Support using main branch of model-config-tests in configs

[jo-basevi]

Thanks @anton-seaice for the suggestion of adding a main option for model-config-tests-version in the CI configuration file config/ci.json. This would allow the option to have the latest tests run for particular branches - e.g. dev branches (see #99 for allowing regex for dev-* branches in config/ci.json).

This will require logic when each time model-config-tests is installed, e.g. pip install model-config-tests==<version> to instead install the main branch of model-config-tests from github - pip install git+https://github.com/ACCESS-NRI/model-config-tests.git@main

I think using a fixed version of model-config-tests should be the default or recommended in general, so to allow for any breaking changes in model-config-tests updates.

[anton-seaice]

@dougiesquire & @aidanheerdegen

Please voice your support or not.

My thinking is:

• using the main branch of this repository for development branches of configurations is best for continuous integration & ongoing development
• using a named version for release branches is best for stability

[minghangli-uni]

Sounds good. But I think allowing users to override this incase the main option introduces breaking changes? This can be more flexible while still encouraging the use of the laatest version for dev branches.

[dougiesquire]

• using a named version for release branches is best for stability

Just to confirm my understanding, we're talking about a tag here?

Yeah, I think this only adds flexibility. I support!

[anton-seaice]

Sounds good. But I think allowing users to override this incase the main option introduces breaking changes? This can be more flexible while still encouraging the use of the laatest version for dev branches.

This might be significant change. i.e. the ci config is specified in the main branch of a config repo but changes are made to configurations of branches in a repository.

If fixing model-config-tests is not possible within the timeframe of needing to update a dev branch in a config repo, the work around would be to fall back to a specific version of model-config-tests (or get an admin to override with failing tests).

(Assuming i've understood this all correctly)

Just to confirm my understanding, we're talking about a tag here?

I believe a released version deployed to PyPI (which should be functionally equivalent to a git tag due to CD)

[aidanheerdegen]

Please voice your support or not.

Seems unnecessary at this point, but yeah sounds like a good idea and allows for better development and testing of model config tests, so heck yeah!