Proposal: Add Python Virtual Environments into the Left Panel and Workflow Canvas

[SarahAsad23]

I am currently working on making Python Virtual Environments (PVEs) persistent. There are several options for how we could expose PVE configuration to users:

Option 1: Add a PVE panel to the workflow canvas alongside the Computing Unit (CU) dropdown. While this keeps configuration close to where workflows are created, it may make the workflow canvas page feel more cluttered.

Option 2: Add a dedicated PVE section to the left navigation panel. Since PVEs are a reusable resource, this would align them with other resource-management features and keep the workflow canvas focused on workflow design.

Option 3: Combine Options 1 and 2. Users could manage their PVEs from the left panel and the workflow canvas.

Below are screenshots illustrating these options.

[zuozhiw]

If compute is also both on the side panel and on the canvas, then I feel python venv can be on both as well. Screenshot 1 is indeed very cluttered, can you please ask Claude to come up with different ways to make it less cluttered? E.g. make the button smaller, or put it inside a secondary menu?

[aglinxinyuan]

We can put it on the left panel.

[chenlica]

I think PVEs should be visible only to people who need it. So I don't like the first design.

[kunwp1]

I like Option 2. I think the environment management actions (creation, deletion, updating, and even attaching/detaching to a CU) should be handled in the left panel.

The workflow canvas can then simply show which environments are attached to each CU and optionally add a link back to the left panel if the user think the attached environments are insufficient.

I'd also suggest renaming this to "Environments," since we'll eventually introduce R virtual environments as well.

[SarahAsad23]

Thanks for the suggestions. We will go with option 2: Adding a dedicated PVE section to the left navigation panel.