HKUDS/Vibe-Trading · error · RegistryError

{alpha.id}: could not build import spec for {py_file}

Error message

{alpha.id}: could not build import spec for {py_file}

What it means

When the registry uses a filesystem loader, it builds an importlib spec from the recorded .py path. If spec_from_file_location returns None or a spec without a loader (unrecognized extension, path issues), this RegistryError is raised.

Source

Thrown at agent/src/factors/registry.py:366

            raise RegistryError(f"{alpha_id}: module has no compute() function")

        try:
            result = compute_fn(panel)
        except Exception as exc:  # noqa: BLE001 — isolate compute failure
            raise RegistryError(f"{alpha_id}: compute() raised: {exc}") from exc

        return self._validate_output(alpha_id, result, panel)

    def _load_module(self, alpha: Alpha) -> ModuleType:
        if not self._use_filesystem_loader:
            return importlib.import_module(alpha.module_path)
        py_file = self._py_paths[alpha.id]
        cached = sys.modules.get(alpha.module_path)
        if cached is not None and getattr(cached, "__file__", None) == str(py_file):
            return cached
        spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location(alpha.module_path, py_file)
        if spec is None or spec.loader is None:
            raise RegistryError(f"{alpha.id}: could not build import spec for {py_file}")
        module = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
        sys.modules[alpha.module_path] = module
        try:
            spec.loader.exec_module(module)
        except Exception:
            sys.modules.pop(alpha.module_path, None)
            raise
        return module

    @staticmethod
    def _validate_output(
        alpha_id: str,
        result: Any,
        panel: dict[str, pd.DataFrame],
    ) -> pd.DataFrame:
        if not isinstance(result, pd.DataFrame):
            raise RegistryError(
                f"{alpha_id}: compute() returned {type(result).__name__}, expected DataFrame"

View on GitHub (pinned to 80ffdda44c)

Solutions

1. Ensure the zoo contains real .py files with standard names
2. Re-scan the registry so _py_paths reflects current files
3. Check the path printed in the message exists and ends with .py

import importlib.util
spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location(mp, py_file)
if spec is None or spec.loader is None: skip(aid)

try:
    out = registry.compute(aid, panel)
except RegistryError as e:
    if 'import spec' in str(e): skip(aid)
    else: raise

When it happens

Trigger: _load_module for an alpha whose recorded path is not a loadable .py file — wrong extension, empty path string, or an exotic filesystem importlib can't build a loader for.

Common situations: Zoo directory containing .pyc/.so or renamed files picked up by the scanner; registry state persisted and paths changed; platform differences in importlib loaders.

Related errors

• {alpha_id}: import failed: {exc}
• unknown zoo {v!r}; expected one of {sorted(_VALID_ZOOS)}
• unknown panel column: {column}
• invalid {kind} {token!r}: must match {_ID_RE.pattern}
• {path.name}: {size}B exceeds {_MAX_PY_BYTES}B cap

AI-assisted analysis of HKUDS/Vibe-Trading@80ffdda44c (2026-08-28). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d5a93d5a626087e4. Report an issue: GitHub.