refactor: replace build_algorithm with make_algorithm for SACAlgorithmConfig and update related tests

src/lerobot/rl/algorithms/configs.py

@@ -16,13 +16,9 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 import abc
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any
+from typing import Any
 
 import draccus
-import torch
-
-if TYPE_CHECKING:
-    from .base import RLAlgorithm
 
 
 @dataclass
@@ -58,14 +54,6 @@ class RLAlgorithmConfig(draccus.ChoiceRegistry, abc.ABC):
             raise TypeError(f"Expected string from get_choice_name, got {type(choice_name)}")
         return choice_name
 
-    @abc.abstractmethod
-    def build_algorithm(self, policy: torch.nn.Module) -> RLAlgorithm:
-        """Construct the :class:`RLAlgorithm` for this config.
-
-        Must be overridden by every registered config subclass.
-        """
-        raise NotImplementedError(f"{type(self).__name__} must implement build_algorithm()")
-
     @classmethod
     @abc.abstractmethod
     def from_policy_config(cls, policy_cfg: Any) -> RLAlgorithmConfig:

src/lerobot/rl/algorithms/factory.py

@@ -43,5 +43,57 @@ def make_algorithm_config(algorithm_type: str, **kwargs) -> RLAlgorithmConfig:
     return cls(**kwargs)
 
 
+def get_algorithm_class(name: str) -> type[RLAlgorithm]:
+    """
+    Retrieves an RL algorithm class by its registered name.
+
+    This function uses dynamic imports to avoid loading all algorithm classes into
+    memory at once, improving startup time and reducing dependencies.
+
+    Args:
+        name: The name of the algorithm. Supported names are "sac".
+
+    Returns:
+        The algorithm class corresponding to the given name.
+
+    Raises:
+        ValueError: If the algorithm name is not recognized.
+    """
+    if name == "sac":
+        from .sac.sac_algorithm import SACAlgorithm
+
+        return SACAlgorithm
+    raise ValueError(
+        f"Algorithm type '{name}' is not available. "
+        f"Known: {list(RLAlgorithmConfig.get_known_choices().keys())}"
+    )
+
+
 def make_algorithm(cfg: RLAlgorithmConfig, policy: torch.nn.Module) -> RLAlgorithm:
-    return cfg.build_algorithm(policy)
+    """
+    Instantiate an RL algorithm.
+
+    This factory function looks up the :class:`RLAlgorithm` subclass that matches
+    ``cfg.type`` and instantiates it with the provided policy. It also enforces
+    that ``cfg.policy_config`` has been populated before construction (this is
+    normally handled by :meth:`TrainRLServerPipelineConfig.validate`).
+
+    Args:
+        cfg: The algorithm configuration. Must have ``policy_config`` set.
+        policy: The policy module the algorithm will train.
+
+    Returns:
+        An instantiated :class:`RLAlgorithm`.
+
+    Raises:
+        ValueError: If ``cfg.policy_config`` is ``None`` or ``cfg.type`` is not
+            registered.
+    """
+    if getattr(cfg, "policy_config", None) is None:
+        raise ValueError(
+            f"{type(cfg).__name__}.policy_config is None. "
+            "It must be populated (typically by TrainRLServerPipelineConfig.validate) "
+            "before calling make_algorithm()."
+        )
+    cls = get_algorithm_class(cfg.type)
+    return cls(policy=policy, config=cfg)

src/lerobot/rl/algorithms/sac/configuration_sac.py

@@ -15,9 +15,6 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
-
-import torch
 
 from lerobot.policies.gaussian_actor.configuration_gaussian_actor import (
     CriticNetworkConfig,
@@ -26,9 +23,6 @@ from lerobot.policies.gaussian_actor.configuration_gaussian_actor import (
 
 from ..configs import RLAlgorithmConfig
 
-if TYPE_CHECKING:
-    from .sac_algorithm import SACAlgorithm
-
 
 @RLAlgorithmConfig.register_subclass("sac")
 @dataclass
@@ -102,15 +96,3 @@ class SACAlgorithmConfig(RLAlgorithmConfig):
             policy_config=policy_cfg,
             discrete_critic_network_kwargs=policy_cfg.discrete_critic_network_kwargs,
         )
-
-    def build_algorithm(self, policy: torch.nn.Module) -> SACAlgorithm:
-        if self.policy_config is None:
-            raise ValueError(
-                "SACAlgorithmConfig.policy_config is None. "
-                "It must be populated (typically by TrainRLServerPipelineConfig.validate) "
-                "before calling build_algorithm()."
-            )
-
-        from .sac_algorithm import SACAlgorithm
-
-        return SACAlgorithm(policy=policy, config=self)

tests/rl/test_sac_algorithm.py

@@ -501,25 +501,17 @@ def test_training_stats_generic_losses():
 
 
 # ===========================================================================
-# Registry-driven build_algorithm
+# Registry-driven make_algorithm
 # ===========================================================================
 
 
-def test_build_algorithm_via_config():
+def test_make_algorithm_builds_sac():
-    """SACAlgorithmConfig.build_algorithm should produce a working SACAlgorithm."""
+    """make_algorithm should look up the SAC class from the registry and instantiate it."""
     sac_cfg = _make_sac_config()
     algo_config = SACAlgorithmConfig.from_policy_config(sac_cfg)
     algo_config.utd_ratio = 2
     policy = GaussianActorPolicy(config=sac_cfg)
 
-    algorithm = algo_config.build_algorithm(policy)
+    algorithm = make_algorithm(cfg=algo_config, policy=policy)
     assert isinstance(algorithm, SACAlgorithm)
     assert algorithm.config.utd_ratio == 2
-
-
-def test_make_algorithm_uses_build_algorithm():
-    """make_algorithm should delegate to config.build_algorithm (no hardcoded if/else)."""
-    sac_cfg = _make_sac_config()
-    policy = GaussianActorPolicy(config=sac_cfg)
-    algorithm = make_algorithm(cfg=SACAlgorithmConfig.from_policy_config(sac_cfg), policy=policy)
-    assert isinstance(algorithm, SACAlgorithm)