Create very simple RPC so the subprocess loads functions

src/blueapi/service/main.py

@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ def get_plans(runner: WorkerDispatcher = Depends(_runner)):
 )
 def get_plan_by_name(name: str, runner: WorkerDispatcher = Depends(_runner)):
     """Retrieve information about a plan by its (unique) name."""
-    return runner.run(interface.get_plan, [name])
+    return runner.run(interface.get_plan, name)
 
 
 @app.get("/devices", response_model=DeviceResponse)
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ def get_devices(runner: WorkerDispatcher = Depends(_runner)):
 )
 def get_device_by_name(name: str, runner: WorkerDispatcher = Depends(_runner)):
     """Retrieve information about a devices by its (unique) name."""
-    return runner.run(interface.get_device, [name])
+    return runner.run(interface.get_device, name)
 
 
 example_task = Task(name="count", params={"detectors": ["x"]})
@@ -151,8 +151,8 @@ def submit_task(
 ):
     """Submit a task to the worker."""
     try:
-        plan_model = runner.run(interface.get_plan, [task.name])
-        task_id: str = runner.run(interface.submit_task, [task])
+        plan_model = runner.run(interface.get_plan, task.name)
+        task_id: str = runner.run(interface.submit_task, task)
         response.headers["Location"] = f"{request.url}/{task_id}"
         return TaskResponse(task_id=task_id)
     except ValidationError as e:
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ def delete_submitted_task(
     task_id: str,
     runner: WorkerDispatcher = Depends(_runner),
 ) -> TaskResponse:
-    return TaskResponse(task_id=runner.run(interface.clear_task, [task_id]))
+    return TaskResponse(task_id=runner.run(interface.clear_task, task_id))
 
 
 def validate_task_status(v: str) -> TaskStatusEnum:
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ def get_tasks(
                 detail="Invalid status query parameter",
             ) from e
 
-        tasks = runner.run(interface.get_tasks_by_status, [desired_status])
+        tasks = runner.run(interface.get_tasks_by_status, desired_status)
     else:
         tasks = runner.run(interface.get_tasks)
     return TasksListResponse(tasks=tasks)
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ def set_active_task(
         raise HTTPException(
             status_code=status.HTTP_409_CONFLICT, detail="Worker already active"
         )
-    runner.run(interface.begin_task, [task])
+    runner.run(interface.begin_task, task)
     return task
 
 
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ def get_task(
     runner: WorkerDispatcher = Depends(_runner),
 ) -> TrackableTask:
     """Retrieve a task"""
-    task = runner.run(interface.get_task_by_id, [task_id])
+    task = runner.run(interface.get_task_by_id, task_id)
     if task is None:
         raise KeyError
     return task
@@ -313,17 +313,15 @@ def set_state(
         and new_state in _ALLOWED_TRANSITIONS[current_state]
     ):
         if new_state == WorkerState.PAUSED:
-            runner.run(interface.pause_worker, [state_change_request.defer])
+            runner.run(interface.pause_worker, state_change_request.defer)
         elif new_state == WorkerState.RUNNING:
             runner.run(interface.resume_worker)
         elif new_state in {WorkerState.ABORTING, WorkerState.STOPPING}:
             try:
                 runner.run(
                     interface.cancel_active_task,
-                    [
-                        state_change_request.new_state is WorkerState.ABORTING,
-                        state_change_request.reason,
-                    ],
+                    state_change_request.new_state is WorkerState.ABORTING,
+                    state_change_request.reason,
                 )
             except TransitionError:
                 response.status_code = status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST

src/blueapi/service/runner.py

@@ -1,22 +1,24 @@
+import inspect
 import logging
 import signal
-from collections.abc import Callable, Iterable
+from collections.abc import Callable
+from importlib import import_module
 from multiprocessing import Pool, set_start_method
 from multiprocessing.pool import Pool as PoolClass
-from typing import Any
+from typing import Any, ParamSpec, TypeVar
 
 from blueapi.config import ApplicationConfig
-from blueapi.service.interface import (
-    setup,
-    teardown,
-)
+from blueapi.service.interface import setup, teardown
 from blueapi.service.model import EnvironmentResponse
 
 # The default multiprocessing start method is fork
 set_start_method("spawn", force=True)
 
 LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
+P = ParamSpec("P")
+T = TypeVar("T")
+
 
 def _init_worker():
     # Replace sigint to allow subprocess to be terminated
@@ -56,7 +58,7 @@
         try:
             if self._use_subprocess:
                 self._subprocess = Pool(initializer=_init_worker, processes=1)
-            self.run(setup, [self._config])
+            self.run(setup, self._config)
             self._state = EnvironmentResponse(initialized=True)
         except Exception as e:
             self._state = EnvironmentResponse(
@@ -82,21 +84,39 @@
             )
             LOGGER.exception(e)
 
-    def run(self, function: Callable, arguments: Iterable | None = None) -> Any:
-        arguments = arguments or []
+    def run(self, function: Callable[P, T], *args: P.args, **kwargs: P.kwargs) -> T:
         if self._use_subprocess:
-            return self._run_in_subprocess(function, arguments)
+            return self._run_in_subprocess(function, *args, **kwargs)
         else:
-            return function(*arguments)
+            return function(*args, **kwargs)
 
     def _run_in_subprocess(
         self,
-        function: Callable,
-        arguments: Iterable,
-    ) -> Any:
+        function: Callable[P, T],
+        *args: P.args,
+        **kwargs: P.kwargs,
+    ) -> T:
         if self._subprocess is None:
             raise InvalidRunnerStateError("Subprocess runner has not been started")
-        return self._subprocess.apply(function, arguments)
+        if not (hasattr(function, "__name__") and hasattr(function, "__module__")):
+            raise RpcError(f"{function} is anonymous, cannot be run in subprocess")
+        if not callable(function):
+            raise RpcError(f"{function} is not Callable, cannot be run in subprocess")
+        try:
+            return_type = inspect.signature(function).return_annotation
+        except TypeError:
+            return_type = None
+
+        return self._subprocess.apply(
+            _rpc,
+            (
+                function.__module__,
+                function.__name__,
+                return_type,
+                *args,
+            ),
+            kwargs,
+        )
 
     @property
     def state(self) -> EnvironmentResponse:
@@ -106,3 +126,35 @@
 class InvalidRunnerStateError(Exception):
     def __init__(self, message):
         super().__init__(message)
+
+
+class RpcError(Exception): ...
+
+
+def _rpc(
+    module_name: str,
+    function_name: str,
+    expected_type: type[T] | None,
+    *args: Any,
+    **kwargs: Any,
+) -> T:
+    mod = import_module(module_name)
+    func: Callable[P, T] = _validate_function(
+        mod.__dict__.get(function_name, None), function_name
+    )
+    value = func(*args, **kwargs)
+    if expected_type is None or isinstance(value, expected_type):
+        return value
+    else:
+        raise TypeError(
+            f"{function_name} returned value of type {type(value)}"
+            + f" which is incompatible with expected {expected_type}"
+        )
+
+
+def _validate_function(func: Any, function_name: str) -> Callable:
+    if func is None:
+        raise RpcError(f"{function_name}: No such function in subprocess API")
+    elif not callable(func):
+        raise RpcError(f"{function_name}: Object in subprocess is not a function")
+    return func

tests/core/fake_device_module.py

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock, NonCallableMock
 
 from ophyd import EpicsMotor
 
@@ -26,6 +26,20 @@ def fake_motor_bundle_a(
 
 
 def _mock_with_name(name: str) -> MagicMock:
+    # mock.name must return str, cannot MagicMock(name=name)
     mock = MagicMock()
     mock.name = name
     return mock
+
+
+def wrong_return_type() -> int:
+    return "0"  # type: ignore
+
+
+fetchable_non_callable = NonCallableMock()
+fetchable_callable = MagicMock(return_value="string")
+
+fetchable_non_callable.__name__ = "fetchable_non_callable"
+fetchable_non_callable.__module__ = fake_motor_bundle_a.__module__
+fetchable_callable.__name__ = "fetchable_callable"
+fetchable_callable.__module__ = fake_motor_bundle_a.__module__

tests/messaging/test_stomptemplate.py

@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ def server(ctx: MessageContext, message: message_type) -> None:  # type: ignore
     reply = template.send_and_receive(test_queue, message, message_type).result(
         timeout=_TIMEOUT
     )
-    if type(message) == np.ndarray:
+    if type(message) is np.ndarray:
         message = message.tolist()
     assert reply == message
 

tests/service/test_runner.py

@@ -5,11 +5,31 @@
 
 from blueapi.service import interface
 from blueapi.service.model import EnvironmentResponse
-from blueapi.service.runner import InvalidRunnerStateError, WorkerDispatcher
+from blueapi.service.runner import (
+    InvalidRunnerStateError,
+    RpcError,
+    WorkerDispatcher,
+)
 
 
-def test_initialize():
-    runner = WorkerDispatcher()
+@pytest.fixture
+def local_runner():
+    return WorkerDispatcher(use_subprocess=False)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def runner():
+    return WorkerDispatcher()
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def started_runner(runner: WorkerDispatcher):
+    runner.start()
+    yield runner
+    runner.stop()
+
+
+def test_initialize(runner: WorkerDispatcher):
     assert not runner.state.initialized
     runner.start()
     assert runner.state.initialized
@@ -19,23 +39,20 @@ def test_initialize():
     assert not runner.state.initialized
 
 
-def test_reload():
-    runner = WorkerDispatcher()
+def test_reload(runner: WorkerDispatcher):
     runner.start()
     assert runner.state.initialized
     runner.reload()
     assert runner.state.initialized
     runner.stop()
 
 
-def test_raises_if_used_before_started():
-    runner = WorkerDispatcher()
+def test_raises_if_used_before_started(runner: WorkerDispatcher):
     with pytest.raises(InvalidRunnerStateError):
-        assert runner.run(interface.get_plans) is None
+        runner.run(interface.get_plans)
 
 
-def test_error_on_runner_setup():
-    runner = WorkerDispatcher(use_subprocess=False)
+def test_error_on_runner_setup(local_runner: WorkerDispatcher):
     expected_state = EnvironmentResponse(
         initialized=False,
         error_message="Intentional start_worker exception",
@@ -48,8 +65,8 @@ def test_error_on_runner_setup():
         # Calling reload here instead of start also indirectly
         # tests that stop() doesn't raise if there is no error message
         # and the runner is not yet initialised
-        runner.reload()
-        state = runner.state
+        local_runner.reload()
+        state = local_runner.state
         assert state == expected_state
 
 
@@ -85,3 +102,62 @@ def test_can_reload_after_an_error(pool_mock: MagicMock):
     runner.reload()
 
     assert runner.state == EnvironmentResponse(initialized=True, error_message=None)
+
+
+def test_function_not_findable_on_subprocess(started_runner: WorkerDispatcher):
+    from tests.core.fake_device_module import fake_motor_y
+
+    # Valid target on main but not sub process
+    # Change in this process not reflected in subprocess
+    fake_motor_y.__name__ = "not_exported"
+
+    with pytest.raises(
+        RpcError, match="not_exported: No such function in subprocess API"
+    ):
+        started_runner.run(fake_motor_y)
+
+
+def test_non_callable_excepts_in_main_process(started_runner: WorkerDispatcher):
+    # Not a valid target on main or sub process
+    from tests.core.fake_device_module import fetchable_non_callable
+
+    with pytest.raises(
+        RpcError,
+        match="<NonCallableMock id='[0-9]+'> is not Callable, "
+        + "cannot be run in subprocess",
+    ):
+        started_runner.run(fetchable_non_callable)
+
+
+def test_non_callable_excepts_in_sub_process(started_runner: WorkerDispatcher):
+    # Valid target on main but finds non-callable in sub process
+    from tests.core.fake_device_module import fetchable_callable, fetchable_non_callable
+
+    fetchable_callable.__name__ = fetchable_non_callable.__name__
+
+    with pytest.raises(
+        RpcError,
+        match="fetchable_non_callable: Object in subprocess is not a function",
+    ):
+        started_runner.run(fetchable_callable)
+
+
+def test_clear_message_for_anonymous_function(started_runner: WorkerDispatcher):
+    non_fetchable_callable = MagicMock()
+
+    with pytest.raises(
+        RpcError,
+        match="<MagicMock id='[0-9]+'> is anonymous, cannot be run in subprocess",
+    ):
+        started_runner.run(non_fetchable_callable)
+
+
+def test_clear_message_for_wrong_return(started_runner: WorkerDispatcher):
+    from tests.core.fake_device_module import wrong_return_type
+
+    with pytest.raises(
+        TypeError,
+        match="wrong_return_type returned value of type <class 'str'>"
+        + " which is incompatible with expected <class 'int'>",
+    ):
+        started_runner.run(wrong_return_type)