File does not exist: 'schema.json' after installing bonsai.sgen

[chiyu1203]

Dear Bonsai community,
I am trying to use sgen https://bonsai-rx.org/sgen/index.html to manage my workflow with different environmental variables. After following the first step,
dotnet new tool-manifest
dotnet tool install --local Bonsai.Sgen
Then the tool was installed successfully

Tool 'bonsai.sgen' (version '0.6.1') was successfully installed. Entry is added to the manifest file C:\Users\neuroLaptop.config\dotnet-tools.json.

However, when I moved to the bonsai folder and execute the rest of the code
dotnet bonsai.sgen schema.json -o Extensions --serializer json
I bumped into this error,

File does not exist: 'schema.json'.

It seems that I need to have a schema.json. Since I have a proper workflow and just want to update the environmental variables, what would be the most efficient way to create such a schema.json (note: I have passed environmental variables with CLI, but I would like to ensure the updated variables are saved after the experiment so I reckon using Bonsai.sgen is the best approach to this issue?!)?

Last but not least, if none of the nodes I use is customised nodes, do I still need to add the necessary package references to my Extensions.csproj file?

[bruno-f-cruz]

It seems that I need to have a schema.json.

Yes, you MUST provide a schema of your experiment in order to build the csharp code necessary to load your settings. Bonsai cant (yet at least) guess what your experiment settings are. I find this https://bonsai-rx.org/sgen/articles/pydantic-usage.html to be the easiest way to derive the json-schema for your experiment.

Last but not least, if none of the nodes I use is customised nodes, do I still need to add the necessary package references to my Extensions.csproj file?

This is covered in the docs too under the tip of this section: https://bonsai-rx.org/sgen/articles/pydantic-usage.html

[chiyu1203]

thanks!! I will give it a try

[chiyu1203]

@bruno-f-cruz Sorry for bothering you about this issue again. I have followed the guidance in the sgen docs and generated a cs file in the Extensions folder based on person.json file with the following command
dotnet bonsai.sgen person.json -o Extensions --serializer json
person.json
Person.Generated.zip

I have also added the following the necessary package references to my Extensions.csproj file

<PackageReference Include="YamlDotNet" Version="16.3.0" />
<PackageReference Include="Newtonsoft.Json" Version="13.0.3" />

The final .csproj file looks like this
Extensions.zip
However, I can not find the customised person node from the Bonsai toolbox.
Did I miss something while setting up the scripting extension?
Below is my coding environment
Bonsai 2.9 (installed via Portable)
Dotnet 8.0.413
.NET Framework 4.7.2 Developer Pack

uv 0.8.14
The virtual environment (Cpython 3.9.7 and pydantic 2.11.7)
Bonsai.Sgen 0.6.1
Windows 11

[bruno-f-cruz]

chiyu_sgen.zip

Can you try this project structure? Seems to be working on my PC.

The only thing that I did not see you doing is installing the Newtonsoft.Json package from Nuget. But that should have thrown an error during build, did you see it?

I see that even though we document the need to add the reference of the package to the csproj, we don't explicitly state that users MUST install the nuget package too. I opened this issue to track it bonsai-rx/sgen#86

Hope it helps!

[chiyu1203]

Hi @bruno-f-cruz thanks for your quick response!
Installing the Newtonsoft.Json package from nuget.org is exactly what I needed.
Now I can confirm sgen works for me in both Bonsai 2.9 and 2.8.5
As a sidenote, Newtonsoft.Json is called Json.NET in 2.8.5.
In 2.9, one needs to click Show advanced in the Manage Packages to find it (I use version 13.0.3 but the latest 0.4 beta version seems to work too)