Heuristic:Microsoft Autogen Warning Deprecated JSON Env Files
| Knowledge Sources | |
|---|---|
| Domains | Benchmarking, Configuration |
| Last Updated | 2026-02-11 18:00 GMT |
Overview
Deprecation warning: JSON environment files (ENV.json) in agbench are deprecated in favor of YAML format (ENV.yaml). Additionally, implicit OPENAI_API_KEY inclusion is deprecated.
Description
The agbench benchmark runner previously supported JSON-formatted environment files for configuring benchmark scenarios. This format has been deprecated in favor of YAML environment files. The code currently emits runtime warnings when JSON files are detected and will eventually remove support entirely.
Additionally, the implicit inclusion of the OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable (when no explicit environment file is present) is deprecated. Users should explicitly define all required environment variables in an ENV.yaml file.
Usage
This heuristic applies when running agbench benchmarks and encountering deprecation warnings about JSON environment files or implicit OPENAI_API_KEY. Migrate to YAML format immediately to avoid future breakage.
The Insight (Rule of Thumb)
- Action: Convert all ENV.json files to ENV.yaml format. Create explicit ENV.yaml files that define OPENAI_API_KEY rather than relying on implicit inclusion.
- Value: Use YAML key-value pairs instead of JSON objects for environment variables.
- Trade-off: None; this is a straightforward format migration with no functional changes.
Reasoning
The agbench codebase explicitly logs deprecation warnings:
logging.warning("JSON environment files are deprecated. Migrate to YAML")logging.warning("Implicit OPENAI_API_KEY will be removed in a future version")
YAML is preferred for configuration files due to better readability and comment support.