pyproject.toml`` as a configuration file (and
+is explicitly not planning to support other files such as ``setup.cfg``).
+An undesirable effect of using  ``pyproject.toml`` solely as a configuration file for
+``black`` is that ``pip`` will detect it and change its behaviour when its present. The
+correct way to introduce this file is by specifying yt's build requirements within it. 
+A proof of concept for this is `#2598 <https://github.com/yt-project/yt/pull/2598>`_,
+where CI builds are run correctly across all tested python versions (3.6, 3.7, 3.8).
+
+A serious counter-argument to applying black is that it implies messing up with ``git
+blame`` by making a single contributor the defacto last-author of a large number of
+lines they have not even necessarily read. Most recent versions of ``git`` can be
+configured to ignore specific commits in ``git blame``. However, ``black``'s own README
+currently points out that github's UI for ``git-blame`` does not support this feature
+(yet ?).
+
+It should be noted that ``black`` does not have a parser for Cython files, but
+interstingly ``flake8`` and ``isort`` do. Thus it is possible to add style checks for
+Cython extensions to the CI pipeline.
+
+Additionally, ``black`` will not force line-length limits in docstrings.
+``flake8`` will still be able to catch violations there, but solving them
+require manual tweaking. However, the amount of existing docstrings going over
+88 characters is fairly small (a few dozens), so this is by no means a blocking
+condition.
+
+
+**outreach and transition**
+
+Enforcing these change throughout future contributions can be done by
+
+* updating the Developper Guide (done in part in `#2592 <https://github.com/yt-project/yt/pull/2592>`_)
+* offering a precommit hook configuration file to help contributors automate the linting stage locally (``precommit_hook.yaml``)
+such a configuration file is propoed in  `#2600 <https://github.com/yt-project/yt/pull/2600>`_
+
+It is expected that transitioning to the "blackened" version of the code will add a bit
+of overhead in merging pre-existing PRs. Specifically, a simple ``git merge <pr-branch>
+<target-blackened-branch>`` will almost certainly raise git conflicts. A potential
+solution to this is to sanitize the pr-branch (on author side) with:
+
+.. code:: shell
+
+    pip install black
+    black --line-width <N> yt/
+    git merge --strategy ours <target-blackened-branch>
+    git push
+
+I tested this strategy locally by simulating blackening at an arbitrary point in the
+past and merging the current state of the code base back in, producing a net zero diff
+with a direct blackening of the current state. In practice I advise caution, and
+sanitized code should be reviewed before merging.
+
+
+The shorter the transition, the easier, so I think that most of the PRs could be
+merged in a very narrow time window (a day or two), provided the appropriate
+conditions. However, because we want to ensure that each step passes the tests,
+which typically takes a least an hour or two per step, I propose that prep steps
+be done separately, and the big one (blackening) happen on a meeting.
+
+A possible roadmap
+------------------
+
+To ensure cohesion in getting the number of features included in this PR in the
+codebase, we will have a dedicated maintainer/triage meeting. This YTEP's PR, the yt
+slack, and the yt-dev mailing list will include the meeting details for interested
+parties to attend. Some items require completion before the triage meeting, and some can
+be done afterwards, and have been categorized below.
+
+**pre meeting**
+
+* settle on a maximal line length and the status of ``unyt`` ("second" or third party)
+
+
+.. note::
+
+    final: maximum-line-length 88, ``unyt`` treated as third party
+
+* merge isort pass on the code base + CI check + doc
+* optional (needs approval) merge `#2597 <https://github.com/yt-project/yt/pull/2597>`_
+* merge (needs tweaking) `#2598 <https://github.com/yt-project/yt/pull/2598>`_
+* rebase blackening PR on the target branch (yt-4.0 ?) and prepare it with agreed line length
+* provided all CI check pass and the PR is reviewed & approved, this goes to a PR triage meeting
+
+**on the meeting**
+
+* merge blackening + manual fixups + CI checks + doc
+* signal to open PR authors that they should apply black (see transitioning strategy)
+
+**can be done later**
+
+* merge `#2600 <https://github.com/yt-project/yt/pull/2600>`_
+* merge `#2595 <https://github.com/yt-project/yt/pull/2595>`_
+* reduce flake8 ignore list, add bugbear plugin and correct detected anti-patterns
+
+
+Backwards Compatibility
+-----------------------
+
+Yes.
+
+Alternatives
+------------
+
+* Enforcing styling guidelines through peer review for each PR. Obviously this is a
+  lot more work. Additionally, this methodology is prone to error and may cause delay in
+  the PR approval process in case the authors disagree with the reviewers on the
+  application of styling rules.
+* Leaving code style decisions up to authors, and embracing the style diversity.