pyro-ppl/pyro

[FR] Error messages should be more specific

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#1,453 opened on Oct 16, 2018

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Description

Users at PROBPROG 2018 requested more-specific error messages when models are invalid.

Specific improvements include:

  • #1509 Print sample site information when Distribution inputs are invalid. Currently it requires a debugger to see what line of the model is affected.
  • #1534 On error print shapes of sites in the trace: value shape for params, and value,dist,log_prob shapes for sample sites.
  • On error, print contextual information: the current cond_indep_stack, the portion of stack trace under svi.step(), whether the model or guide is being executed, _DIM_ALLOCATOR sate, tracing state, etc. This could be accomplished via a try: except: raise block to add information to a caught error.
  • others?

Contributor guide

Research direction
Examine the existing error handling in `pyro/infer/svi.py` and related tracing modules. Study the implementations of PRs #1509 and #1534 to adopt their pattern. The remaining task requires adding contextual information (e.g., `cond indep stack`, tracing state, ` DIM ALLOCATOR` state) in a try except block around `svi.step()`. Review the internal state variables and determine which are helpful to print on error.
Tech stack
pythonpytorch
Domain
developer experience
Issue type
Feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
4
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.
Stale
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
Mostly clear
Prerequisites
PythonPyTorchPyro internalsError handling
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
35