genie_python: Tidy up API

[DominicOram]

As a user I would like the genie_python API to be as small as possible so that it's easier to find the functions I use a lot. After a meeting on 04/06/2020 with @FreddieAkeroyd, @DominicOram, @ThomasLohnert, @Tom-Willemsen, @John-Holt-Tessella, @davidkeymer, @JamesKingWork, @RaiBishal and @Alexandru-Dascalu the following acceptance criteria were created:

Acceptance Criteria

• check_lowlimit_against_highlimit - should be moved to be an internal function

• set_title, set_script_dir, set_number_soft_periods, set_sample_par, set_beamline_par, set_period - remove as these have been marked as depreciated for ~3 years. They directly map to change_x equivalents

• get_absolute_path, is_absolute - should be moved to be an internal function

• get_instrument_py_name - check if used, specifically on emma-a and in scans library. If used move into advanced, if not remove

• get_instrument - move into advanced

• send_tcpip - move into shared instrument scripts, confirm that it works in python 3

• set_messages_verbosity - move to advanced and rename to make it clear that this is for DAE verbosity

• For all of the above search instrument scripts for usage, where used contact specific instrument scientists

• Ensure that the release notes detail these changes well and circulate as part of Create a Python 3 client build #5389

[DominicOram]

Used ISISComputingGroup/InstrumentChecker#25 to find that:

• set_title used by MERLIN (new config branch with fix)
• set_title used on LARMOR (new config branch with fix)

Ran a similar script on InstrumentScripts and found no usages.

Used a script that is now in ISIS_Experiment_Controls\private_git_repositories\private_scripts.git to find the following:

• IMAT were using set_period and set_title in 2016, haven't since
• ZOOM used set_script_dir in late 2019
• VESUVIO were using set_title in 2017, haven't since
• EMMA used set_title extensively in 2019
• CRISP used set_period and set_script_dir once in 2019

[DominicOram]

I propose sending the following email to scientists on MERLIN, LARMOR, ZOOM, EMMA and CRISP, once this has been merged:

Hi All,

One of the common complaints we get about genie_python is the large list of functions available when trying to use autocomplete in the GUI. With the Python 3 migration giving everyone an opportunity to look back over their scripts we thought that now would be a good time to move some of the functions that are not widely used so that they do not confuse users.

Since 2017 every time a user called set_title, set_script_dir and set_period a message has been displayed encouraging people to instead use change_title, change_script_dir or change_period respectively. To avoid this duplication we are now removing the set_ commands and will now only have the change_ commands.

MERLIN and LARMOR make use of set_title in a couple of instrument scripts, we have changed these for you. From the logs it looks like ZOOM, EMMA and CRISP have been using these functions a bit last year so we wanted to make you specifically aware. We will also be letting all scientists know about these changes when we update the IBEX client to Python 3 in the next couple of weeks.

We do not believe any of the other changes we've made will effect any instruments but if you are interested the full list is at #5457.

Thanks,
Dom