HKUDS/Vibe-Trading · error · RegistryError

{path.name}: {size}B exceeds {_MAX_PY_BYTES}B cap

Error message

{path.name}: {size}B exceeds {_MAX_PY_BYTES}B cap

What it means

load_alpha_meta_from_py statically AST-parses zoo modules and refuses any .py file larger than _MAX_PY_BYTES as a defence against bloated or malicious modules. Exceeding the cap raises RegistryError before reading/parsing.

Source

Thrown at agent/src/factors/registry.py:155

class _LoadError:
    alpha_id: str
    reason: str


def _validate_id_token(token: str, kind: str) -> None:
    if not _ID_RE.fullmatch(token):
        raise RegistryError(f"invalid {kind} {token!r}: must match {_ID_RE.pattern}")


def load_alpha_meta_from_py(path: Path) -> AlphaMeta:
    """AST-extract the ``__alpha_meta__`` dict literal from a zoo module.

    No import is performed — purely static parsing. Raises ``RegistryError`` on
    malformed metadata.
    """
    size = path.stat().st_size
    if size > _MAX_PY_BYTES:
        raise RegistryError(f"{path.name}: {size}B exceeds {_MAX_PY_BYTES}B cap")

    source = path.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
    tree = ast.parse(source, filename=str(path))

    meta_node: ast.expr | None = None
    for stmt in tree.body:
        if not isinstance(stmt, ast.Assign):
            continue
        targets = [t for t in stmt.targets if isinstance(t, ast.Name)]
        if any(t.id == "__alpha_meta__" for t in targets):
            meta_node = stmt.value
            break

    if meta_node is None:
        raise RegistryError(f"{path.name}: __alpha_meta__ assignment not found")

    try:
        raw = ast.literal_eval(meta_node)

View on GitHub (pinned to 80ffdda44c)

Solutions

1. Move large data out of the module into a data file the alpha loads separately
2. Split the module or remove embedded blobs/dead code
3. If genuinely needed and you accept the risk, raise _MAX_PY_BYTES in your fork

Example fix

# before
# alpha_big.py contains a 2MB inline price table
# after
# alpha loads table from data/prices.parq at runtime; module stays small

from factors.registry import _MAX_PY_BYTES
assert path.stat().st_size <= _MAX_PY_BYTES, f'{path} too large'

try:
    load_alpha_meta_from_py(path)
except RegistryError as e:
    if 'exceeds' in str(e): log.error('move embedded data out of module')

When it happens

Trigger: Registering a zoo module whose file size exceeds _MAX_PY_BYTES (oversized generated alphas, embedded data blobs, or accidentally concatenated files).

Common situations: Embedding large lookup tables or payloads inside an alpha module, code generation tools appending duplicate code until the file grows past the cap, or committing generated artifacts into the zoo directory.

Related errors

• {path.name}: {size}B exceeds {_MAX_YAML_BYTES}B YAML cap
• unknown panel column: {column}
• invalid {kind} {token!r}: must match {_ID_RE.pattern}
• {path.name}: __alpha_meta__ assignment not found
• {path.name}: __alpha_meta__ not a literal: {exc}

AI-assisted analysis of HKUDS/Vibe-Trading@80ffdda44c (2026-08-28). Data as JSON: /api/errors/07b90b01c3bc8a4a. Report an issue: GitHub.