bootstrap config: uniform treatment of contract terms, governance parameters

[dckc]

Problem

One solution to more frequent auctions for testing (#7249) would be to give a value for StartFrequency in the config file when starting the chain. But the config.auctionParams in startAuctioneer isn't wired up to the config file.

The connections between initial governance parameter values (and contract terms) and config file options is incomplete and ad-hoc.

Plus, the value for StartFrequency includes the timerBrand, and we can't put objects such as that directly in JSON config files. Likewise bignums, ratios. We have various ad-hoc conventions for building objects from JSON data in config files.

Design

• a uniform mechanism to set the initial value of any governance parameter
  • perhaps a small expression language... akin to Justin, but embedded in JSON. the smartWallet callPipe is similar.
• likewise for contract terms

Goals (optional):

• uniform treatment of amounts, ratios
• shapes, static types for config args (see also Generate TypeScript types from matcher patterns #6160)
  • return shapes from manifest builders
  • json schema for editing config files based on swingset config shape + args shapes

[dckc]

Looks like our ad-hoc treatment of initial settings bit us again today for oracle testing.

the minSubmissionCount is set to 1 not 3
we need to override DEFAULT_CONTRACT_TERMS around
https://github.com/Agoric/agoric-sdk/blob/master/packages/vats/decentral-devnet-config.json#L116

cc @michaelfig

[Chris-Hibbert]

@dckc is aware of this, but for others following along, minSubmissionCount is addressed somewhat in #7583. If it needs to be modified in other places, that PR demonstrates an approach that works.

[dckc]

took some extra time while thinking about #7683 to explore this a little...

config-schema.json
2023-05-11 08:15 febe1f0 feat: generate schema for swingset config

see also notes in discord thread:

• config files: patterns, schemas, types, objects