fix: skip starlette check when server version is hidden

[christierney]

Intent

If Connect's server version is hidden, skip the starlette dependency check and log a warning.

Fixes #695

Type of Change

• Bug Fix
• New Feature
• Breaking Change

Approach

Only call fix_starlette_requirements if we have a non-empty Connect version string. Otherwise, log a warning, which will hopefully provide a helpful breadcrumb if users on a pre-2024.01.0 Connect see starlette errors.

Automated Tests

Opted not to add a new test for such a small change.

Directions for Reviewers

I manually reproduced the bug by running Connect locally with [Server] HideVersion = true:

logs of failed deploy

rsconnect-python on  chris-empty-version [?] via 🐍 v3.13.3 (.venv) on ☁️  (us-east-1)
❯ rsconnect deploy shiny top-5-income-share-shiny
    Warning: the existing manifest.json file will not be used or considered.
    Warning: Python version constraint missing from pyproject.toml, setup.cfg or .python-version
             Connect will guess the version to use based on local environment.
             Consider specifying a Python version constraint.
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/Users/chris/dev/posit-dev/rsconnect-python/rsconnect/main.py", line 118, in wrapper
    result = func(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/Users/chris/dev/posit-dev/rsconnect-python/.venv/lib/python3.13/site-packages/click/decorators.py", line 34, in new_func
    return f(get_current_context(), *args, **kwargs)
  File "/Users/chris/dev/posit-dev/rsconnect-python/rsconnect/main.py", line 1698, in deploy_app
    environment = fix_starlette_requirements(
        environment=environment,
        app_mode=app_mode,
        connect_version_string=ce.client.server_settings()["version"],
    )
  File "/Users/chris/dev/posit-dev/rsconnect-python/rsconnect/utils_package.py", line 220, in fix_starlette_requirements
    if not (app_mode == AppModes.PYTHON_SHINY and compare_semvers(connect_version_string, "2024.01.0") == -1):
                                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/Users/chris/dev/posit-dev/rsconnect-python/rsconnect/utils_package.py", line 58, in compare_semvers
    return semver.VersionInfo.parse(version1).compare(version2)  # type: ignore
           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/Users/chris/dev/posit-dev/rsconnect-python/.venv/lib/python3.13/site-packages/semver/version.py", line 644, in parse
    raise ValueError(f"{version} is not valid SemVer string")
ValueError:  is not valid SemVer string
Internal error:  is not valid SemVer string

With this fix, the deployment succeeds:

logs of successful deploy

rsconnect-python on  chris-empty-version [!?] via 🐍 v3.11.12 (.venv) on ☁️  (us-east-1) took 11s
❯ rsconnect deploy shiny top-5-income-share-shiny
    Warning: the existing manifest.json file will not be used or considered.
    Warning: Python version constraint missing from pyproject.toml, setup.cfg or .python-version
             Connect will guess the version to use based on local environment.
             Consider specifying a Python version constraint.
    Warning: Connect server version is hidden. Skipping starlette requirements check.
Validating server...    [OK]
Validating app mode...  [OK]
Making bundle ...       [OK]
Deploying bundle ...    [OK]
Saving deployed information...  [OK]
Building Python Shiny application...
Bundle created with Python version 3.11.12 is compatible with environment Local with Python version 3.11.3 from /opt/python/3.11.3/bin/python3.11
Bundle requested Python version 3.11.12; using /opt/python/3.11.3/bin/python3.11 from Local which has version 3.11.3
2025/07/30 19:13:50.780421842 [connect-session] Content GUID: 0de661cc-bbf7-44e1-86ff-7e975c339f6b
2025/07/30 19:13:50.781082509 [connect-session] Content ID: 2
2025/07/30 19:13:50.781133426 [connect-session] Bundle ID: 6
2025/07/30 19:13:50.781191717 [connect-session] Job Key: Rfjtobm8E2dkAm6u
2025/07/30 19:13:50.781255926 [connect-session] WARNING: Publishing with rsconnect-python or Publisher, upgrade for the generated manifest.json to follow version constraints best practices.
2025/07/30 19:13:50.781300926 [connect-session] For more details on version matching, see https://docs.posit.co/connect/admin/python/#python-version-matching
Determining session server location ...
Connecting to session server http://127.0.0.1:43671 ...
Connected to session server http://127.0.0.1:43671
2025/07/30 19:13:50.941386051 Running on host: connect
...
Deployment completed successfully.
         Dashboard content URL: http://localhost:3939/connect/#/apps/0de661cc-bbf7-44e1-86ff-7e975c339f6b/access
         Direct content URL: http://localhost:3939/content/0de661cc-bbf7-44e1-86ff-7e975c339f6b/
Verifying deployed content...   [OK]

Checklist

• I have updated CHANGELOG.md to cover notable changes.
• I have updated all related GitHub issues to reflect their current state.

[github-actions]

PR Preview Action v1.6.2
Preview removed because the pull request was closed.
2025-08-04 21:51 UTC

[github-actions]

☂️ Python Coverage

current status: ✅

Overall Coverage

Lines	Covered	Coverage	Threshold	Status
5146	3995	78%	0%	🟢

New Files

No new covered files...

Modified Files

File	Coverage	Status
rsconnect/main.py	69%	🟢
TOTAL	69%	🟢

updated for commit: 30196b5 by action🐍

[nealrichardson]

CI failures are probably #694

[christierney]

CI failures are probably #694

Thank you, I was trying to figure out how my change could possibly have caused this!

[amol-]

I would make this one a if not connect_version_string, I perceive it as slightly more robust as it will cover both "" and null.

[christierney]

it should be if connect_version_string: (no not), right?

[amol-]

Should this maybe be .get("version")? Or do we feel safe in taking for granted the version field will alwasy be there even when hidden?

[christierney]

It will be there unless we make a breaking change in Connect, but at the same time I see no reason not to use the more robust code here.

[nealrichardson]

@christierney I think you can rebase again now and CI should be fixed