[12_4_X] Fix writing of int8_t flat table columns in nanoAOD flat ntuples

[battibass]

PR description:

This PR addresses an issue with the NanoAODOutputModule, that fails writing int8_t columns from nanoaod::flatTable objets when generating flat nanoADO trees.

PR validation:

The PR was tested using a dedicated Muon "ALCANANO" presented at cross-POG on March 9th, checking that nanoaod::flatTable int8_t columns now appear in the output flat tree.

The workflows used in PR 34169 were also checked to run successfully.

[cmsbuild]

+code-checks

Logs: https://cmssdt.cern.ch/SDT/code-checks/cms-sw-PR-37415/29089

• This PR adds an extra 16KB to repository

• There are other open Pull requests which might conflict with changes you have proposed:

  • File PhysicsTools/NanoAOD/plugins/TableOutputBranches.cc modified in PR(s): Refactoring gen weight storage in EDM + Nano integration #32167

[cmsbuild]

A new Pull Request was created by @battibass (Carlo Battilana) for master.

It involves the following packages:

• PhysicsTools/NanoAOD (xpog)

@cmsbuild, @mariadalfonso, @gouskos, @fgolf can you please review it and eventually sign? Thanks.
@gpetruc, @swertz this is something you requested to watch as well.
@perrotta, @dpiparo, @qliphy you are the release manager for this.

cms-bot commands are listed here

[mariadalfonso]

please test

[cmsbuild]

+1

Summary: https://cmssdt.cern.ch/SDT/jenkins-artifacts/pull-request-integration/PR-760800/23540/summary.html
COMMIT: 56b02e1
CMSSW: CMSSW_12_4_X_2022-03-30-1100/slc7_amd64_gcc10
User test area: For local testing, you can use /cvmfs/cms-ci.cern.ch/week0/cms-sw/cmssw/37415/23540/install.sh to create a dev area with all the needed externals and cmssw changes.

Comparison Summary

Summary:

• No significant changes to the logs found
• Reco comparison results: 8 differences found in the comparisons
• DQMHistoTests: Total files compared: 48
• DQMHistoTests: Total histograms compared: 3585896
• DQMHistoTests: Total failures: 13
• DQMHistoTests: Total nulls: 1
• DQMHistoTests: Total successes: 3585860
• DQMHistoTests: Total skipped: 22
• DQMHistoTests: Total Missing objects: 0
• DQMHistoSizes: Histogram memory added: -0.004 KiB( 47 files compared)
• DQMHistoSizes: changed ( 312.0 ): -0.004 KiB MessageLogger/Warnings
• Checked 200 log files, 45 edm output root files, 48 DQM output files
• TriggerResults: no differences found

[mariadalfonso]

+xpog

no changes expected in the central analysis nano

[cmsbuild]

This pull request is fully signed and it will be integrated in one of the next master IBs (tests are also fine). This pull request will now be reviewed by the release team before it's merged. @perrotta, @dpiparo, @qliphy (and backports should be raised in the release meeting by the corresponding L2)

[perrotta]

+1