Enable Cred Analysis Notebooks

[decentralion]

Description

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We’ve found Observable notebooks really useful; they make it easy to analyze data and share results. Creating an Observable notebook is enormously easier than creating a new dedicated interface within SourceCred itself, so they allow fast iteration and exploration of concepts.

However, Observable notebooks are handicapped by a key limitation: we cannot run SourceCred’s native code inside of them. As such, we can’t re-compute Cred, or even do a good job of exploring our data structures.

This has basically blocked the Cred Analysis Notebooks initiative.

Status: Championed

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Champion

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• @decentralion
  

Benefits

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Enable Cred Analysis Notebooks.

Implementation Plan

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• Enable compiling a JS file with major API points accessible
• Publish proof-of-concept notebook that does cred analysis in Observable

Deliverables

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Proof of concept observable notebook, with cred analysis.

Dependencies

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References

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Contributions

• https://github.com/sourcecred/sourcecred/pull/1526
• Debugging session with @wchargin and @decentralion learning how to get live code into Observable (TODO: write documentation)
• Extensive debugging session with @wchargin and @decentralion understanding why the module failed to load in Observable (resolution: recompile with external modules inlined, add global this object)

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[Beanow]

@decentralion, we now have the API file and a fairly hacky way of depending on it. Do you want to flesh this out further or leave it here for a bigger modularization refactor?

[decentralion]

I think we should consider this completed once we’ve put a bit more polish in: i.e. publish to npm, put in documentation, and have an example cred notebook that we can publicly reference.