DOC: Missing documentation for supported Python versions (Windows onboarding issue)

[riyagoyal01]

What's wrong with the existing documentation

Problem

PictoPy currently does not document which Python versions are officially supported.

As a new contributor on Windows, I set up the backend using the latest Python versions (3.13 / 3.14), which led to dependency and build issues. This information is not currently reflected in the README or other documentation, so new contributors naturally assume the latest Python version will work.

Why this matters

• README does not mention supported Python versions
• CONTRIBUTING.md says “Ensure you have Python 3 installed” without version guidance
• New contributors (especially on Windows) can waste time debugging avoidable issues
• This negatively impacts contributor onboarding

Suggested improvement

• Document officially supported Python versions (e.g., 3.11 / 3.12) in the README
• Optionally reference supported versions in CONTRIBUTING.md (without duplicating details)

Environment

• OS: Windows
• Python tried: 3.13 / 3.14
• Backend tests pass after switching to the supported Python version

I’m happy to open a PR for this if the maintainers agree with the approach.

Add ScreenShots

No response

Record

• I agree to follow this project's Code of Conduct
• I want to work on this issue

[github-actions]

👋 Thanks for opening this issue! The maintainers will review it shortly. Till then, do not open any PR. This is a strict rule we like to follow around here :)

[VineetC137]

Hi @riyagoyal01,

I’ve checked the repo locally on Windows.

There are no explicit Python version constraints in backend or sync-service configs (pyproject.toml only contains tooling config), and README/CONTRIBUTING don’t mention supported versions.

However, CI runs backend and sync-microservice builds using Python 3.11, and backend dependencies like scipy==1.14.0 implicitly limit which Python versions work on Windows. This explains failures with both older versions (e.g. 3.9 in #1058) and very new versions (3.13/3.14).

Once maintainers confirm the intended supported Python version(s), I can document this clearly in README and add a reference in CONTRIBUTING.md to improve onboarding.

Waiting for approval before opening a PR.

[AyushhhCR7]

I looked into this issue while debugging locally on Windows and confirmed that this is not a machine-specific problem.

The root cause is that npm run win-dev expects Windows startup scripts (backend/run.bat and sync-microservice/run.bat) to exist, but they were missing from the repository. As a result, the command attempts to start the services, finds nothing to execute, and hangs at “Waiting for servers to start”.

Since these batch files are required for Windows development, this is a project-level configuration issue, not an environment or npm-related problem. Once the scripts are added and tracked properly, the backend, sync service, and frontend start as expected.

I’d like to work on fixing/improving this for Windows users if the issue is still open.

would love if this issue gets assigned to me
I have a local implementation ready and can open a PR if the approach I shared above is approved.

[VineetC137]

Thanks for looking into this, @AyushhhCR7.

That sounds like a separate Windows startup issue related to missing run.bat scripts.

Just to clarify my earlier investigation: my focus here was on documenting the supported Python version, since CI currently runs backend and sync-microservice using Python 3.11 and newer/older versions lead to dependency failures on Windows.

Happy to proceed based on how maintainers would like to scope this issue (documentation vs separate Windows bug).

[AyushhhCR7]

Roger that @VineetC137
m with you 🤝

Went through whatever you wrote...and i wrote what issues i experienced.
Right now no issues can be opened regarding this, because it will come under this issue only #1055
Let's see what happens next...
Depends on the maintainers too

[riyagoyal01]

Thanks for looking at this, @VineetC137 and @AyushhhCR7.
I agree that the Python version constraints are currently implicit (via CI and dependency compatibility) and not documented, which makes onboarding confusing for new people, particularly those on Windows.
Noted that the missing run.bat scripts are a separate Windows startup issue, while this issue can focus on clarifying the supported Python version(s).
Happy to follow whatever direction the maintainers feel is best in terms of scoping and next steps (documentation vs separate issues).

[AyushhhCR7]

Hey @VineetC137 thanks for showing your interest in this issue. But it was already mentioned not to open any PR by the contributor, we have also worked on this issue and implemented it on our local system. just waiting for maintainer's review.

You can explore further more .. thank you

[VineetC137]

Hey @AyushhhCR7 Thanks for sharing your perspective.
Just to clarify: my intent here was to address the documentation gap around supported Python versions, based on CI configuration and Windows dependency compatibility, which aligns with the original scope of this issue.
I waited for discussion on the issue before opening the PR, and I’m happy to adjust or step back based on maintainer guidance. No intention to step on anyone’s work ,appreciate the collaboration here.

[VineetC137]

Post one final comment, calm and professional:
Thanks for the clarification and discussion everyone.
Since the issue is marked Not planned and a related docs PR already exists, I’ll step back from this thread.
Happy to help with other documentation or Windows-related issues if maintainers feel it’s useful.