Add option to precompile run_genx_case! function

[lbonaldo]

Description

This PR adds the option to precompile the run_genx_case! function, reducing the latency of the first execution of GenX in a Julia environment.

What type of PR is this? (check all applicable)

• [X] Feature
• [X] Performance Improvements

Related Tickets & Documents

This addresses #519.

Checklist

• [X] Code changes are sufficiently documented; i.e. new functions contain docstrings and .md files under /docs/src have been updated if necessary.
• [X] The latest changes on the target branch have been incorporated, so that any conflicts are taken care of before merging. This can be accomplished either by merging in the target branch (e.g. 'git merge develop') or by rebasing on top of the target branch (e.g. 'git rebase develop'). Please do not hesitate to reach out to the GenX development team if you need help with this.
• [X] Code has been tested to ensure all functionality works as intended.
• [x] CHANGELOG.md has been updated (if this is a 'notable' change).
• [X] I consent to the release of this PR's code under the GNU General Public license.

How this can be tested

As described in the documentation, this can be tested by running the following commands:

julia> ENV["GENX_PRECOMPILE"] = "true"
julia> using GenX
julia> include("example_systems/1_three_zones/Run.jl")

The user should see a speedup in the model generation and the functions for writing outputs.

Post-approval checklist for GenX core developers

After the PR is approved

• [x] Check that the latest changes on the target branch are incorporated, either via merge or rebase
• [x] Remember to squash and merge if incorporating into develop

[lbonaldo]

Hi @sambuddhac! The precompile folder contains input files for a simple case that I created, which is used by Julia to compile some of the GenX functions. Here are some benchmarks:

Setup:

• CPU model: Apple M2
• Julia version: 1.10.4
• GenX versions:
  • 0.4.0-dev.10 (current develop)
  • feature-branch (519-adding-precompile-tools)
• Test case: three_zones_w_electrolyzer

Results:

• Precompilation Additional Time: 40s
• Time to first execution (TTFX):

[sambuddhac]

Hi @sambuddhac! The precompile folder contains input files for a simple case that I created, which is used by Julia to compile some of the GenX functions. Here are some benchmarks:

Setup:

• CPU model: Apple M2
• Julia version: 1.10.4

• GenX versions:

  • 0.4.0-dev.10 (current develop)
  • feature-branch (519-adding-precompile-tools)

Results:

• Precompilation Additional Time: 40s
• Time to first execution (TTFX):

Thank you so much !!! Enlightening !!!