Spine Toolbox as an environment manager

[PekkaSavolainen]

Python Tool specs now may require a kernel spec or a conda kernel spec for execution. Sharing environment(s) as part of the project for Python/Julia Tool specifications is not possible at the moment. The required environment(s) need to be saved as part of the project. When a project is loaded, there needs to be a framework for checking if user already has an environment that matches the required environment. If environment(s) do not exist, Spine Toolbox could at first instruct the user to create an environment that is compatible with a Python Tool spec. Later, Spine Toolbox could install the environments if user so chooses.

Tasks:

• Save Python environment(s) to Spine Toolbox project (requirements.txt or environment.yml for conda)
• Save Julia environment(s) (Julia project files) to Spine Toolbox project
• Build a framework for matching the requested environment to existing environments
• When loading a project, Toolbox needs to instruct the user to install requested environment(s)

[jkiviluo]

Pekka, is this done?

[PekkaSavolainen]

No but part of this will be implemented in #2554. I'm not sure if the 'automatic environment matching' framework is feasible. Maybe a bit too ambitious.