feat: add dev container as option for running jupyter notebooks (#463)

.devcontainer/devcontainer.json

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+{
+  "name": "VRS-Python Notebooks",
+  "image": "mcr.microsoft.com/vscode/devcontainers/python:3.12",
+  "customizations": {
+    "vscode": {
+      "extensions": [
+        "ms-toolsai.jupyter"
+      ]
+    }
+  },
+  "postCreateCommand": "pip install --upgrade setuptools && pip install -e '.[extras,notebooks]'"
+}

notebooks/getting_started/README.md

@@ -1,44 +1,141 @@
 # VRS Python Getting Started Notebook Series
-This series of notebooks is intended to be the fastest way to becoming productive with the
-[vrs-python](https://github.com/ga4gh/vrs-python) package. The
-intent of each notebook in this series is to be an interactive introduction to functionally contained in the vrs-python package.
-
-A beginning developer level of familiarity with python, jupyter notebooks is assumed in order to run this notebook series.
-You should be familiar with installing packages and running commands in your execution environment.
-
-### Pre-requisites
-The following software packages must exist in your execution environment before running these notebooks:
-* git
-* [email protected]
-* make
-
-### Setup vrs-python
-From a terminal window, run the following commands:
-* git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/ga4gh/vrs-python
-* cd vrs-python
-* make nbready
-* source venv/3.12/bin/activate
-* cd notebooks/getting_started
-* jupyter notebook notebook_name.ipynb
+
+This series of notebooks is intended to be the fastest way to becoming productive with
+the [vrs-python](https://github.com/ga4gh/vrs-python) package. The intent of each
+notebook in this series is to be an interactive introduction to functionally contained
+in the vrs-python package.
+
+A beginning developer level of familiarity with python, jupyter notebooks is assumed in
+order to run this notebook series. You should be familiar with installing packages and
+running commands in your execution environment.
+
+## Development Environment Setup
+
+We provide you two options for setting up your development environment: using a Python
+[virtual environment](#virtual-environment) or leveraging
+[VS Code Dev Containers](#dev-containers) (useful for non-macOS users).
+
+### Fork the Repo
+
+Fork the repo at <https://github.com/ga4gh/vrs-python/> and initialize a development
+environment.
+
+```shell
+git clone --recurse-submodules [email protected]:YOUR_GITHUB_ID/vrs-python.git
+cd vrs-python
+```
+
+### Virtual Environment
+
+You must first install [email protected], if not already installed.
+
+Next, run the following:
+
+```shell
+make nbready
+source venv/3.12/bin/activate
+```
+
+#### Virtual Environment: Selecting the Kernel
+
+When opening a notebook with this option, click `Select Kernel`,
+`Python Environments...`, and select the first option:
+`3.12 (Python 3.12.z) venv/3.12/bin/python`
+
+_Note: Patch version may vary._
+
+### Dev Containers
+
+#### Prerequisites
+
+For your convenience, this section is copied from the
+[VS Code Dev Containers Tutorial](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/devcontainers/tutorial#_prerequisites).
+
+* [Install VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/download)
+
+  You must be using VS Code to use the Dev Containers.
+
+* [Install Docker](https://docs.docker.com/get-started/get-docker/)
+
+  Docker is needed to create and manage your containers.
+
+  * Docker Desktop
+
+    Download and install
+    [Docker Desktop](https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop/), or an
+    [alternative Docker option](https://code.visualstudio.com/remote/advancedcontainers/docker-options),
+    like Docker on a remote host or Docker compliant CLI.
+
+  * Start Docker
+
+    Run the Docker Desktop application to start Docker. You will know it's running if
+    you look in the activity tray and see the Docker whale icon.
+
+    Docker might take a few minutes to start. If the whale icon is animated, it is
+    probably still in the process of starting. You can click on the icon to see the
+    status.
+
+  * Check Docker
+
+    Once Docker is running, you can confirm that everything is working by opening a new
+    terminal window and typing the command:
+
+    ```shell
+    docker --version
+    ```
+
+* [Install Dev Containers extension](vscode:extension/ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers)
+
+  The Dev Containers extension lets you run Visual Studio Code inside a Docker container.
+
+  [Marketplace Link](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers) (if viewing from browser)
+
+#### Creating the Dev Container
+
+Open the VS Code Command Palette: Shift + Command + P (Mac) / Ctrl + Shift + P (Windows/Linux)
+
+Type and select the following inside the Command Palette: `> Dev Containers: Rebuild and Reopen in Container`
+
+The Dev Container will be created and install the dependencies needed.
+
+You should see `Dev Container: VRS-Python Notebooks @ desktop-linux` on the bottom left hand corner of VS Code.
+
+#### Dev Containers: Selecting the Kernel
+
+When opening a notebook with this option, click `Select Kernel`,
+`Python Environments...`, and select the first option:
+`Python 3.12.z /usr/local/bin/python`
+
+_Note: Patch version may vary._
 
 ## Notebooks
+
 ### 1 Quick Start
+
 The [Quick Start](1_Quick_Start.ipynb) notebook details how to get started by
 setting up access to a SeqRepo *DataProxy* and introduces the user to using an *AlleleTranslator* to convert
 the same allele to VRS form from both it's SPDI and HGVS nomenclature forms.
+
 ### 2 Exploring the SeqRepo Data Proxy
+
 Sequence references are at the core of many of the operations for converting to and from VRS variant representations.
 The [Exploring the SeqRepo Data Proxy](2_Exploring_the_SeqRepo_DataProxy.ipynb) notebook
 has a number of useful utility methods for accessing information about sequence references.
+
 ### 3 Basic Models
+
 In the [Basic Models](3_Basic_Models.ipynb) notebook, we explore building a VRS *Allele*
 from its component parts. The notebook details how to add VRS identifiers to the identifiable components of the *Allele*.
+
 ### 4 Exploring the Allele Translator
+
 The current implementation of vrs-python facilitates transformation of variants
 in a number of different variant nomenclatures (SPDI, HGVS, gnomAD and Beacon) to VRS form. In the
 [Exploring the Allele Translator](4_Exploring_the_AlleleTranslator.ipynb) notebook,
 we show how to transform basic variants to VRS, and in some cases, back to the original nomenclature of the variant.
+
 ### 5 Exploring the CNV Translator
+
 The final notebook of this series,
 [Exploring the CNV Translator](5_Exploring_the_CnvTranslator.ipynb) details transformations
 of various forms of copy number variation to their VRS representations.