Boring Boilerplate Code Can Connect Communities: Lessons From the Astrophysics Code SNEWPY

We're not usually excited about writing boilerplate code. It's boring. It's a chore. However, when used well, boilerplate code can have a dramatic impact. In this talk, I will introduce the astrophysics code SNEWPY. By providing all the boilerplate code necessary to combine work by nuclear astrophysicists, theoretical particle physicists and experimental particle physicists, SNEWPY has enabled closer collaboration and dramatically reduced the time necessary to generate physics results. SNEWPY was also incorporated as a dependency into multiple third-party codes, making them more versatile while avoiding duplication of effort and reducing the risk of bugs. I will illustrate how writing code that is FAIR, maintainable, reproducible and accessible has connected these communities and improved physics research outcomes. A recording of this session is available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/AzCNCZwbgpQ