this seems cleaner

main.star

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ def main(input_args):
 	network_params = input_args_with_right_defaults.network_params
 	print("Launching participant network with {0} participants and the following network params {1}".format(num_participants, network_params))
 	launch_participant_network(num_participants, network_params)
-	# TODO replace with actual values
+	#TODO replace with actual values
 	grafana_info = module_io.GrafanaInfo({
 		"dashboard_path": "dummy_path",
 		"user": "user",

src/module_io/parse_input.star

@@ -16,42 +16,31 @@ DEFAULT_CL_IMAGES = {
 BESU_NODE_NAME = "besu"
 NETHERMIND_NODE_NAME = "nethermind"
 
-LAUNCH_ADDITIONAL_ATTR = "launch_additional_services"
+DESCRIPTOR_ATTR_NAME = "descriptor"
+ATTR_TO_BE_SKIPPED_AT_ROOT = ("network_params", "participants", DESCRIPTOR_ATTR_NAME)
+ENUM_TYPE = "proto.EnumValueDescriptor"
 
 def parse_input(input_args):
 	default_input = default_module_input()
 	result = {}
 	for attr in dir(input_args):
 		value = getattr(input_args, attr)
-		print(value, type(value), attr, type(attr))
-		# this is a builtin attribute we don't care about
-		if attr == "descriptor":
-			continue
-		# if there's an optional that exists don't change anything just move on
-		elif attr == LAUNCH_ADDITIONAL_ATTR:
-			if proto.has(input_args, LAUNCH_ADDITIONAL_ATTR):
-				result[attr] = value
-			else:
-				result[attr] = default_input[attr]
-		elif type(value) == "bool" and value == False:
-			result[attr] = default_input[attr]
-		elif type(value) == "int" and value == 0:
-			result[attr] = default_input[attr]
-		elif type(value) == "string" and value == "":
+		# if its insterted we use the value inserted
+		if attr not in ATTR_TO_BE_SKIPPED_AT_ROOT and proto.has(input_args, attr):
+			result[attr] = get_value_or_name(value)
+		# if not we grab the value from the default value dictionary
+		elif attr not in ATTR_TO_BE_SKIPPED_AT_ROOT:
 			result[attr] = default_input[attr]
 		elif attr == "network_params":
 			result["network_params"] = {}
-			for attr_ in dir(input_args.network_params):
-				value_ = getattr(input_args.network_params, attr_)
-				if type(value_) == "int" and value_ == 0:
-					result["network_params"][attr_] = default_input["network_params"][attr_]
-				elif type(value_) == "string" and value_ == "":
-					result["network_params"][attr_] = default_input["network_params"][attr_]
-				# if there are some string, int values we assign it
-				elif type(value_) in ("int", "string", "bool"):
-					result["network_params"][attr_] = value_
-				elif type(value) in "proto.EnumValueDescriptor":
-					result[attr] = value.name					
+			for sub_attr in dir(input_args.network_params):
+				sub_value = getattr(input_args.network_params, sub_attr)
+				# if its insterted we use the value inserted				
+				if sub_attr not in (DESCRIPTOR_ATTR_NAME) and proto.has(input_args.network_params, sub_attr):
+					result["network_params"][sub_attr] = get_value_or_name(sub_value)
+				# if not we grab the value from the default value dictionary					
+				elif sub_attr not in (DESCRIPTOR_ATTR_NAME):
+					result["network_params"][sub_attr] = default_input["network_params"][sub_attr]	
 		# no participants are assigned at all
 		elif attr == "participants" and len(value) == 0:
 			result["participants"] = default_input["participants"]
@@ -59,26 +48,20 @@ def parse_input(input_args):
 			participants = []
 			for participant in input_args.participants:
 				participant_value = {}
-				for attr_ in dir(participant):
-					value_ = getattr(participant, attr_)
-					if type(attr_) == "int" and value_ == 0:
-						participant_value[attr_] = getattr(default_input[participants][0], attr_, 0)
-					elif type(attr_) == "str" and value_ == "":
-						participant_value[attr_] = getattr(default_input[participants][0], attr_, "")
-					elif type(value_) in ("int", "string", "bool"):
-						result["participants"][attr_] = value_
-					elif type(value_) in "proto.EnumValueDescriptor":
-						participant_value[attr_] = value.name
+				for sub_attr in dir(participant):
+					sub_value = getattr(participant, sub_attr)
+					# if its insterted we use the value inserted
+					if sub_attr not in (DESCRIPTOR_ATTR_NAME) and proto.has(participant, sub_attr):
+						participant_value[sub_attr] = get_value_or_name(sub_value)
+					# if not we grab the value from the default value dictionary
+					elif sub_attr not in (DESCRIPTOR_ATTR_NAME):
+						participant_value[attr] = default_input["participants"][0].get(sub_attr, "")
 				participants.append(participant_value)
 			result["participants"] = participants
-		# if there are some string, int values we assign it
-		elif type(value) in ("int", "string", "bool"):
-			result[attr] = value
-		elif type(value) in "proto.EnumValueDescriptor":
-			result[attr] = value.name
 
+
+	# validation of the above defaults
 	for index, participant in enumerate(result["participants"]):
-		# this is really ugly we need some primitive to throw an error
 		el_client_type = participant["el_client_type"]
 		cl_client_type = participant["cl_client_type"]
 
@@ -129,12 +112,15 @@ def parse_input(input_args):
 	if len(result["participants"]) >= 2 and result["participants"][1]["el_client_type"] == NETHERMIND_NODE_NAME:
 		fail("nethermind can't be the first or second node")
 
-
-	encoded_json = json.encode(result)
 	return result
 
 
 
+def get_value_or_name(value):
+	if type(value) == ENUM_TYPE:
+		return value.name
+	return value
+
 
 def default_module_input():
 	network_params = default_network_params()
@@ -142,7 +128,7 @@ def default_module_input():
 	return {
 		"participants": participants,
 		"network_params": network_params,
-		LAUNCH_ADDITIONAL_ATTR: True,
+		"launch_additional_services" : True,
 		"wait_for_finalization":      False,
 		"wait_for_verifications":     False,
 		"verifications_epoch_limit":  5,

types.proto

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ message ModuleInput {
 	repeated Participant participants = 1;
 	
 	// Parameters controlling the settings of the network itself
-	NetworkParams network_params = 2;
+	optional NetworkParams network_params = 2;
 
 	// True by defaults such that in addition to the Ethereum network:
 	//  - A transaction spammer is launched to fake transactions sent to the network
@@ -22,16 +22,16 @@ message ModuleInput {
 
 	// If set, the module will block until a finalized epoch has occurred.
 	// If `waitForVerifications` is set to true, this extra wait will be skipped.
-	bool wait_for_finalization = 4;
+	optional bool wait_for_finalization = 4;
 
 	// If set to true, the module will block until all verifications have passed
-	bool wait_for_verifications = 5;
+	optional bool wait_for_verifications = 5;
 
 	// If set, after the merge, this will be the maximum number of epochs wait for the verifications to succeed.
-	uint64 verifications_epoch_limit = 6;
+	optional uint64 verifications_epoch_limit = 6;
 
 	// The log level that the started clients should log at
-	GlobalLogLevel global_log_level = 7;
+	optional GlobalLogLevel global_log_level = 7;
 }
 
 enum GlobalLogLevel {
@@ -64,30 +64,30 @@ message BuilderNetworkParams {
 
 message Participant {
 	// The type of EL client that should be started
-	ELClientType el_client_type = 1;
+	optional ELClientType el_client_type = 1;
 	// The Docker image that should be used for the EL client; leave blank to use the default
-	string el_client_image  = 2;
+	optional string el_client_image  = 2;
 	// The log level string that this participant's EL client should log at
 	// If this is emptystring then the global `logLevel` parameter's value will be translated into a string appropriate for the client (e.g. if
 	//  global `logLevel` = `info` then Geth would receive `3`, Besu would receive `INFO`, etc.)
 	// If this is not emptystring, then this value will override the global `logLevel` setting to allow for fine-grained control
 	//  over a specific participant's logging	
-	string el_client_log_level = 3;
+	optional string el_client_log_level = 3;
 	// Optional extra parameters that will be passed to the EL client
 	repeated string el_extra_params = 4;
 
 	// The type of CL client that should be started
-	CLClientType cl_client_type = 5;
+	optional CLClientType cl_client_type = 5;
 	// The Docker image that should be used for the EL client; leave blank to use the default
 	// NOTE: Prysm is different in that it requires two images - a Beacon and a validator
 	//  For Prysm and Prysm only, this field should contain a comma-separated string of "beacon_image,validator_image"	
-	string cl_client_image  = 6;
+	optional string cl_client_image  = 6;
 	// The log level string that this participant's CL client should log at
 	// If this is emptystring then the global `logLevel` parameter's value will be translated into a string appropriate for the client (e.g. if
 	//  global `logLevel` = `info` then Nimbus would receive `INFO`, Prysm would receive `info`, etc.)
 	// If this is not emptystring, then this value will override the global `logLevel` setting to allow for fine-grained control
 	//  over a specific participant's logging	
-	string cl_client_log_level = 7;
+	optional string cl_client_log_level = 7;
 	
 	// Extra parameters that will be passed to the Beacon container (if a separate one exists), or to the combined node if
 	// the Beacon and validator are combined
@@ -97,23 +97,23 @@ message Participant {
 	// the Beacon and validator are combined
 	repeated string validator_extra_params = 9;
 
-	BuilderNetworkParams builder_network_params = 10;
+	optional BuilderNetworkParams builder_network_params = 10;
 }
 
 message NetworkParams {
 	// The network ID of the Eth1 network
-	string network_id = 1;
+	optional string network_id = 1;
 	// The address of the staking contract address on the Eth1 chain
-	string deposit_contract_address = 2;
+	optional string deposit_contract_address = 2;
 	// Number of seconds per slot on the Beacon chain
-	uint32 seconds_per_slot = 3;
+	optional uint32 seconds_per_slot = 3;
 	// Number of slots in an epoch on the Beacon chain
-	uint32 slots_per_epoch = 4;
+	optional uint32 slots_per_epoch = 4;
 	// The number of validator keys that each CL validator node should get
-	uint32 num_validators_per_keynode = 5;
+	optional uint32 num_validators_per_keynode = 5;
 	// This menmonic will a) be used to create keystores for all the types of validators that we have and b) be used to generate a CL genesis.ssz that has the children
 	//  validator keys already preregistered as validators	
-	string preregistered_validator_keys_mnemonic = 6;
+	optional string preregistered_validator_keys_mnemonic = 6;
 }