Improve markdown table generation for metrics #129

arminru · 2023-01-19T17:46:17Z

(split from #79)

See https://github.com/open-telemetry/build-tools/pull/79/files#r996803040 for the previous discussion and proposals.

Two possible options would be:

A table of metric names with a (then shared) table of attribute names that apply.

A table of the metric where "empty" rows are created while attributes are expanded.

Both of them are currently manually applied in the hand-crafted metrics tables in the spec repo.

cc @jamesmoessis @Oberon00 @joaopgrassi @jsuereth

jamesmoessis · 2023-01-30T23:43:10Z

Hey @arminru - is anyone working on this? If not, you can assign to me and I can try get to it in the next few weeks

arminru · 2023-01-31T12:49:57Z

Not yet! Thank you, @jamesmoessis 🙂

jamesmoessis · 2023-02-02T06:41:32Z

I've written 3 options down below of how we might render the tables. I encourage everyone to post their thoughts and preferred option. Once we have a general consensus, I will go ahead and implement the chosen option.

Option 1

Option 1 consists of metrics tables containing multiple metrics, and one attributes table for each individual metric. Option 1 was proposed by @joaopgrassi in previous discussions.

## foo metrics
<!-- semconv metric.foo(metric_table) -->
| Name           | Instrument Type | Unit (UCUM) | Description                   |
|----------------|-----------------|-------------|-------------------------------|
| `foo.size`     | Histogram       | `{bars}`    | Measures the size of foo.     |
| `foo.duration` | Histogram       | `{bazs}`    | Measures the duration of foo. |
<!-- endsemconv -->

### Attributes for `metric.foo.size`
<!-- semconv metric.foo.size -->
| Attribute          | Type   | Description                    | Examples              | Requirement Level                                             |
|--------------------|--------|--------------------------------|-----------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|
| `http.method`      | string | HTTP request method.           | `GET`; `POST`; `HEAD` | Required                                                      |
| `http.status_code` | int    | [HTTP response status code](). | `200`                 | Conditionally Required: if and only if one was received/sent. |
<!-- endsemconv -->

### Attributes for `metric.foo.duration`
<!-- semconv metric.foo.duration -->
| Attribute     | Type   | Description          | Examples              | Requirement Level |
|---------------|--------|----------------------|-----------------------|-------------------|
| `http.method` | string | HTTP request method. | `GET`; `POST`; `HEAD` | Optional          |
<!-- endsemconv -->

Option 2

Option 2 consists of a single-row metric table for each metric, with attributes listed below it. This is what currently exists in build-tools.

Similar to option 1, but each metric has a single-row table with the attributes table for that metric directly after it.
Option 2 creates more tables and is less concise, but it provides the advantage that the attributes table is always next to the metric definition, rather than being down the page like in option 1.

This option is similar to what is in the collector's generated metrics tables. Example.

## `foo.size`
<!-- semconv metric.foo.size(metric_table) -->
| Name       | Instrument Type | Unit (UCUM) | Description               |
|------------|-----------------|-------------|---------------------------|
| `foo.size` | Histogram       | `{bars}`    | Measures the size of foo. |
<!-- endsemconv -->

### Attributes for `foo.size`
<!-- semconv metric.foo.size -->
| Attribute          | Type   | Description                    | Examples              | Requirement Level                                             |
|--------------------|--------|--------------------------------|-----------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|
| `http.method`      | string | HTTP request method.           | `GET`; `POST`; `HEAD` | Required                                                      |
| `http.status_code` | int    | [HTTP response status code](). | `200`                 | Conditionally Required: if and only if one was received/sent. |
<!-- endsemconv -->

## `foo.duration`
<!-- semconv metric.foo.duration(metric_table) -->
| Name           | Instrument Type | Unit (UCUM) | Description                   |
|----------------|-----------------|-------------|-------------------------------|
| `foo.duration` | Histogram       | `{bazs}`    | Measures the duration of foo. |
<!-- endsemconv -->

### Attributes for `foo.duration`
<!-- semconv metric.foo.duration -->
| Attribute     | Type   | Description          | Examples              | Requirement Level |
|---------------|--------|----------------------|-----------------------|-------------------|
| `http.method` | string | HTTP request method. | `GET`; `POST`; `HEAD` | Optional          |
<!-- endsemconv -->

Option 2b

As @Oberon00 mentioned in the previous PR, the single-row table could be expressed as a list of key-value pairs instead of a table, e.g.:

Name: foo.size
Instrument Type: Histogram
Unit: {bars}
Description: Measures the size of foo.

Option 3

Option 3 consists of a metric table where "empty" rows are created while attributes are expanded.

I didn't see this option fully fleshed out, so for those who mentioned it (mainly @jsuereth) I will do my best to provide an example of how I imagine it might look. Feel free to correct me and I can edit this comment.

I've made it so the attribute name and requirement level are specified with the metric table, but then link to a full attribute definition. The standalone attribute definition only needs to be defined once for all metrics, because the requirement level is specified on the metric table already.

This option is the most concise because it avoids repeatedly describing attributes.

<!-- semconv metric.foo.size(metric_table) -->
| Name       | Instrument Type | Unit (UCUM) | Description               | Attribute                                   | Attribute Requirement level                                   |
|------------|-----------------|-------------|---------------------------|---------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|
| `foo.size` | Histogram       | `{bars}`    | Measures the size of foo. |                                             |                                                               |
|            |                 |             |                           | [`http.method`](#attribute-definition)      | Required                                                      |
|            |                 |             |                           | [`http.status_code`](#attribute-definition) | Conditionally Required: if and only if one was received/sent. |

...

### Attribute definitions
<!-- semconv metric.foo -->
| Attribute          | Type   | Description                    | Examples              |
|--------------------|--------|--------------------------------|-----------------------|
| `http.method`      | string | HTTP request method.           | `GET`; `POST`; `HEAD` |
| `http.status_code` | int    | [HTTP response status code](). | `200`                 |
<!-- endsemconv -->

jamesmoessis · 2023-02-02T06:46:06Z

Here are rendered versions of the above options.

Option 1

foo metrics

Name	Instrument Type	Unit (UCUM)	Description
`foo.size`	Histogram	`{bars}`	Measures the size of foo.
`foo.duration`	Histogram	`{bazs}`	Measures the duration of foo.

Attributes for `metric.foo.size`

Attribute	Type	Description	Examples	Requirement Level
`http.method`	string	HTTP request method.	`GET`; `POST`; `HEAD`	Required
`http.status_code`	int	HTTP response status code.	`200`	Conditionally Required: if and only if one was received/sent.

Attributes for `metric.foo.duration`

Attribute	Type	Description	Examples	Requirement Level
`http.method`	string	HTTP request method.	`GET`; `POST`; `HEAD`	Optional

Option 2:

`foo.size`

Name	Instrument Type	Unit (UCUM)	Description
`foo.size`	Histogram	`{bars}`	Measures the size of foo.

Attributes for `foo.size`

Attribute	Type	Description	Examples	Requirement Level
`http.method`	string	HTTP request method.	`GET`; `POST`; `HEAD`	Required
`http.status_code`	int	HTTP response status code.	`200`	Conditionally Required: if and only if one was received/sent.

`foo.duration`

Name	Instrument Type	Unit (UCUM)	Description
`foo.duration`	Histogram	`{bazs}`	Measures the duration of foo.

Attributes for `foo.duration`

Attribute	Type	Description	Examples	Requirement Level
`http.method`	string	HTTP request method.	`GET`; `POST`; `HEAD`	Optional

Option 2b

Name: foo.size
Instrument Type: Histogram
Unit: {bars}
Description: Measures the size of foo.

Option 3

`foo.size`

Name	Instrument Type	Unit (UCUM)	Description	Attribute	Attribute Requirement level
`foo.size`	Histogram	`{bars}`	Measures the size of foo.
				`http.method`	Required
				`http.status_code`	Conditionally Required: if and only if one was received/sent.

...

Attribute definitions

Attribute	Type	Description	Examples
`http.method`	string	HTTP request method.	`GET`; `POST`; `HEAD`
`http.status_code`	int	HTTP response status code.	`200`

joaopgrassi · 2023-02-08T15:08:36Z

With Option 1 you could also have a column that has a link to its table of attributes (anchor to the Attributes for foo.size section). That would make it a bit easier to navigate in case the metrics table gets long.

Option 3 is also a good approach but what I dislike is the potential "back-and-forth" that one might need to go in order to read the attributes. A side question to this: Would this mean we could have attributes in a central file and then link several metrics to it? I get how that's good for maintainability but for reading and consuming.. I think it's not good.

I'm probably biased, but I feel Option 2 (status-quo) is clear and good, apart from the downside of having duplication... but given it's all machine generating this I wonder is that even a problem?

Oberon00 · 2023-02-08T16:24:02Z

Please also consider moving away from tables entirely where possible, see open-telemetry/opentelemetry-specification#1925

jsuereth · 2023-02-08T18:39:50Z

I think I like option 3 the best, but could we include the attribute descriptions in the original table?

Like @joaopgrassi I'm worried if folks need to jump up/down a lot this will cause frustration using the data, regardless of how we store it in YAML.

Option 2 (if we take less visual separation for attributes or blend 2 + 2b) also appeals to me.

Josh's crazy suggestion

What about allowing for several of these with LINKAGE.

Option 1 becomes a table-of-contents where metric names link to a metric section about them.
A more unified Option 2 or Option 3 is what you provdie for each metric.

This would give you the best of "let me see all the metrics produced" and "let me see all the details of a metric at once".

jamesmoessis · 2023-02-10T00:31:51Z

Good points all around, thank you all.

In my opinion, Option 3 creates a very wide table which may not render nicely in a lot of cases, particularly if the attribute description is added too. There's also a lot of unused space due to the blank cells on the table.

I like @jsuereth's idea of using a table of contents to list the metrics, and linking to more detail on the metric. I like combining this with option 2b. I believe this gives the best of everything. An easy, readable overview of all metrics, whilst also being able to quickly drill down into a specific metric where its attributes are listed and described.

joaopgrassi · 2023-02-20T15:32:03Z

@jamesmoessis how would you list the attributes in option 2b?

jamesmoessis · 2023-02-20T22:34:45Z

@joaopgrassi the same as option 2. Option 2b the metric table changes to be a list of key-values, and the attribute table would be right below that.

jamesmoessis · 2023-02-20T23:22:52Z

I do wonder how we might generate the ToC in the correct order of appearance on the page. We don't generate the whole page and there are significant free-form sections, and each metric will be added individually via the  tags; so there's not currently a way for one piece of rendered markdown to know the contents and order of the rest of the page.

Generating a table of contents would likely need to be a post-processing step which looks at the markdown headers of the already rendered page.

joaopgrassi · 2023-03-10T10:06:48Z

the same as option 2. Option 2b the metric table changes to be a list of key-values, and the attribute table would be right below that.

I see. That is probably the best of both worlds then to me :)

Generating a table of contents would likely need to be a post-processing step which looks at the markdown headers of the already rendered page.

Wouldn't you: 1. run the markdown generation, which will add all the headers and then you run the TOC?

arminru added semconv Related to the semantic convention generator. semconv/md Related specifically to the markdown output of the semantic convention generator labels Jan 19, 2023

arminru mentioned this issue Jan 19, 2023

Metrics table generation from yaml #79

Merged

arminru assigned jamesmoessis Jan 31, 2023

trask mentioned this issue Jan 31, 2023

Add http metrics yaml open-telemetry/opentelemetry-specification#3158

Merged

lmolkova mentioned this issue Mar 12, 2024

Improve metric markdown generation open-telemetry/semantic-conventions#1040

Open

lmolkova unassigned jamesmoessis Sep 11, 2024

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Improve markdown table generation for metrics #129

Improve markdown table generation for metrics #129

arminru commented Jan 19, 2023

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Oberon00 commented Feb 8, 2023

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joaopgrassi commented Mar 10, 2023

Improve markdown table generation for metrics #129

Improve markdown table generation for metrics #129

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arminru commented Jan 19, 2023

jamesmoessis commented Jan 30, 2023

arminru commented Jan 31, 2023

jamesmoessis commented Feb 2, 2023 • edited Loading

Option 1

Option 2

Option 2b

Option 3

jamesmoessis commented Feb 2, 2023

Option 1

foo metrics

Attributes for metric.foo.size

Attributes for metric.foo.duration

Option 2:

foo.size

Attributes for foo.size

foo.duration

Attributes for foo.duration

Option 2b

Option 3

foo.size

Attribute definitions

joaopgrassi commented Feb 8, 2023 • edited Loading

Oberon00 commented Feb 8, 2023

jsuereth commented Feb 8, 2023 • edited Loading

Josh's crazy suggestion

jamesmoessis commented Feb 10, 2023 • edited Loading

joaopgrassi commented Feb 20, 2023

jamesmoessis commented Feb 20, 2023

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joaopgrassi commented Mar 10, 2023

jamesmoessis commented Feb 2, 2023 •

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Attributes for `metric.foo.size`

Attributes for `metric.foo.duration`

`foo.size`

Attributes for `foo.size`

`foo.duration`

Attributes for `foo.duration`

`foo.size`

joaopgrassi commented Feb 8, 2023 •

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