This PR introduces comprehensive type hinting in the starfish-py library, the associated CLI tool, and all unit and integration tests. By adding type hints, we have managed to uncover and subsequently fix a number of bugs that had previously gone unnoticed.
Changes
Added type hints across the starfish-py library, the CLI tool, and the unit and integration tests. This is designed to improve code readability and maintainability, by making it explicit what type of objects functions and methods expect and return. This will help developers understand and modify the codebase.
Uncovered and fixed several previously unknown bugs that were exposed during the addition of type hinting.
Benefits of Type Hints
Improved IDE and Linter Support: Python type hints allow IDEs and linters to catch type-related errors before runtime.
Increased Code Readability and Maintainability: Type hints can make the code easier to understand and maintain in the long term. This can be particularly valuable in larger codebases, where it might be difficult to keep track of the types of variables and function return values.
Reduced Bugs: With type hints, it's easier to spot potential bugs during the development process. This PR uncovered several bugs that were previously hidden.
Better Refactoring: Type hints can make refactoring safer and easier, as the potential impacts of changes can be more readily understood.
Better Collaboration: When working on a team, type hints can make it easier for other developers to understand your code, leading to more effective collaboration.
Downsides of Type Hints
Increased Code Verbose: Type hints can make the code more verbose, which could potentially decrease readability for simple scripts or data analyses.
Additional Development Time: Adding type hints can take additional time during the development process, which might be a consideration for smaller projects or tight deadlines.
Potential for Outdated Documentation: Type hints need to be kept up to date. If types are changed but the type hints are not updated, they can provide incorrect information to developers.
Not a Substitute for Tests: While type hints can catch some potential bugs, they aren't a substitute for proper unit tests and integration tests.
How Has This Been Tested?
The changes have been tested with the existing suite of unit and integration tests. In addition, manual testing was performed on the CLI tool to ensure proper operation.
Next Steps
This is a significant step towards making starfish-py more robust and user-friendly. Moving forward, we should ensure that new code includes type hints, and we should continue to refine our existing type hints as the codebase evolves.
Summary
This PR introduces comprehensive type hinting in the
starfish-pylibrary, the associated CLI tool, and all unit and integration tests. By adding type hints, we have managed to uncover and subsequently fix a number of bugs that had previously gone unnoticed.Changes
starfish-pylibrary, the CLI tool, and the unit and integration tests. This is designed to improve code readability and maintainability, by making it explicit what type of objects functions and methods expect and return. This will help developers understand and modify the codebase.Benefits of Type Hints
Downsides of Type Hints
How Has This Been Tested?
The changes have been tested with the existing suite of unit and integration tests. In addition, manual testing was performed on the CLI tool to ensure proper operation.
Next Steps
This is a significant step towards making
starfish-pymore robust and user-friendly. Moving forward, we should ensure that new code includes type hints, and we should continue to refine our existing type hints as the codebase evolves.