Better_launch 1.6.0 is out!

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Hi, it’s the guy with the opinions again :slight_smile:

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better_launch 1.6.0 is out and brings a bunch of nice new features!
https://github.com/dfki-ric/better_launch/releases/tag/v1.6.0

If you don’t know it yet, better_launch is a replacement for the ROS2 launch system which:

  • lets you write short, pythonic launchfiles
  • with very few imports
  • where actions are executed in order
  • yet is still fully compatible with regular launch files
  • and also comes with a small terminal UI similar to rosmon :slight_smile:

While it’s mostly improvements and quality-of-life stuff, I wanted to briefly introduce a new feature that certain people (@destogl :eyes:) might appreciate: TOML launchfiles.

There’s often an argument against python launchfiles because of their potential complexity and security risks. TOML launchfiles are much closer to ROS1 xml launchfiles, yet still provide the tools and benefits better_launch offers. Also, if you find yourself sometimes reminiscing about ${env xyz} substitutions: they are back :smiley:

Here is a simple TOML launchfile that should give you a basic idea of what can be done. You can find the full documentation here, and of course a bunch of examples are available as well.

enable = true

[a_simple_cube]
if = "${enable}"
func = "find"
package = "better_launch"
filename = "cube.sdf"

[print_me_baby]
func = "log"
severity = "info"
message = "Found a cube at ${a_simple_cube}"

Let me know what you think, I’ll try to keep an eye on this thread!
Cheers :rocket:

On a sidenote: I know some folks are waiting for automated test coverage. It’s on my mind, but it’s frankly not a very appealing thing to spend my free time on. If you have a company behind you and would like to accelerate this through a sponsorship, feel free to reach out!

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Just a word of support and validation. I’ve been using better_launch for the better part of a year. It works really well and solves many of the challenges of xml and python classic .launch files. The code is simpler, without loss of flexibility. Not only simpler but as a result easier to read and understand. And it lives very gracefully with classic .launch filed. I recommend it.

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