Should `verdi` be renamed to `aiida` or add `aiida` as an alias

Design Discussions
1

Historical context

The command line interface (CLI) of AiiDA is called verdi.
When AiiDA was created, the CLI was named verdi mostly for technical reasons, since aiida would clash with the Python package. This technical limitation is no longer the case, so the question was raised whether verdi should be renamed to aiida or whether the latter should at least be added as an alias (and verdi kept for backwards compatibility).

Pros

  • aiida potentially is less confusing for new users

Cons

  • Having verdi avoids potential ambiguity when talking about AiiDA. It will always be immediately clear one is talking about the CLI and not the Python API or the software as a whole
  • A lot of work is needed to update tutorials/documentation and existing scripts
  • Removing verdi: is backwards incompatible
  • Keeping verdi: can cause confusion as there will be now two ways of doing things and it might not be immediately obvious to users if there is difference and which one to use.
2

I am not a 100% sure if I have captured all the pros, please let me know if there are others that should be added.

I would personally be against this change as I think the downsides by far outweigh the slight advantage.

3

Thanks @sphuber! I at first didn’t see any issues with this change and deemed it natural, but now that you’ve listed some cons I’m also leaning against changing the CLI name. Unless there are indeed some other pro arguments we’re missing.

1 Like
4

There are plenty of other things one has to learn when using AiiDA, so I don’t think verdi as the CLI base command matters here for simplifying anything. With all the cons, I’m also against changing it.

1 Like
5

My two cents are also in favor on NOT changing it.