[CI, python] Windows support

[dweindl]

Since we unfortunately decided to support Windows, it would be great if somebody could reenable/setup AppVeyor . This would also be helpful for the generation, and required for the auto-deployment of Windows wheels (#423).

[FFroehlich]

https://blog.travis-ci.com/2018-10-11-windows-early-release?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=windows_early_release

🤔

[dweindl]

@yannikschaelte : Wanna give it a try? :)

[FFroehlich]

https://brew.sh/2019/02/02/homebrew-2.0.0/ this might simplify dependency installation on windows a bit.

[FFroehlich]

Closing this due to lack of interest and https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install-win10 as better alternative.

[dweindl]

@thomassligon : Since you seem to be very interested in using AMICI with Visual C++, would you be able to set up a CI workflow for that? Otherwise, since none of the developers is using VC++, chances are high that future changes will break compatibility...

[thomassligon]

That sounds reasonable, especially since the installation on Windows with Visual Studio seems to be almost working, as soon as a one-line fix becomes available, but first I need to understand what is expected. My guess is that "CI workflow" means "continuous integration workflow", but that is a very general concept and I don't know exactly what is expected. In particular, does this refer to a tool and managing the workflow in that tool? In addition, I don't know Appveyor, Windows wheels, or travis, so I might need to learn some of this, or, at least, know what a "CI workflow" needs to look like. PS: AMICI on Windows with Visual C++ was working for MATLAB, and using it with Python has uncovered one line of incompatible code, and there is already a fix for that, but it is not yet in master.

[dweindl]

Hi Tom,

Our current continuous integration workflow, among others, builds AMICI and installs the Python package and then runs and verifies a number of test simulations. This currently happens on travis CI. See https://travis-ci.com/ICB-DCM/AMICI/jobs/232096602 for an example, and https://github.com/ICB-DCM/AMICI/blob/master/.travis.yml for how this is achieved.

There are different providers with free basic subscriptions and decent github integrations. At some point we used appveyor, see https://github.com/ICB-DCM/AMICI/blob/master/bu_.appveyor.yml for the broken configuration.

Options are:

• https://www.appveyor.com/
• https://www.shippable.com/windows.html
• https://docs.travis-ci.com/user/reference/windows/
• https://github.com/features/actions
• and probably others.

I no Windows-experience with any of them and no clear preference.

The minimum we would need is:

• Setting up the environment (python, VC++)
• Performing the AMICI development installation

Ideally in addition:

• Running the example Jupyter notebooks from python/examples/
• Python-Windows-wheels deployment on tagged releases

We won't be able to test the matlab interface, due to licensing restrictions.

Regarding the pull request with fixes for your current issues: I commented on that earlier, should be merged soon. That was waiting due to me being on vacation.

[thomassligon]

Hi Daniel, I plan to take the following next steps: As soon as the one-line change in solver_cvodes.cpp, I will continue testing “pip install amici” on my configuration. After that is working, I plan to compare my experience with Yannik’s in hopes of learning a few key points. Also, I will look at the travis documentation you have cited, and maybe the others, with the goal of seeing how much work it would be to create the CI workflow that is needed. Tom (Dr. Thomas S. Ligon) Tom@thomassligon.info<mailto:Tom@thomassligon.info> Frohnloher Str. 6a 81475 Muenchen Germany Tel. +49(89)74575075

[dweindl]

Also, I will look at the travis documentation you have cited, and maybe the others, with the goal of seeing how much work it would be to create the CI workflow that is needed.

Okay, great. Therefore reopening this issue.