rename environ module to configuration

[lsloan]

Based on my earlier comment…

The more I use it, the more I think the environ module should be renamed configuration. Because it doesn't represent the actual environment. It's a combination of the environment and configuration settings.

config would also be a good, short name for the module.

[ssciolla]

We already have a config directory. I thought about putting this environ.py file inside that; now I'm forgetting why I didn't. Anyways, some of this seems like splitting hairs; in a lot of our projects, we use configuration files called env.json. Wouldn't that also be more configuration than environment? I think our team tends to use them synonymously, even if they technically aren't the same thing.

[ssciolla]

Also, this environ.py does allow environment overrides. I guess I tend to think of environment as being more global in meaning than configuration.

[lsloan]

Anyways, some of this seems like splitting hairs…

Maybe it is splitting hairs. That's why I mentioned it in a comment elsewhere before opening an issue. I opened the issue because you suggested it. Many things about development is splitting hairs (e.g., upper or lower case letters in symbol names, opening and closing parentheses/brackets on the same or separate line, etc.) in order to have a consistency that engenders maintainability of the code.

And, yes, I would also go for renaming env.json to config.json.

I have a pretty clear definition of "environment". It's information that is defined, usually at the OS level, and is available to all programs that operate within it. Programs may alter the environment, but when they do, the information they put there will be available to all programs within that same environment.

On the other hand, information that's defined for use by one or more programs is configuration. Programs often use configuration and environment, but in the way this project uses the two of them, environment variables as defaults for missing configuration values, is to update the configuration.

I guess that's what really made the point for me, seeing that this module uses the standard Python environment module made it feel like this new module is redundant. Someone not as familiar with the code may at first glance think we're referring strictly to the OS' environment, not a special reconfiguration of the environment specifically for this program. That can be confusing.

So, that said, if you disagree with this issue, I really don't mind. I was pointing this out because it seems inconsistent to me and I thought that maybe it was an oversight that needed to be corrected.

[ssciolla]

No, I think you make some good points here, and I think clearly you have a more informed opinion than my relatively green one. I need to think about this a little more. Can we agree that any re-naming can wait until we have more or all of the data-fetching processes in place?