✍️ Update: Describe the new python interactivity module

[gregmacfarlane]

What needs to be done?

We need to learn, explore, and document the new python interactivity implemented in #401. What packages can I install, and where do I install them? How much memory do we have for datasets, computations, etc. Can it output graphics?

Presumably this implementation is a pretty standard thing with its own documentation, can we just link to that?

Context

I would use this to make better and more interactive content, if I knew what it could do.

Issue Ready Checklist

• [ ] Sufficiently defined

[strattonma]

Overview

• The sandbox uses the Pyodide Python distribution.
• Pyodide includes a default list of packages. Packages not on the list can be installed with micropip.install() if the package has a wheel on PyPI.
  • Example: Larch and Biogeme are on PyPI but not Pyodide distribution; need to test if micropip.install() works for these.
• Packages need to be included in the PythonPanel.vue script for the sandbox to see them. For a package to be included, this list needs to be extended.

File I/O

• Can we read from the local file system? Seems like the answer is no. Files can be read from a webserver, per https://pyodide.org/en/0.16.1/faq.html#:~:text=pyodide.,loaded%20from%20local%20file%20system. Need to test if Python example code and data can be read from a webserver (such as example code and inputs for a tutorial).

Memory

• Haven't got that far yet.

Limitations

• https://pyodide.org/en/stable/usage/wasm-constraints.html

[strattonma]

A simpler alternative to loading data and code from webserver would be to put data and code on a tutorial page.

[strattonma]

@billyc , I ran into trouble trying to import packages with micropip. I'm loading micropip here. I then tried invoking micropip.install('omx') here, but I'm not sure this is the right location with the various await commands that are in use.

[lmz]

pandas now loads:

[billyc]

Thanks @lmz !!!