Remove %install_default_config and %install_profiles

[tomspur]

as they are now controllen with "ipython profile" commands.

[fperez]

@takluyver, @minrk: if you guys can have a look at this, go for it. I have to finish a talk for work today and will barely make all the last-minute work for the actual release.

[minrk]

Sure, though I think these were added at your request, so this would remove the (obvious, easy) ability to generate the default config files from IPython.

[fperez]

Mmhh... I don't recall, but still, it's a good point. The question is: when we added this, did we have any mechanism at all other than manual copying of files and directories? I think we didn't, so a magic seemed like a good solution. Furthermore, I don't think our old system recognized profiles that were kept in the ipython directory, only those that had been made available to the user.

Now that users can specify with --profile a profile that they haven't installed locally, it seems to me that there is much less need to offer to install profiles in their personal area (if anything, there's less incentive, as by not installing their personal copies they benefit from updates we make to the shipped ones).

[minrk]

An alternative, if we want to fix this behavior, would be:

loc = self.shell.profile_dir.location
cmd = ["ipython", "profile", "create", "--ProfileDir.location=%r" % loc]
if '-o' in s:
    cmd += '--reset'
subprocess.call(cmd)

And for %install_profiles:

if '-o' in s:
    overwrite = True
else:
    overwrite = False
from IPython.config import profile
profile_dir = os.path.dirname(profile.__file__)
ipython_dir = self.ipython_dir
print "Installing profiles to: %s [overwrite=%s]"%(ipython_dir,overwrite)
for name in os.listdir(profile_dir):
    src = os.path.join(profile_dir, name)
    files = glob.glob(os.path.join(src, "*.py"))
    if files:
        print "    %s" % name
        pd = ProfileDir.create_profile_dir_by_name(ipython_dir, name)
        for fname in [ os.path.basename(f) for f in files ]:
            pd.copy_config_file(fname, path=src, overwrite=overwrite)

If we do remove these magics, we should probably skim the docs for mentions, so we aren't pointing to them anymore.

[fperez]

On Sun, Dec 18, 2011 at 12:26 PM, Min RK
reply@reply.github.com
wrote:

If we do remove these magics, we should probably skim the docs for mentions, so we aren't pointing to them anymore.

My only concern with removing them is braking existing habits.
Perhaps it would be best to replace them with a print statement that
explains the new profile behavior (automatic access to builtin
profiles, etc) and how to create one.

Thoughts?

[tomspur]

Pointing to the new profile behavior would be fine too.

I'd delete them and point it out in the release notes, so people can find it through your favorite search engine.
But pointing to the new profile behavior for a few releases and then it can be cleaned up is fine too...

[minrk]

I like the print statement. ipython profile create is definitely better than the %install_default_config, but we don't really have an analog to %install_profiles, which stages all the bundled profiles. That said, I'm not sure how many people actually care about that one, as you can just use profiles, and the first time you ask for them, the default is staged.

[fperez]

I'd be OK with %install_profiles being replaced also with a print statement that explains how one can use any bundled profile. I'm not sure there's much value/need for the 'dump all profiles automatically to my ipython dir'.

[minrk]

The only advantage I see of %install_profiles is that it affects the output of ipython profile list to see everything available, but I'm not sure anyone uses that, not least of all because I just saw that the output was actually never fixed since we changed the way we specify args prior to 0.11 release.

It is currently the only easy way we have of seeing what the list of bundled profiles is. But since it would appear that people aren't really using it that way, I don't think anyone would be sad to see it go.

[minrk]

I should also clarify that viewing the available bundled profiles is the only benefit to %install_profiles. There is exactly no difference between doing ipython --profile=sympy before/after %install_profiles, because bundled config is staged on first request of the profile anyway.

[fperez]

Shouldn't we then instead just fix profile list to show the existing ones from IPython? I imagine something like

ipython profile list

Available profiles in IPython:
- foo
- bar

Available profiles in /path/to/your/config/ipython:
-baz
-zap

Local profiles in the current directory (/path/to/cwd):
- x
- y

Note: you can use any of these by using `ipython profile --profile <name>`; 
if it is one of those within ipython it will be automatically staged in your 
config directory.

[minrk]

Sounds good, see PR #1176 for sample output.

[fperez]

I like #1176 a lot, so I guess the plan will be to merge this and also 1176, right?

[minrk]

Yes, I think so. Do we want print-statements on the removed magics, or just remove them?

[fperez]

Let's do print statements, to help users who might know about them transition more easily.

[minrk]

Also, searching our docs suggests that we never even mentioned these magics, so there shouldn't be anything to change/update there.

[fperez]

Great, thanks. Just a quick print statement is enough then.

[fperez]

@minrk, can you take a shot at this one? I should be done with my talk shortly and will start writing up the release notes and example notebooks. I'd love a hand with this code.

[minrk]

Sure, should I go ahead and merge with the added print statements, or do a quick PR?

[fperez]

I'm ok with a merge, but if you prefer to keep the PR workflow, I can look at it too.

[minrk]

merged