Automatically Installing Dependencies from Workflow

[jbscherrer]

Say I have some bonsai workflow that is dependent on a bunch of different packages, and I want to get a new computer running that workflow. Is there a way to automatically install all of the packages that the workflow is dependent on? Currently I just get a bunch of different error messages in series as I identify the nodes with missing dependencies and track down what package each of them needs, which isn't a very straightforward process. In other languages I would expect to be able to configure the package manager to download dependencies automatically. Is there a simple solution here I'm missing? Thanks!

[bruno-f-cruz]

Yes, there is a way to create an "environment". We will probably document this at some point, but check the attached folder for an example. This folder contains 4 important files:

• Setup.ps1 and Setup.cmd are a set of script files that download a Bonsai release from the official GitHub page. You can change the target release by change the line: https://github.com/bonsai-rx/bonsai/releases/download/2.7/Bonsai.zip for a different release.

• Nuget.config keeps a record of what remote and local sources of NuGet packages should the package manager look for.

• Bonsai.config keeps a record of package dependencies.

The last two files always exist in the current Bonsai installation folder and are updated when a new package is added. As a result, to clone an environment, simply copy your local .Config files. As a bonus, as any text file, these can be easily versioned with Git.

Finally, when it is time to deploy your solution, simply run the Setup.cmd and wait for the magic to happen. Bonsai will be downloaded and attempt to bootstrap all dependencies in the Bonsai.config file.

As we move forward with the documentation we will make an effort to include these little tips.

Hope it helps,
Bruno

Bonsai.zip

[jbscherrer]

This is very helpful, thanks Bruno! I'm really excited to see Bonsai getting more detailed documentation.