Python import path / working-directory issue in conftest.py in py_test ?-> maybe GitHub check do not complete due to this

[FloorBroekgaarden]

Describe the bug
pr-1368 and a few earlier PRs around the Cosmic Integration seems to have changed the py_test/conftest.py file in some way that it now seems to have an issue with the Python import path / working-directory issue in conftest.py?

There's also a double / copy of the same line:
`# Testvalues used in test_total_mass_evolved_per_z defined in py_tests/test_values.py
from py_tests.test_values import MAKE_PLOTS, M1_MIN, M1_MAX, M2_MIN, F_BIN

Testvalues used in test_total_mass_evolved_per_z defined in py_tests/test_values.py

from py_tests.test_values import MAKE_PLOTS, M1_MIN, M1_MAX, M2_MIN, F_BIN`

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Go to https://github.com/TeamCOMPAS/COMPAS/blob/dev/py_tests/conftest.py
2. see changes since 4ea8b9e
3. see error in https://github.com/TeamCOMPAS/COMPAS/actions/runs/22083882124/job/63814365416?pr=1448

Specifically, this and earlier changes does from py_tests.test_values import ...
But I think that in the GitHub Actions job, Python’s sys.path doesn’t include the directory that contains py_tests/, so import py_tests fails.

@jeffriley or others might know best how to fix this neatly (and whether it needs to be fixed?)
maybe something like adding

ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]  # directory that contains py_tests/
sys.path.insert(0, str(ROOT))

from py_tests.test_values import MAKE_PLOTS, M1_MIN, M1_MAX, M2_MIN, F_BIN

but not sure, as the pytest suite seemed to be working before, so it might be something different.

[jeffriley]

@avivajpeyi ?

[avivajpeyi]

thanks Jeff for pinging me. I'll take a look at both this and other pytest issues in the next 24hrs.

[avivajpeyi]

Found something!

from py_tests.conftest import test_archive_dir, fake_compas_output

This is causing pathing issues. Not sure when this crept in -- the CI pytests should have failed when this was added.

[avivajpeyi]

The conftest.py seems to have gotten some strange lines added as well:

 import os
from typing import Any, Dict

import subprocess
import h5py
import pytest
from compas_python_utils.cosmic_integration.binned_cosmic_integrator.binary_population import \
    generate_mock_population

# Testvalues used in test_total_mass_evolved_per_z defined in py_tests/test_values.py
from py_tests.test_values import MAKE_PLOTS, M1_MIN, M1_MAX, M2_MIN, F_BIN <<< BAD 


# Testvalues used in test_total_mass_evolved_per_z defined in py_tests/test_values.py
from py_tests.test_values import MAKE_PLOTS, M1_MIN, M1_MAX, M2_MIN, F_BIN <<< BAD 

[avivajpeyi]

So in some more details, the reason this failed to even start running tests was becuase py_tests was imported like a real installed package (from py_tests...), but in CI it is just a test folder, not an installed package.

So Python couldn’t find py_tests, and pytest failed before running tests.

How to avoid this next time:

1. In tests, avoid absolute imports from the test folder like from py_tests....
2. Prefer local test-module imports (from test_values import ...) or keep shared constants in a real package module (for example under compas_python_utils).
3. Be consistent: don’t mix “installed package imports” and “repo-folder imports” unless you explicitly configure PYTHONPATH.