Automation: Direction

[github-actions]

Last generated: 2026-01-22T18:36:00.310Z
Provider: openai
Model: gpt-5.2

Summary

Modernize CI and release automation around this small Python package by: (1) making GitHub Actions the source of truth (drop Travis), (2) adding a minimal, deterministic test matrix, and (3) adding packaging/release guardrails (build checks, metadata validation). Keep changes small and low-risk while improving reliability and reducing maintainer toil.

Direction (what and why)

1. Converge on GitHub Actions for CI
   The repo still has .travis.yml and a growing set of “auto-*” workflows. Centralizing core CI in one clear workflow reduces ambiguity, ensures PRs are validated consistently, and makes failures easier to triage.

2. Stabilize test & packaging signals
   This project is a library; most issues will be import/runtime compatibility, protobuf generation drift, and packaging metadata problems. Add a tight CI loop: lint-free packaging build, install test, and pytest across a small Python matrix.

3. Remove or quarantine heavyweight / accidental artifacts
   bfg-1.15.0.jar (14MB) is not part of the package runtime and increases clone/CI time. Track it as a tooling artifact or move it out of the main branch history going forward (don’t rewrite history unless explicitly desired).

Plan (next 1–3 steps)

1. Add a single, clear CI workflow for tests + package build

   • Create: .github/workflows/ci.yml
   • Jobs:
     • test: run pytest via tox (or direct) on python-version: [3.9, 3.10, 3.11, 3.12]
     • build: python -m build and twine check dist/*
   • Cache pip to reduce runtime.
   • Example implementation details:
     • Install: pip install -U pip
     • Dev deps: pip install -r requirements_dev.txt (or use tox)
     • Run: pytest -q
     • Build: pip install build twine then python -m build and twine check --strict dist/*

2. Make tox the single entry point for local + CI test execution

   • Update tox.ini to:
     • Define envs for py39,py310,py311,py312
     • Ensure deps includes pytest and anything in requirements_dev.txt that tests need
     • Commands: pytest -q
   • Then CI calls tox -p auto (parallel) to keep it consistent with local runs.

3. Deprecate Travis and remove CI ambiguity

   • Add a note in README.rst that CI is GitHub Actions.
   • Either:
     • Remove .travis.yml (preferred), or
     • Keep it but mark it clearly deprecated at the top and stop maintaining it.
   • If you remove it, also remove travis_pypi_setup.py if it’s no longer used by anything.

Risks/unknowns

• Python version support policy is unclear: setup.cfg/setup.py may not declare supported versions accurately. CI may reveal failures on newer Python (especially around protobuf/pillow). If failures appear, adjust the matrix to the actually-supported versions and document it in README.rst + packaging classifiers.
• Generated protobuf files (tensorboard_logger/tf_protobuf/*_pb2.py) may be tied to an older protobuf runtime. Upgrading test matrix could expose incompatibilities. Prefer pinning protobuf runtime in test deps if needed.
• Large binary in repo (bfg-1.15.0.jar): removing it without rewriting history is safe (future clones still fetch history unless shallow), but rewriting history requires coordination. Decide explicitly before doing a BFG pass.

Suggested tests

• CI (required)
  • tox matrix: py39, py310, py311, py312
  • python -m build + twine check --strict dist/*
• Local quick checks
  • pip install -e . && pytest -q
  • Minimal import test: python -c "import tensorboard_logger; print(tensorboard_logger.__version__)" (or equivalent)
• Regression/behavior
  • Run existing tests/test_tensorboard_logger.py across matrix to catch filesystem/protobuf differences.
  • Add a small smoke test (if missing) that writes an event file to a temp dir and verifies it exists and is non-empty.

Verification checklist

• GitHub Actions “ci” workflow runs on PRs and master pushes
• All supported Python versions pass pytest
• python -m build succeeds and twine check --strict passes
• .travis.yml is removed or clearly deprecated
• README references the correct CI system and supported Python versions