Can we move the "version" setting out of metadata?

[john-science]

Right now, all settings in the CaseSetting object are easily retrieved through the simple method:

cs["nCycles"]

This is great. It easy to use and clear.

However, one setting is unique and different: "version" is the version of ARMI the simulation was run with, and it is in a special "metadata" area, outside the settings:

https://github.com/terrapower/armi/blob/fc26c390e01ce541e5f66fb530a89ada2479a6e9/armi/tests/armiRun.yaml#L1C1-L2

This is pretty annoying. Because you can't just do cs["metadata"] or cs["version"] or anything. But people have frequently asked me how to get this information programmatically, because they need it. And I have to write them some code that fines and parses the YAML file in question NOT using ARMI or yamlize.

It would be an API change, but it feels like we should just remove the metadata tag entirely from this file, and make version a regular setting.

[john-science]

Alternately, I have opened a yamlize ticket to see if there is an easy work-around I can bake into the CaseSetting class without having to change our settings files or API.

[john-science]

Also related #1234

[jakehader]

@drewj-usnctech - the introduction of version might have been something that we had discussed for your needs. If so, can you take a look at #1234 and see if we can remove the setting for version and just slap it into a database? Maybe the version number predates this though.

@john-science - it might be that version was / is used in the settings for auto migration purposes. I'm not sure the history there but @ntouran could remember. I still think that the tagged issue is a good one but might be independent here.

[drewj-usnctech]

@drewj-usnctech - the introduction of version might have been something that we had discussed for your needs

I brought up some metadata/version questions in #1066 but I wasn't the originator of that section. I'll put some similar comments in #1234

As @john-science put in #1066 (comment), it's totally possible for any plugin to define their own "version-as-a-setting" and do their own validation already.

settings:
   armiVersion: 0.2.6
   mySnazzyAppVersion: 0.1.0
   coolPluginVersion: 2.4.1

I would ask that there's some way to consolidate these, since collecting them all in a settings/version table

settings:
  versions:
    armi: 0.2.6
    mySnazzyApp: 0.1.0
    coolPlugin: 2.4.1

has a better UI (in my own opinion)

p.s. this could open the door to version constraining later, e.g.,

settings:
 versions:
   armi: >=0.2.6
   my snazzy app: <0.2.0

which would be awesome but a much harder lift.

[john-science]

@drewj-usnctech Thanks!

Also, this is my current favorite:

settings:
  versions:
    armi: 0.2.6
    mySnazzyApp: 0.1.0
    coolPlugin: 2.4.1