Release 1.2.4

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug-report.yml

@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 name: 🐛 Bug Report
-description: Report a reproducible bug.
-title: "Bug report: <short description>"
+description: Report a reproducible bug
+title: "<Short description of the bug>"
 labels: ["bug", "unconfirmed"]
 body:
   - type: markdown
     attributes:
       value: |
-        Thank you for reporting the issue you are facing. Please complete the following so we can have the details necessary to assist you.
+        Thank you for reporting the issue you are facing. Please complete this form so we can have the necessary information to assist you.
   - type: checkboxes
     id: prerequisites
     attributes:
@@ -46,11 +46,11 @@ body:
     id: context
     attributes:
       label: Context
-      description: Any relevant information about your setup (this is important in case the issue is not reproducible except for under certain conditions)
+      description: Any relevant information about your setup (this is important in case the issue is not reproducible except under certain conditions)
       placeholder: |
         Operating system [e.g. MacOS], Python version [e.g. 3.8.5], AEA version [e.g. 1.2.0], ...
     validations:
-      required: true
+      required: false
   - type: textarea
     id: logs
     attributes:

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/feature-request.yml

@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 name: ☝️ Feature request
 description: Suggest an idea for this project
-title: "Feature request: <short description>"
-labels: ["enhancement", "unconfirmed"]
+title: "<Short description of the feature>"
+labels: ["feature-request", "unconfirmed"]
 body:
   - type: markdown
     attributes:
       value: |
-        Thank you for suggesting a new idea for this project. Please complete the following to ensure we have all the details to get things started.
+        Thank you for suggesting a new idea for the AEA project. Please complete this form so we can have the necessary information about the feature you are requesting.
   - type: checkboxes
     id: prerequisites
     attributes:

.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE/release.md

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+## Release summary
+
+Version number: [e.g. 1.0.1]
+
+## Release details
+
+Describe in short the main changes with the new release.
+
+## Checklist
+
+_Put an `x` in the boxes that apply._
+
+- [ ] I am making a pull request against the `main` branch from `develop`.
+- [ ] Lint and unit tests pass locally.
+- [ ] I have checked the fingerprint hashes are correct by running (`scripts/generate_ipfs_hashes.py`).
+- [ ] I have regenerated and updated the latest API docs.
+- [ ] I built the documentation and updated it with the latest changes.
+- [ ] I have added an item in `HISTORY.md` for this release.
+- [ ] I bumped the version number in the `aea/__version__.py` file.
+- [ ] I bumped the version number in every Docker image of the repo and published it. Also, I built and published them with tag `latest`  
+      (check the READMEs of [`aea-develop`](https://github.com/fetchai/agents-aea/blob/master/develop-image/README.md#publish) 
+      and [`aea-user`](https://github.com/fetchai/agents-aea/blob/master/develop-image/user-image/README.md#publish))
+- [ ] I have pushed the latest packages to the registry.
+- [ ] I have uploaded the latest `aea` to PyPI.
+- [ ] I have uploaded the latest plugins to PyPI.
+
+## Further comments
+
+Write here any other comment about the release, if any.

.github/pull_request_template.md

@@ -1,67 +1,36 @@
 ## Proposed changes
 
-Describe the big picture of your changes here to communicate to the maintainers why we should accept this pull request.
+Describe the changes here.
 
-## Fixes
+## Issues
 
-If it fixes a bug or resolves a feature request, be sure to link to that issue.
+Links to any issues resolved.
 
 ## Types of changes
 
 What types of changes does your code introduce to agents-aea?
 _Put an `x` in the boxes that apply_
 
-- [ ] Bugfix (non-breaking change which fixes an issue)
-- [ ] New feature (non-breaking change which adds functionality)
-- [ ] Breaking change (fix or feature that would cause existing functionality to not work as expected)
+- [ ] Bugfix (non-breaking change that fixes an issue)
+- [ ] New feature (non-breaking change that adds functionality)
+- [ ] Breaking change (fix or feature that would cause existing functionality to stop working as expected)
+- [ ] Something else (e.g. test, package, script, example, deployment, infrastructure, ...)
 
 ## Checklist
 
 _Put an `x` in the boxes that apply._
 
-- [ ] I have read the [CONTRIBUTING](https://github.com/fetchai/agents-aea/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md) doc
-- [ ] I am making a pull request against the `develop` branch (left side). Also you should start your branch off our `develop`.
-- [ ] Lint and unit tests pass locally with my changes and CI passes too
-- [ ] I have added tests that prove my fix is effective or that my feature works
-- [ ] I have checked that code coverage does not decrease.
-- [ ] I have added necessary documentation (if appropriate)
-- [ ] Any dependent changes have been merged and published in downstream modules
-
-## Further comments
-
-If this is a relatively large or complex change, kick off the discussion by explaining why you chose the solution you did and what alternatives you considered, etc...
-
-
-DELETE INCLUSIVE THIS AND BELOW FOR STANDARD PR
-------
-
-## Release summary
+- [ ] I have read the [CONTRIBUTING](https://github.com/fetchai/agents-aea/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md) document.
+- [ ] I have based my branch, and I am making a pull request against, the `develop` branch.
+- [ ] Lint and unit tests pass locally with my changes.
 
-Version number: [e.g. 1.0.1]
+### If applicable
 
-## Release details
-
-Describe in short the main changes with the new release.
-
-## Checklist
-
-_Put an `x` in the boxes that apply._
-
-- [ ] I have read the [CONTRIBUTING](https://github.com/fetchai/agents-aea/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md) doc
-- [ ] I am making a pull request against the `main` branch (left side), from `develop`
-- [ ] Lint and unit tests pass locally and in CI
-- [ ] I have checked the fingerprint hashes are correct by running (`scripts/generate_ipfs_hashes.py`)
-- [ ] I have regenerated the latest API docs
-- [ ] I built the documentation and updated it with the latest changes
-- [ ] I have added an item in `HISTORY.md` for this release
-- [ ] I bumped the version number in the `aea/__version__.py` file.
-- [ ] I bumped the version number in every Docker image of the repo and published it. Also, I built and published them with tag `latest`  
-      (check the READMEs of [`aea-develop`](https://github.com/fetchai/agents-aea/blob/master/develop-image/README.md#publish) 
-      and [`aea-user`](https://github.com/fetchai/agents-aea/blob/master/develop-image/user-image/README.md#publish))
-- [ ] I have pushed the latest packages to the registry.
-- [ ] I have uploaded the latest `aea` to PyPI.
-- [ ] I have uploaded the latest plugins to PyPI.
+- [ ] I have added tests that prove my fix is effective or that my feature works.
+- [ ] I have checked that code coverage does not decrease.
+- [ ] I have added/updated the documentations.
+- [ ] Dependent changes have been merged and published in downstream modules.
 
 ## Further comments
 
-Write here any other comment about the release, if any.
+If this is a relatively large or complex change, kick off the discussion by explaining why you chose the solution you did, what alternatives you considered, etc.

.github/workflows/codeql-analysis.yml

@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
     - name: Checkout repository
-      uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      uses: actions/checkout@v3
 
     # Initializes the CodeQL tools for scanning.
     - name: Initialize CodeQL

.github/workflows/docs_pr_preview.yml

@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ jobs:
           fetch-depth: 0
 
       - name: Use python 3.7
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v2
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
         with:
           python-version: '3.7'
 

.github/workflows/publish.yaml

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
     - name: Checkout
-      uses: actions/checkout@master
+      uses: actions/checkout@v3
 
     - name: Setup GCloud - sandbox
       uses: google-github-actions/setup-gcloud@v0

.github/workflows/upload_docker_images.yaml

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ jobs:
      BASE_TAG: fetchai/aea-develop
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
     - name: Set up tag
       run: echo export TAG=${BASE_TAG}:$(python3 -c "from setup import about; print(about[\"__version__\"])") > env.sh
     - name: docker login