Bug With PLUGIN_CFG Constant

[jdrew82]

Environment

• Python version: 3.10
• Nautobot version: 2.2.0
• nautobot-golden-config version: 2.0.3

Expected Behavior

Add Golden Config App as dependency to another App would not require plugin configuration for Golden Config App in nautobot_config.py

Observed Behavior

Addition of Golden Config App as dependency but not adding nautobot_golden_config to PLUGINS_CONFIG in nautobot_config.py causes a KeyError to be thrown:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/local/bin/nautobot-server", line 8, in
sys.exit(main())
^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/nautobot/core/cli/init.py", line 54, in main
run_app(
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/nautobot/core/runner/runner.py", line 297, in run_app
management.execute_from_command_line([runner_name, command] + command_args)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/django/core/management/init.py", line 419, in execute_from_command_line
utility.execute()
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/django/core/management/init.py", line 395, in execute
django.setup()
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/django/init.py", line 24, in setup
apps.populate(settings.INSTALLED_APPS)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/django/apps/registry.py", line 122, in populate
app_config.ready()
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/nautobot/extras/plugins/init.py", line 144, in ready
jobs = import_object(f"{self.module}.{self.jobs}")
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/nautobot/extras/plugins/utils.py", line 46, in import_object
spec.loader.exec_module(module)
File "", line 940, in exec_module
File "", line 241, in _call_with_frames_removed
File "/source/nautobot_fallout/jobs.py", line 10, in
from nautobot_golden_config.models import GoldenConfig
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/nautobot_golden_config/models.py", line 20, in
from nautobot_golden_config.utilities.constant import ENABLE_SOTAGG, PLUGIN_CFG
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/nautobot_golden_config/utilities/constant.py", line 5, in
PLUGIN_CFG = settings.PLUGINS_CONFIG["nautobot_golden_config"]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
KeyError: 'nautobot_golden_config'

Steps to Reproduce

1. Start new App with Golden Config App as dependency.
2. Do NOT add nautobot_golden_config to PLUGINS_CONFIG section of nautobot_config.py
3. Attempt to run tests or start dev environment and see logs.

[itdependsnetworks]

We would need something from core to do something reasonable about this, yes we could fix this current challenge but I am not sure it is worth it tbh, at some point you will get stack traces, this is a documented requirement, so not sure how much we want to work around it. In core, we could add validation to NautobotAppConfig to say "must provide a config" and check for that first and return a sane message.

something like:

class AnimalSoundsConfig(NautobotAppConfig):
    name = 'nautobot_animal_sounds'
    verbose_name = 'Animal Sounds'
    config_required = True
config = AnimalSoundsConfig

[jdrew82]

Well I feel like this could also be handled with using a get() for each of the settings instead of assuming they're there. I had another pop up from another setting that's not even in the dev environment example:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/local/bin/nautobot-server", line 8, in <module>
    sys.exit(main())
             ^^^^^^
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/nautobot/core/cli/__init__.py", line 54, in main
    run_app(
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/nautobot/core/runner/runner.py", line 297, in run_app
    management.execute_from_command_line([runner_name, command] + command_args)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/django/core/management/__init__.py", line 419, in execute_from_command_line
    utility.execute()
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/django/core/management/__init__.py", line 395, in execute
    django.setup()
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/django/__init__.py", line 24, in setup
    apps.populate(settings.INSTALLED_APPS)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/django/apps/registry.py", line 122, in populate
    app_config.ready()
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/nautobot/extras/plugins/__init__.py", line 144, in ready
    jobs = import_object(f"{self.__module__}.{self.jobs}")
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/nautobot/extras/plugins/utils.py", line 46, in import_object
    spec.loader.exec_module(module)
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap_external>", line 940, in exec_module
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 241, in _call_with_frames_removed
  File "/source/nautobot_fallout/jobs.py", line 10, in <module>
    from nautobot_golden_config.models import GoldenConfig
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/nautobot_golden_config/models.py", line 20, in <module>
    from nautobot_golden_config.utilities.constant import ENABLE_SOTAGG, PLUGIN_CFG
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/nautobot_golden_config/utilities/constant.py", line 14, in <module>
    DEFAULT_DEPLOY_STATUS = PLUGIN_CFG["default_deploy_status"]
                            ~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Each of these would be solved by just using a get(). This would also affect users who are setting up the App and don't have their settings exactly as expected. Just like general exception handling I'd expect a check for the setting existing and not assuming it's there and throwing an Exception or log if missing.

[itdependsnetworks]

Each of these would be solved by just using a get(). I don't see how. It wouldn't fail in the same way, but it would fail later. The signature presumes that this data is there.

For the the specific case of default_deploy_status, I may have some confusion, imho the default value should return there. Just to confirm, in order to create that error, you have a PLUGIN_CFG but not a default_deploy_status, correct?

[jdrew82]

Each of these would be solved by just using a get(). I don't see how. It wouldn't fail in the same way, but it would fail later. The signature presumes that this data is there.

For the the specific case of default_deploy_status, I may have some confusion, imho the default value should return there. Just to confirm, in order to create that error, you have a PLUGIN_CFG but not a default_deploy_status, correct?

To recreate you just need a Nautobot App with a Golden Config dependency and not have nautobot_golden_config key or the remaining dictionary keys for that App in the PLUGINS_CONFIG section. In my case, I'm not using Golden Config outside of needing access to one of the objects it creates. I don't need it enabled outside of testing.

[itdependsnetworks]

I am not able to re-produce starting the application off using a standard invoke debug. I have tried the following

• Not installed in PLUGINS
• Installed in PLUGINS, no key in PLUGINS_CONFIG
• Installed in PLUGINS, key in PLUGINS_CONFIG, but dictionary empty

This may be similar to what we have to do in pylint (which I know you got bit on today :) ) in that we have to start the app in order to access any values.

[jdrew82]

It could be that it was happening during the unit testing phase and activated due to the import of a model from Golden Config.