[Bug] a365 deploy overwrites requirements.txt for Python projects without pyproject.toml

[pratapladhani]

Description

When running a365 deploy for a Python project that has a requirements.txt but no pyproject.toml or setup.py, the CLI overwrites the project's requirements.txt with:

--find-links dist
--pre
-e .

This causes the Azure Oryx build to fail with:

ERROR: file:///tmp/8de6a0cc7ececaa (from -r requirements.txt (line 3)) does not appear to be a Python project: neither 'setup.py' nor 'pyproject.toml' found.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Create a Python agent project with only requirements.txt (no pyproject.toml or setup.py)
2. Run a365 deploy --verbose
3. Observe that publish/requirements.txt is overwritten with -e .
4. Azure deployment fails because there's no pyproject.toml

Expected Behavior

The CLI should detect the project structure:

• If pyproject.toml or setup.py exists: Use -e . approach (editable install)
• If only requirements.txt exists: Copy the existing requirements.txt to the publish folder as-is

Actual Behavior

The CLI always overwrites requirements.txt with -e ., regardless of whether pyproject.toml exists.

Code Location

src/Microsoft.Agents.A365.DevTools.Cli/Services/PythonBuilder.cs - CreateAzureRequirementsTxt() method:

private async Task CreateAzureRequirementsTxt(string publishPath, bool verbose)
{
    var requirementsTxt = Path.Combine(publishPath, "requirements.txt");

    // Azure-native requirements.txt that mirrors local workflow
    // --pre allows installation of pre-release versions
    var content = "--find-links dist\n--pre\n-e .\n";

    await File.WriteAllTextAsync(requirementsTxt, content);
    _logger.LogInformation("Created requirements.txt for Azure deployment");
}

Proposed Fix

Check for pyproject.toml or setup.py before deciding which approach to use. Will submit a PR with the fix.

Environment

• CLI Version: 1.1.62-preview
• OS: Windows 11
• Python: 3.12

Workaround

Manually copy the original requirements.txt to the publish/ folder after a365 deploy creates it, then redeploy with az webapp deploy.

[github-actions]

[AUTO-TRIAGE] Team Assistant Triage

This issue has been automatically analyzed and triaged.

AI Decision Reasoning: Type: Classified as 'bug' because the issue describes incorrect behavior of the a365 deploy CLI, which overwrites requirements.txt and causes deployment failures.
Priority: Assigned P2 because it disrupts deployment workflows for Python projects without pyproject.toml, but a workaround is available by manually copying the original requirements.txt.
Copilot: This issue involves modifying logic in a C# method to handle different project structures based on the presence of specific files (pyproject.toml or setup.py). While the change is relatively scoped, it requires understanding the context of Python project structures and making conditional decisions, which may not be straightforward for Copilot to handle autonomously.
Assignment: Sellakumaran has made the most recent commits to the relevant file (PythonBuilder.cs) and is a tech lead with expertise in backend and system design, making him well-suited to address this P2 bug efficiently.
Labels: Applied labels bug, P2 based on issue type and priority

Labels and assignee have been applied based on this analysis.

[github-actions]

[AUTO-TRIAGE] Results

Classification: bug
Priority: P2
Confidence: 100.0%

Recommended Assignee: @sellakumaran

Analysis:
type rationale: Classified as 'bug' because the issue describes incorrect behavior of the a365 deploy CLI, which overwrites requirements.txt and causes deployment failures.

priority rationale: Assigned P2 because it disrupts deployment workflows for Python projects without pyproject.toml, but a workaround is available by manually copying the original requirements.txt.

copilot rationale: This issue involves modifying logic in a C# method to handle different project structures based on the presence of specific files (pyproject.toml or setup.py). While the change is relatively scoped, it requires understanding the context of Python project structures and making conditional decisions, which may not be straightforward for Copilot to handle autonomously.

assignment rationale: Sellakumaran has made the most recent commits to the relevant file (PythonBuilder.cs) and is a tech lead with expertise in backend and system design, making him well-suited to address this P2 bug efficiently.

labels rationale: Applied labels bug, P2 based on issue type and priority

[SUGGESTION] Suggested Approach

1. Update the CreateAzureRequirementsTxt() method in src/Microsoft.Agents.A365.DevTools.Cli/Services/PythonBuilder.cs to check for the existence of pyproject.toml or setup.py in the project directory before writing the requirements.txt. Use File.Exists() to conditionally generate the content based on the project structure.
2. Introduce a helper method, e.g., DetectPythonProjectType(string projectPath), in PythonBuilder.cs to encapsulate the logic for detecting whether the project uses pyproject.toml, setup.py, or only requirements.txt. This will make the code more modular and easier to test.
3. Modify the CreateAzureRequirementsTxt() method to copy the existing requirements.txt file to the publish folder as-is if neither pyproject.toml nor setup.py is found. Use File.Copy() for this operation and log the action using _logger.LogInformation().
4. Add unit tests in src/Tests/Microsoft.Agents.A365.DevTools.Cli.Tests/Services/PythonBuilderTests.cs to verify the behavior of CreateAzureRequirementsTxt() for different project structures (e.g., with pyproject.toml, with setup.py, and with only requirements.txt). Mock file system interactions using libraries like Moq or System.IO.Abstractions.
5. Update the documentation in docs/deployment.md to clarify how the CLI handles Python project structures during deployment. Include examples for projects with pyproject.toml, setup.py, and requirements.txt only, and explain the expected behavior.

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