Where
arena/app.py — module top (MODEL_CATALOG, MODEL_CATALOG_STATUS, OPENROUTER_API_KEY, MODEL_LOOKUP, PROVIDER_CHOICES, PROVIDER_MODELS, DEFAULT_PANEL_MODEL_IDS), _set_model_catalog_state() (7 global statements), and create_demo() (5 more global statements).
Problems
1. Catalog state as 7 parallel globals
Every consumer (_chatbot_label, _provider_for_model, _resolve_model_for_provider, _selectors_interactive, stream_all_models, ...) reads module globals that must be kept mutually consistent by _set_model_catalog_state(). This forces the awkward "wrapper functions around arena/core/models.py private functions" pattern at the top of app.py, including this import style repeated four times:
from arena.core.models import (
_chatbot_label as _catalog_chatbot_label,
)A single CatalogState dataclass (catalog, status, ready flag, api_key, lookup, provider index, defaults — with the derived fields computed in __post_init__ or a classmethod) held in one module attribute would collapse _set_model_catalog_state to one assignment, eliminate the aliased private imports, and make tests able to swap state atomically instead of monkeypatching seven names.
2. UI components leaked as globals for tests
global demo
global openrouter_status_banner
global panel_1_model
global panel_1_provider
global send_btn
create_demo() publishes an arbitrary subset of components (only panel 1's, plus the send button) as module globals solely so tests/integration/test_smoke.py can poke at .get_config(). That's an inconsistent, undeclared test API — the names don't exist until create_demo() runs, so importing them earlier raises AttributeError, and panels 2/3 aren't inspectable at all. Prefer returning a small AppHandles object (or dict of named components) from create_demo() and updating the smoke test, then delete the globals.
3. Cross-module reach into private helpers
app.py imports 20+ underscore-prefixed functions from core/, state/, and ui/. If they're the package's real API, drop the underscores; the current convention says "don't use me" about the functions the app is built from.
Where
arena/app.py— module top (MODEL_CATALOG,MODEL_CATALOG_STATUS,OPENROUTER_API_KEY,MODEL_LOOKUP,PROVIDER_CHOICES,PROVIDER_MODELS,DEFAULT_PANEL_MODEL_IDS),_set_model_catalog_state()(7globalstatements), andcreate_demo()(5 moreglobalstatements).Problems
1. Catalog state as 7 parallel globals
Every consumer (
_chatbot_label,_provider_for_model,_resolve_model_for_provider,_selectors_interactive,stream_all_models, ...) reads module globals that must be kept mutually consistent by_set_model_catalog_state(). This forces the awkward "wrapper functions aroundarena/core/models.pyprivate functions" pattern at the top ofapp.py, including this import style repeated four times:A single
CatalogStatedataclass (catalog, status, ready flag, api_key, lookup, provider index, defaults — with the derived fields computed in__post_init__or a classmethod) held in one module attribute would collapse_set_model_catalog_stateto one assignment, eliminate the aliased private imports, and make tests able to swap state atomically instead of monkeypatching seven names.2. UI components leaked as globals for tests
create_demo()publishes an arbitrary subset of components (only panel 1's, plus the send button) as module globals solely sotests/integration/test_smoke.pycan poke at.get_config(). That's an inconsistent, undeclared test API — the names don't exist untilcreate_demo()runs, so importing them earlier raisesAttributeError, and panels 2/3 aren't inspectable at all. Prefer returning a smallAppHandlesobject (or dict of named components) fromcreate_demo()and updating the smoke test, then delete the globals.3. Cross-module reach into private helpers
app.pyimports 20+ underscore-prefixed functions fromcore/,state/, andui/. If they're the package's real API, drop the underscores; the current convention says "don't use me" about the functions the app is built from.