3. Project alternatives
Date: 2025-01-23
Status
Accepted
Context
Technical evaluation of Python configuration management solutions across different categories:
Configuration Frameworks
- Hydra: Advanced hierarchical configuration with composition capabilities
- OmegaConf: YAML-based hierarchical configuration system
- Dynaconf: Multi-format configuration with layered environments
- ConfigObj: Config file reading, writing and validation
- Spock: Configuration management system
- Classy Conf: Configuration management solution
Minimal Solutions
- Hydralette: Lightweight Hydra alternative
- ConfZ: Simple YAML configuration
- YACS: Yet Another Configuration System
- XPFlow: Experiment flow management
Environment Management
- python-dotenv: .env file loader
- environs: Environment variable management
- parse_it: Multi-source configuration parser
- python-anyconfig: Configuration file loader
- python-decouple: Settings management with strict separation
- betterconf: Type-safe environment configuration
Specialized Configuration Tools
- coqpit: Configuration management tool
- omni-fig: Configuration framework
- profig: Configuration utility
- ConfigObj: Config file parser
Validation Libraries
- pydantic: Data validation using Python type annotations
- schema: Schema validation library
- cerberus: Lightweight validation framework
- jsonschema: JSON Schema validator
- xdata: Data validation tool
- validr: Fast validation library
- schematics: Domain model system
- Voluptuous: Data validation library
- valideer: Lightweight validation library
- colander: Form validation library
CLI Integration
- argparse: Standard library argument parser
- ConfigArgParse: argparse extension with config file support
- click/Typer: Command line interface creation toolkit
- cliff: Command line framework
Additional Tools
- box: Python dictionaries with advanced dot notation access
- attrs: Python classes without boilerplate
- dacite: Data class type validation
Decision
Based on the evaluation of existing solutions, we will implement our own configuration management system that addresses the limitations identified in ADR 002, while incorporating proven concepts from existing tools.
Consequences
Following ADR 002's documentation standards, this decision enables systematic tracking of architectural choices. The implementation will focus on addressing key limitations in existing solutions while maintaining compatibility with standard Python practices. Integration with adr-tools will ensure proper version control of architectural decisions.