Removed versionner issue #1181

[VisLab]

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[VisLab]

COPILOT Summary and Review:

Based on my review of PR #1201, here's a comprehensive summary and evaluation in markdown format:

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PR Review: Removed versionner issue #1181

📋 Summary

This PR migrates the hed-python project from versioneer to setuptools-scm for version management. This is a significant infrastructure change that removes 686 lines of auto-generated versioneer code and replaces it with a modern, more maintainable solution.

Key Changes:

• 12 files changed: +71 additions, -722 deletions
• Removes versioneer dependency and its generated code
• Implements setuptools-scm for automatic version management from git tags
• Updates all imports and version references across the codebase
• Removes versioneer.py from project root (not shown in diff but implied)

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✅ Strengths

1. Significant Code Reduction: Removes 722 lines of auto-generated code, improving maintainability
2. Modern Tooling: setuptools-scm is actively maintained and more widely adopted in the Python ecosystem
3. Comprehensive Update: All version references across scripts and CLI tools have been updated
4. Documentation Updated: Release guide reflects the new version management system
5. Fallback Handling: The new __init__.py includes proper error handling for missing version files

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🔍 Detailed Analysis

Configuration Changes (pyproject.toml)

# Before: versioneer configuration
[tool.versioneer]
VCS = "git"
style = "pep440"
...

# After: setuptools-scm configuration
[tool.setuptools_scm]
write_to = "hed/_version.py"
version_scheme = "no-guess-dev"

✅ Good: Simplified configuration
⚠️ Note: The version_scheme = "no-guess-dev" is a specific choice - ensure this matches your versioning needs

Version Import Pattern (hed/__init__.py)

The new version import includes a robust fallback mechanism:

try:
    from hed._version import __version__
except ImportError:
    from importlib.metadata import version, PackageNotFoundError
    try:
        __version__ = version("hedtools")
    except PackageNotFoundError:
        __version__ = "unknown"

✅ Excellent: Handles editable installs and missing version files gracefully

Updated Version Access

All scripts now use __version__ directly instead of vr.get_versions()["version"]:

• ✅ CLI tools (cli.py)
• ✅ Validation scripts (validate_bids.py)
• ✅ Extraction scripts (extract_tabular_summary.py, hed_extract_bids_sidecar.py)
• ✅ Utility modules (script_utils.py)

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⚠️ Issues & Suggestions

1. PR Description Missing

The PR has no body/description explaining the changes, rationale, or testing performed.

Recommendation: Add a description including:

• Why the migration from versioneer to setuptools-scm
• What was tested (installation, version reporting, builds)
• Any breaking changes or upgrade notes

2. Missing File: versioneer.py

The diff doesn't show removal of versioneer.py from the project root, but it should be deleted if it exists.

Action Required: Verify versioneer.py has been removed from the repository root

3. Generated _version.py Should Be in .gitignore

The new hed/_version.py file appears to be tracked with a generated version. With setuptools-scm, this file should be:

• Generated during build/install
• Listed in .gitignore (or kept for sdist compatibility)

Current state:

__version__ = version = "0.9.0.post1.dev14+g386d3afaa.d20260203"

Recommendation: Decide whether to track or ignore hed/_version.py. Common practices:

• Option A: Add to .gitignore (requires git ls-files at build time)
• Option B: Keep tracked for sdist support, but use write_to_template parameter

4. Build Requirements Version Bump

The change from setuptools>=42 to setuptools>=61 is appropriate but significant.

Recommendation: Note in release notes that this requires setuptools 61+ (released April 2022)

5. MANIFEST.in Cleanup

-include versioneer.py
+
 include hed/_version.py

Issue: The blank line replacement looks unintentional

Suggestion: Remove the blank line entirely

6. Testing Evidence Missing

No mention of:

• CI/CD pipeline status
• Manual testing of version reporting
• Build verification (sdist/wheel)
• Installation testing (regular vs. editable)

Recommendation: Verify:

# Test version detection
python -m setuptools_scm
pip install -e .
python -c "import hed; print(hed.__version__)"

# Test package build
python -m build
pip install dist/hedtools-*.whl

7. Documentation Gap

While RELEASE_GUIDE.md is updated, consider documenting:

• Developer setup changes (if any)
• CI/CD configuration updates needed
• Troubleshooting version issues

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🧪 Testing Checklist

Before merging, please verify:

• versioneer.py has been removed from repository root
• Version is correctly detected in development: python -m setuptools_scm
• Editable install works: pip install -e . and version is accessible
• Standard install works: pip install .
• CLI version command works: hedpy --version
• Built packages contain correct version: python -m build
• CI/CD pipelines pass (if applicable)
• Documentation is complete

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📊 Overall Assessment

Status: ✅ Generally Good with minor issues to address

Impact: Medium - Infrastructure change affecting version management but not user-facing functionality

Risk Level: Low-Medium

• Low risk if properly tested
• Medium risk if builds/releases haven't been verified

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🎯 Recommendations Priority

1. HIGH: Verify and document testing performed
2. HIGH: Add PR description
3. MEDIUM: Decide on _version.py tracking strategy
4. MEDIUM: Confirm versioneer.py deletion
5. LOW: Clean up MANIFEST.in blank line
6. LOW: Add upgrade notes for setuptools 61+ requirement

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💬 Questions for Author

1. Have you tested the build/install process locally?
2. Did you remove versioneer.py from the repository root?
3. What's the strategy for hed/_version.py - track it or gitignore it?
4. Have you tested the version reporting in various installation scenarios?
5. Are there any CI/CD changes needed to support this migration?

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Verdict: This is a solid modernization effort that improves the codebase. With proper testing verification and minor cleanup, this PR should be good to merge. The migration from versioneer to setuptools-scm is well-executed across all code references.