pixi add option that takes in input a Python module name instead of conda package name

[traversaro]

Problem description

A common workflow I am experiencing working with pixi is:

• Setup a pixi.toml
• Run stuff
• Get an error like "ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'glfw'"
• Call pixi add <condapkgname>, where <condapkgname> is the conda-forge package that provides the module not found (in case of glfw, it is pyglfw).

It would be cool (but I do not know how feasible) to have a pixi add-pymod or pixi add --pymod command that:

• Query some kind of database that maps python modules names (not python package names) to conda-forge package names (I think there is something similar at the conda-forge level), and then pixi add the corresponding conda-forge package name.

Probably it is not a feature that can be implemented right away, but I wanted to track this idea somewhere.

Even more futuristic, if cps gets actually adopted by the C++ community, it would be cool to do something similar in C++ with cps package names.

[ruben-arts]

Interesting idea, we are working on improving conda-python mapping thus this data might be available soon. Not sure if this would fit into pixi directly but would be cool to do a prototype!

[traversaro]

Even more futuristic, if cps gets actually adopted by the C++ community, it would be cool to do something similar in C++ with cps package names.

Probably a bit OT, but just to note it somewhere: without going too much in the future with standards that are not even out in alpha, something else quite useful could be a CMake package --> conda package resolver (fyi @AleTarsi).

[ruben-arts]

Ping @wolfv @baszalmstra @nichmor. Do you think this would be easy to add to the pypi-conda mapping tool?

[traversaro]

Probably a bit OT, but just to note it somewhere: without going too much in the future with standards that are not even out in alpha, something else quite useful could be a CMake package --> conda package resolver (fyi @AleTarsi).

Again, a bit OT, but just to past in public a comment in a private chat:

A first pass at the CMake mapping is relatively easy. If a conda package provides a -config.cmake file, then it provides the PackageName. If a conda package provides a -config.cmake file, then it provides all possible packages obtained by varying the cases of packagename, i.e. PackageName, PACKAGENAME, PaCkAgEnAmE, etc etc. For the packages provided by Find.cmake scripts in CMake itself, the simplest solution is just hardcoding. For the packages provided by third-party Find.cmake, the solution is hardcoding ot just ignore them.

[ruben-arts]

The CPS feature would be an awesome addition. If that becomes a good standard we would be open to add this as a feature. The python mapping does not include the python module name (miss understanding on my part) so this might require an extra mapping step we're currently not working on. Is there already a opensource mapping for this that anyone knows of?

[traversaro]

Is there already a opensource mapping for this that anyone knows of?

I am not an expert of that part of conda-forge, but unless I am missing something it seems that the existing mapping used by grayskull contains both the pypi package name and python module import name, see:

• https://github.com/regro/cf-graph-countyfair/blob/master/mappings/pypi/name_mapping.yaml
• https://github.com/regro/cf-graph-countyfair/blob/master/mappings/pypi/grayskull_pypi_mapping.yaml

[traversaro]

marimo has been working on such functionality (see https://twitter.com/marimo_io/status/1774168957739827442), but at the moment I guess they are not handling the case in which the python module is not called as the conda package marimo-team/marimo#1071 .