User Guide Finalizing Documentation For Adding Tasks Inference Methods And Metrics

Introduction

This document outlines the user story for finalizing the documentation of our benchmarking tool. A crucial aspect of any robust software is its extensibility, and clear documentation is paramount to enabling users to tailor the tool to their specific needs. As a user, the ability to add new tasks, inference methods, and evaluation metrics without disrupting existing functionality is essential for the long-term usability and adoption of the tool. Therefore, comprehensive documentation will ensure that users can confidently extend the tool's capabilities. This detailed guide will cover the necessary steps and provide clear examples, ensuring that users can effectively integrate their custom components. The goal is to empower users to contribute to and benefit from the tool's evolving ecosystem, fostering a collaborative environment and driving innovation in the field. By providing clear instructions and practical examples, we aim to make the extension process as seamless and intuitive as possible, encouraging users to explore new research directions and customize the tool to their unique requirements.

User Story

As a user of the benchmarking tool, I want clear and complete documentation on how to add new tasks, inference methods, and evaluation metrics, so that I can extend the tool without breaking existing functionality. This user story encapsulates the core need for extensibility within the benchmarking tool. Users require the ability to integrate their custom tasks, inference methods, and metrics to adapt the tool to their specific research questions and data. Clear, comprehensive documentation is the key to achieving this goal. The documentation must guide users through the process of extending the tool without introducing unintended side effects or compromising existing functionality. By providing detailed instructions and practical examples, the documentation empowers users to leverage the tool's flexibility and contribute to its evolution. This user story emphasizes the importance of creating a user-friendly experience for extending the tool, ensuring that researchers and practitioners can seamlessly incorporate their contributions and benefit from the tool's versatility. The documentation should serve as a valuable resource, enabling users to tailor the tool to their unique requirements and explore new research avenues. This will not only enhance the tool's usability but also foster a collaborative community where users can share their extensions and contribute to the collective knowledge base.

Acceptance Criteria

The following acceptance criteria define the requirements for the documentation to be considered complete and satisfactory:

Documentation File

• A new documentation file is created (e.g., docs/extending.md) or added as a section in the main README.md). The documentation should be easily accessible and well-organized. Creating a dedicated file such as docs/extending.md allows for a more comprehensive and structured guide, while integrating it into the README.md provides immediate visibility for new users. The chosen approach should ensure that the documentation is readily discoverable and logically organized, facilitating easy navigation and comprehension. The documentation's location should be clearly indicated in the project's main documentation to ensure that users can quickly find the information they need. The structure of the documentation should follow a logical flow, guiding users through the process of extending the tool step by step. Clear headings, subheadings, and a table of contents will enhance readability and make it easier for users to locate specific information. Furthermore, the documentation should adhere to consistent formatting and style guidelines to maintain a professional and user-friendly appearance.

Adding a New Task

• The documentation must include clear instructions for adding a new task, covering the following aspects:
  • How to implement the task class: The documentation should provide detailed guidance on how to create a new task class, outlining the required methods, attributes, and interfaces. This includes explaining the core functionality that the task class should implement, such as data loading, preprocessing, and evaluation. Code examples and snippets should be provided to illustrate the implementation process. The documentation should also address potential challenges and common pitfalls in task implementation, offering solutions and best practices to ensure that new tasks are seamlessly integrated into the tool. The emphasis should be on creating reusable and modular task classes that can be easily adapted to different datasets and research questions. Furthermore, the documentation should encourage users to follow a consistent coding style and adhere to established design patterns to maintain code quality and readability.
  • Which functions should it have for proper functionality: A comprehensive list of required functions and their purposes should be provided. This section should clearly define the interfaces and methods that the task class must implement to ensure proper interaction with the benchmarking tool's core components. For each function, the documentation should specify the input parameters, return values, and expected behavior. This detailed specification will help users understand the requirements for task implementation and avoid common errors. The documentation should also highlight any optional functions that can be implemented to enhance the task's functionality or performance. By providing a clear and concise definition of the required functions, the documentation will facilitate the creation of robust and compatible tasks.
  • How to create a corresponding task/{new_task}.yaml config file: Instructions on creating the configuration file for the new task should be included. The documentation should explain the structure and syntax of the YAML configuration file, detailing the parameters that need to be specified for the task. Example configuration files should be provided to illustrate the different options and settings that can be configured. The documentation should also describe how the configuration file is used by the benchmarking tool to initialize and run the task. This includes explaining how the parameters in the configuration file map to the attributes and methods of the task class. By providing clear guidance on creating configuration files, the documentation will enable users to easily customize and run their tasks within the benchmarking tool.
  • How to make the runner recognize the task and launch the tool with it properly: The documentation should explain how to register the new task with the benchmarking tool's runner, ensuring that it can be recognized and executed. This may involve modifying configuration files or code to register the task and make it available to the runner. The documentation should provide step-by-step instructions on the registration process, including any required dependencies or configurations. It should also address potential issues that may arise during task registration and offer troubleshooting tips. By providing clear instructions on how to register new tasks, the documentation will enable users to seamlessly integrate their tasks into the benchmarking tool's workflow.

Adding a New Inference Method

• The documentation must include clear instructions for adding a new inference method, covering the following aspects:
  • Where to place the method implementation: The documentation should specify the recommended location for placing the code that implements the new inference method. This includes defining the directory structure and file naming conventions for inference method implementations. By providing a consistent and organized structure, the documentation will facilitate code maintainability and collaboration. The documentation should also explain the rationale behind the chosen directory structure, highlighting the benefits of modularity and separation of concerns. Furthermore, the documentation should encourage users to follow established coding standards and best practices when implementing new inference methods.
  • How to change the run_inference to support the new method: Instructions on modifying the run_inference function or relevant components to accommodate the new method should be provided. This includes explaining how to integrate the new method into the inference pipeline and ensure that it is correctly invoked. The documentation should provide code examples and snippets to illustrate the necessary modifications. It should also address potential compatibility issues and offer solutions for resolving them. By providing clear guidance on integrating new inference methods, the documentation will enable users to seamlessly extend the tool's capabilities.
  • How to add a new inference/{new_method}.yaml config: Instructions on creating the configuration file for the new inference method should be included. The documentation should explain the structure and syntax of the YAML configuration file, detailing the parameters that need to be specified for the method. Example configuration files should be provided to illustrate the different options and settings that can be configured. The documentation should also describe how the configuration file is used by the benchmarking tool to initialize and run the inference method. This includes explaining how the parameters in the configuration file map to the attributes and methods of the inference method implementation. By providing clear guidance on creating configuration files, the documentation will enable users to easily customize and run their inference methods within the benchmarking tool.

Adding a New Evaluation Metric

• The documentation must include clear instructions for adding a new evaluation metric, covering the following aspects:
  • Where to define the metric function: The documentation should specify the recommended location for defining the code that implements the new evaluation metric. This includes defining the directory structure and file naming conventions for metric implementations. By providing a consistent and organized structure, the documentation will facilitate code maintainability and collaboration. The documentation should also explain the rationale behind the chosen directory structure, highlighting the benefits of modularity and separation of concerns. Furthermore, the documentation should encourage users to follow established coding standards and best practices when implementing new evaluation metrics.
  • Which part of the runner to change to support the new metric: Instructions on modifying the benchmarking tool's runner or relevant components to support the new metric should be provided. This includes explaining how to integrate the new metric into the evaluation pipeline and ensure that it is correctly calculated and reported. The documentation should provide code examples and snippets to illustrate the necessary modifications. It should also address potential compatibility issues and offer solutions for resolving them. By providing clear guidance on integrating new evaluation metrics, the documentation will enable users to seamlessly extend the tool's evaluation capabilities.
  • How to make it selectable via config list: The documentation should explain how to make the new metric selectable through the configuration file or command-line interface. This includes describing how to add the metric to the list of available metrics and ensure that it can be easily specified for evaluation. The documentation should provide examples of how to configure the metric in the configuration file and how to select it using command-line arguments. By providing clear instructions on making the metric selectable, the documentation will enable users to easily incorporate their new metric into the benchmarking tool's evaluation process.

Section Requirements

• Each section (Adding a new task, Adding a new inference method, Adding a new evaluation metric) includes:
  • At least one code example or snippet: Code examples and snippets are essential for illustrating the practical implementation of the concepts described in the documentation. These examples should be concise, self-contained, and easy to understand. They should demonstrate the key steps and techniques involved in extending the benchmarking tool. The examples should cover a range of scenarios and use cases, providing users with a comprehensive understanding of the extension process. Furthermore, the code examples should be well-commented, explaining the purpose and functionality of each code segment. By providing practical examples, the documentation will empower users to confidently implement their custom components and integrate them into the benchmarking tool.
  • Example config file: Providing example configuration files is crucial for guiding users on how to configure their new tasks, inference methods, or evaluation metrics. The example configuration files should demonstrate the structure and syntax of the configuration files, as well as the available options and settings. The documentation should explain the purpose of each parameter in the configuration file and how it affects the behavior of the tool. Furthermore, the example configuration files should cover a variety of scenarios and use cases, providing users with a comprehensive understanding of the configuration process. By providing clear and well-documented example configuration files, the documentation will enable users to easily customize and run their components within the benchmarking tool.
  • Expected output or behavior: Describing the expected output or behavior of the new task, inference method, or evaluation metric is essential for verifying its correct implementation and integration. The documentation should clearly specify the expected results, such as the format of the output data, the range of values, or the expected performance characteristics. This allows users to compare the actual output with the expected output and identify any discrepancies or errors. Furthermore, the documentation should provide guidance on how to interpret the output and how to troubleshoot potential issues. By providing clear expectations for the output or behavior, the documentation will help users ensure that their custom components are functioning correctly and contributing to the overall integrity of the benchmarking tool.

Optional Test Setup

• Optional: Include a minimal runnable test setup to try a new task or method with dummy data. (Since the tool is not fully ready yet, this can be skipped). While optional, a minimal runnable test setup can greatly enhance the usability of the documentation. By providing a simple test case with dummy data, users can quickly verify their implementation and ensure that it is functioning correctly. The test setup should be self-contained and easy to execute, requiring minimal configuration or setup. It should cover the core functionality of the new task or method, providing users with confidence in their implementation. While this can be skipped due to the tool's development stage, it is a valuable addition that can significantly improve the user experience. The test setup should be clearly documented, explaining how to run the test and how to interpret the results.

Definition of Done

The following criteria must be met for this user story to be considered complete:

• All acceptance criteria are met. This ensures that the documentation is comprehensive, clear, and accurate, covering all the necessary aspects of extending the benchmarking tool.
• Code is reviewed and approved. Code review is essential for ensuring the quality and correctness of the documentation and any associated code examples. The review process should focus on clarity, accuracy, and adherence to coding standards.
• Necessary tests are written and pass. Writing and passing tests is crucial for verifying the functionality of the documentation and ensuring that the provided examples and instructions are correct. The tests should cover a range of scenarios and use cases, providing confidence in the documentation's accuracy.
• Documentation is updated, if applicable. The documentation should be continuously updated to reflect any changes in the benchmarking tool or its extension process. This ensures that the documentation remains accurate and up-to-date, providing users with the most current information.

Conclusion

Finalizing the documentation with user guides for adding tasks, inference methods, and metrics is a critical step in making the benchmarking tool more accessible and extensible. By meeting the acceptance criteria outlined in this user story, we will empower users to customize the tool to their specific needs and contribute to its ongoing development. Clear, comprehensive documentation is the key to fostering a vibrant and collaborative community around the benchmarking tool. This documentation will serve as a valuable resource for users, enabling them to seamlessly integrate their custom components and benefit from the tool's versatility. The emphasis on code examples, configuration files, and expected outputs will ensure that users have the practical guidance they need to extend the tool effectively. Furthermore, the optional test setup provides a means for quick verification, enhancing user confidence and reducing potential errors. By prioritizing documentation, we are investing in the long-term usability and adoption of the benchmarking tool, ensuring that it remains a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners in the field.