pymc-devs/pymc

Introduce `pm.config` or `rcParams` for global & local config settings

Closed

#4,657 opened on Apr 21, 2021

View on GitHubContributor guide
 (8 comments) (0 reactions) (0 assignees)Python (1,902 forks)batch import
enhancementsfeature requesthelp wanted

Repository metrics

Stars
 (7,926 stars)
PR merge metrics
 (Avg merge 11d) (7 merged PRs in 30d)

Description

Let me begin with saying that global variables are evil and nobody should be using them.

For things like #4372 it would be really useful to have a place where to make global config changes. Matplotlib does it and ArviZ too. Aesara also has a quite powerful config implementation that I refactored quite a bit a few months back. Or maybe we don't even need/want a place for global configuration settings?

Anyways it would be great to discuss and figure out what we want!

Update 2022-03-30 + ToDo

We have a general consensus that we want to do this. (I'm updating the title+labels in a second.)

Whoever wants to work on this should

  1. Read this thread
  2. Specifically investigate the options here
  3. Decide which route to go for
  4. Open a PR

Contributor guide

Research direction
Read the linked issue thread and the options in comment 826064715. Evaluate which configuration approach (e.g., rcParams from matplotlib or config from Aesara) fits PyMC's design. Then open a PR implementing the chosen approach.
Tech stack
python
Domain
backend
Issue type
Feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-2 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
Active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
Mostly clear
Prerequisites
PythonConfiguration patterns
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
60