Bonsai 2.9.0

[glopesdev]

This is the first release in the 2.9 series, which introduces significant changes to the language editor experience. Please give us any feedback either in the comments below or by opening a new discussion.

In Bonsai 2.9 we introduce a new workflow navigation model leveraging a flexible docking layout panel, and a nested hierarchy tree view with breadcrumbs to allow easily and quickly jumping between different parts of a complex project. The docking architecture also enabled us to start developing new editor tools such as the new find all references window.

The new workflow state watch mode provides an unprecedented level of runtime feedback about the inner workings of a reactive workflow, including when sequences are subscribed to, when they produce values, terminate, or are cancelled. We expect this mode to provide an invaluable tool for learning visual reactive programming and understanding the behavior of programs written in Bonsai.

In anticipation of new editor features, we are introducing a reorganization of the .layout files, which were previously used to store debugger visualizer settings over multiple runs. These files previously cluttered folders containing multiple workflow files, and were very hard to extend to more complex project-based settings. With this reorganization we expect to facilitate a cleaner project folder structure and introduce more clarity on the version control of workflows.

Finally, we modernized the package manager dialog and completed our migration from MyGet to NuGet. As discussed during the last MyGet outage, we urgently needed to broaden our community package deployment options. The new package manager introduces support for two new package types: BonsaiLibrary and BonsaiGallery for packages providing libraries of Bonsai operators and example workflows, respectively.

These package types will be used to curate the nuget.org feed to keep our package manager focused on libraries providing reactive operators. Currently package type filtering is only supported for the nuget.org feed, but it is turned on by default there. New packages deployed to nuget.org are expected to declare both Dependency and BonsaiLibrary as their package types for maximum discoverability.

Important

In the near future, we will move entirely out of MyGet and will archive the community feed.

What's Changed

🔮 Release Highlights

• Rewrite editor navigation model by @glopesdev in Rewrite editor navigation model #1870
• Add editor find tool for subjects and operator types by @glopesdev in Add editor find tool for subjects and operator types #2227
• Move layout files to workflow settings folder by @glopesdev in Move layout files to workflow settings folder #1956
• Modernize package manager dialog by @glopesdev in Modernize package manager dialog #1969
• Add support for watching individual operator state by @glopesdev in Add support for watching individual operator state #1975

🎉 New Features

• Allow propagation of Defer nested sequence visualizer by @glopesdev in Allow propagation of Defer nested sequence visualizer #1931
• Rename CombineTimestamp to CreateTimestamped by @glopesdev in Rename CombineTimestamp to CreateTimestamped #1941
• Make period a nullable property of reactive timer and clarify documentation by @glopesdev in Make period a nullable property of reactive timer and clarify documentation #1957
• Add MatrixWriter overload for sequences of unmanaged types by @glopesdev in Add MatrixWriter overload for sequences of unmanaged types #2110
• Improve consistency of visualizer context menu by @glopesdev in Improve consistency of visualizer context menu #2158
• Save workflow settings when closing the editor by @glopesdev in Save workflow settings when closing the editor #2156
• Allow selecting output menu items using keyboard by @glopesdev in Allow selecting output menu items using keyboard #2173
• Add multiline string editor for string properties by @glopesdev in Add multiline string editor for string properties #2192
• Improve editor experience when manipulating visualizer mappings by @glopesdev in Improve editor experience when manipulating visualizer mappings #2195
• Use workflow filename as default export image name by @glopesdev in Use workflow filename as default export image name #2204
• Add obsolete message to operator descriptions by @glopesdev in Add obsolete message to operator descriptions #2208
• Expose texture array interface on texture sequence by @glopesdev in Expose texture array interface on texture sequence #2205
• Add support for Prepend and Append operators by @glopesdev in Add support for Prepend and Append operators #2264
• Make package source configuration dialog a true modal window by @glopesdev in Make package source configuration dialog a true modal window #2297
• Allow multi-channel data when reading whole files using MatrixReader by @glopesdev in Allow multi-channel data when reading whole files using MatrixReader #2301
• Improved gallery package builder dialog by @glopesdev in Improved gallery package builder dialog #2269
• Add new VisualizerWindow operator by @glopesdev in Add new VisualizerWindow operator #2240
• Replace MyGet with NuGet as default package source by @glopesdev in Replace MyGet with NuGet as default package source #2285
• Update package template to introduce recommended repository structure by @glopesdev in Update package template to introduce recommended repository structure #2306
• Add command for creating a new environment by @glopesdev in Add command for creating a new environment #2316
• Automatically use workflow local environment on double-click by @glopesdev in Automatically use workflow local environment on double-click #2315

🐞 Bug Fixes

• Avoid launching editor during image export by @glopesdev in Avoid launching editor during image export #2124
• Remove idempotent operations from the undo history by @glopesdev in Remove idempotent operations from the undo history #2157
• Ensure ordering before removing ungrouped nodes by @glopesdev in Ensure ordering before removing ungrouped nodes #2164
• Improve navigation behavior when no tabs are open by @glopesdev in Improve navigation behavior when no tabs are open #2166
• Ensure topological sort before deletion by @glopesdev in Ensure topological sort before deletion #2169
• Ensure visualizer mapping build state is cleared by @glopesdev in Ensure visualizer mapping build state is cleared #2172
• Ensure OSC message format is culture invariant by @glopesdev in Ensure OSC message format is culture invariant #2193
• Fallback to base url when no docs are found by @glopesdev in Fallback to base url when no docs are found #2197
• Prune all fully disabled branches during build by @glopesdev in Prune all fully disabled branches during build #2178
• Clear annotation panel on new workflow creation by @glopesdev in Clear annotation panel on new workflow creation #2199
• Ensure property mapping and member selector operators prefer derived properties by @glopesdev in Ensure property mapping and member selector operators prefer derived properties #2201
• Ensure any workflow errors are cleared on open by @glopesdev in Ensure any workflow errors are cleared on open #2203
• Avoid loading visualizer layout on mismatched type name by @glopesdev in Avoid loading visualizer layout on mismatched type name #2213
• Avoid multiple shutdown paths out of StartWorkflow by @glopesdev in Avoid multiple shutdown paths out of StartWorkflow #2212
• Ensure editor workflow is not set until validation by @glopesdev in Ensure editor workflow is not set until validation #2231
• Avoid corrupting editor state when loading workflow with circular includes by @glopesdev in Avoid corrupting editor state when loading workflow with circular includes #2235
• Disable confusing editor actions on disabled nodes by @glopesdev in Disable confusing editor actions on disabled nodes #2239
• Await initialization before loading layout by @glopesdev in Await initialization before loading layout #2232
• Avoid setting minimum size on text visualizer by @glopesdev in Avoid setting minimum size on text visualizer #2253
• Initialize editor layout after workflow validation by @glopesdev in Initialize editor layout after workflow validation #2255
• Await asynchronous workflow initialization on editor load by @glopesdev in Await asynchronous workflow initialization on editor load #2258
• Fix various issues with Extensions.csproj handling and add unit testing for it by @PathogenDavid in Fix various issues with Extensions.csproj handling and add unit testing for it #2180
• Ensure workflow does not contain unknown types when exporting to an image from the CLI by @glopesdev in Ensure workflow does not contain unknown types when exporting to an image from the CLI #2267
• Ensure visualizer predecessor search can extend to nested scopes by @glopesdev in Ensure visualizer predecessor search can extend to nested scopes #2268
• Add missing null guard in SelectPackageDetails by @glopesdev in Add missing null guard in SelectPackageDetails #2290

🚀 Performance Improvements

• Replace uses of WebRequest with HttpClient by @glopesdev in Replace uses of WebRequest with HttpClient #1937

🔧 Engineering

• Update launch settings to target artifacts folder by @glopesdev in Update launch settings to target artifacts folder #1923
• Update ScintillaNET to support modern .NET by @glopesdev in Update ScintillaNET to support modern .NET #1924
• Allow building workflows as typed sequences by @glopesdev in Allow building workflows as typed sequences #1942
• Target netcore on editor and bootstrapper projects by @glopesdev in Target netcore on editor and bootstrapper projects #1907
• Configure tests to run on .NET 8 by @PathogenDavid in Configure tests to run on .NET 8 #1952
• Fix test target framework issues by @PathogenDavid in Fix test target framework issues #1958
• Exclude build dependencies when counting inputs to new nested node by @glopesdev in Exclude build dependencies when counting inputs to new nested node #1946
• Use deployment key in CI for manipulating Git repository by @PathogenDavid in Use deployment key in CI for manipulating Git repository #1985
• Add support for sorting test workflows by @glopesdev in Add support for sorting test workflows #1964
• Add support for long paths on Windows by @glopesdev in Add support for long paths on Windows #2016
• Keep Linux builds on Ubuntu 22.04 for now by @PathogenDavid in Keep Linux builds on Ubuntu 22.04 for now #2079
• Consolidate shared menu icons in global resources by @glopesdev in Consolidate shared menu icons in global resources #1989
• Deprecate obsolete visualizer operators by @glopesdev in Deprecate obsolete visualizer operators #2206
• Improve support for workflow property assignment by @glopesdev in Improve support for workflow property assignment #2263
• Set user agent string used for NuGet network calls by @glopesdev in Set user agent string used for NuGet network calls #2266
• Replace visualizer dialog terminology with visualizer window by @glopesdev in Replace visualizer dialog terminology with visualizer window #2259
• Ensure node argument range indicator is displayed by @glopesdev in Ensure node argument range indicator is displayed #2284
• Account for variable length parameters correctly by @glopesdev in Account for variable length parameters correctly #2282
• Avoid collapsing WinForms designer files in the PR review UI by @PathogenDavid in Avoid collapsing WinForms designer files in the PR review UI #2299
• Update upstream dependencies by @glopesdev in Update upstream dependencies #2308

Full Changelog: 2.8.5...2.9.0

---

This discussion was created from the release 2.9.0.

[bparks13]

This looks great so far! I am really liking the new features, and am super excited to see where it goes in the future. I did want to say that I think I've found a small bug related to the docking panels / explorer. A couple of times we have seen that the name does not update to match the filename (this is sporadic behavior at this point). The steps below can sometimes reproduce the issue:

• Load a file
  • The name of the dock tab and explorer match the file
• Create a new file (File -> New)
  • At this point, the dock panels and explorer still display the name of the old file
• Paste in an existing workflow, or add new operators
• Save the file with a new name
  • The dock tabs and explorer still have the name of the original file, it does not update at this point

To fix the dock panel names, I can remove them and then add them back in by clicking on the top-level in the explorer, at which point the tabs have the correct name, but the explorer still retains the old filename.

[PathogenDavid]

I actually can't reproduce this, does it happen every time? (Based on your wording it's not clear whether or not it's sporadic.)

[bparks13]

It turns out that this behavior is actually sporadic. When I was testing it yesterday I was able to consistently reproduce the issue, but when I opened a new instance today to test I was unable to replicate it. However, after further testing I was able to consistently reproduce a related behavior, which hopefully helps point to the underlying issue I described previously.

Here are the steps I used to consistently reproduce the naming inconsistency:

• Open a new instance of Bonsai 2.9.0
• Open an existing file
• Hit "Save As" (File -> Save As)
• The name in the explorer and the dock tabs no longer match

Similar to the behavior I described before, I can get the dock panel tab to update its name by closing the tab, and then clicking on the Explorer section to open a new tab with the correct name. However, this does not update the Explorer name.

After further testing, I was able to update the Explorer name by simply dropping a new operator into the workflow, but this does not update the dock panel tab names.

Below are some images to highlight the different states, hopefully these help with reproducing the behavior!

Base state, after opening

Creating a new file and saving it as newFile

Saving the same file using Save As

Copying and pasting the same operator into the workflow updates the explorer name

Closing the dock panel tab and reopening it updates the name

[PathogenDavid]

Thanks! I can reproduce the problem with those steps.

I've created #2330 to track this.