Version 0.1.7

Major Features

New Training Framework (braintools.trainer)

• PyTorch Lightning-like training API for JAX-based neural network training with comprehensive features:
  • LightningModule: Base class for defining training models with training_step(), validation_step(), and configure_optimizers() hooks
  • Trainer: Orchestration class for managing training loops, epochs, and device placement
  • TrainOutput/EvalOutput: Structured output types for training and evaluation results

Callbacks System

• 10+ built-in callbacks for customizing training behavior:
  • ModelCheckpoint: Automatic model saving based on monitored metrics
  • EarlyStopping: Stop training when metrics plateau
  • LearningRateMonitor: Track and log learning rate changes
  • GradientClipCallback: Gradient clipping for training stability
  • Timer: Track training time
  • RichProgressBar / TQDMProgressBar: Visual progress indicators
  • LambdaCallback / PrintCallback: Custom callback utilities

Logging Backends

• 6 pluggable logging backends:
  • TensorBoardLogger: TensorBoard integration
  • WandBLogger: Weights & Biases integration
  • CSVLogger: Simple CSV file logging
  • NeptuneLogger: Neptune.ai integration
  • MLFlowLogger: MLFlow integration
  • CompositeLogger: Combine multiple loggers

Data Loading Utilities

• JAX-compatible data loading with distributed support:
  • DataLoader / DistributedDataLoader: Efficient batch loading
  • Dataset, ArrayDataset, DictDataset, IterableDataset: Dataset abstractions
  • Sampler, RandomSampler, SequentialSampler, BatchSampler, DistributedSampler: Sampling strategies

Distributed Training

• Multi-device and multi-host training strategies:
  • SingleDeviceStrategy: Single device execution
  • DataParallelStrategy: Data parallelism across devices
  • ShardedDataParallelStrategy / FullyShardedDataParallelStrategy: Memory-efficient sharded training
  • AutoStrategy: Automatic strategy selection
  • all_reduce, broadcast: Distributed communication primitives

Checkpointing

• Comprehensive checkpoint management:
  • CheckpointManager: Manage multiple checkpoints with retention policies
  • save_checkpoint / load_checkpoint: Save and restore model states
  • find_checkpoint / list_checkpoints: Checkpoint discovery utilities

Progress Bar System

• Multiple progress bar implementations:
  • SimpleProgressBar: Basic text-based progress
  • TQDMProgressBarWrapper: TQDM-based progress
  • RichProgressBarWrapper: Rich library-based progress

Improvements

API Documentation

• Enhanced module documentation: All public modules now include comprehensive docstrings with examples, parameter descriptions, and usage guidelines directly in __init__.py files
• Reorganized imports: Cleaner and more consistent import structure across all modules

Breaking Changes

Removed braintools.param Module

• The entire braintools.param module has been removed, including:
  • Data containers (Data)
  • Parameter wrappers (Param, Const)
  • State containers (ArrayHidden, ArrayParam)
  • Regularization classes (GaussianReg, L1Reg, L2Reg)
  • All transform classes (SigmoidT, SoftplusT, AffineT, etc.)
  • Utility functions (get_param(), get_size())
• Users relying on these features should migrate to alternative implementations or pin to version 0.1.6