build: modernize packaging and release workflow

[mikel-brostrom]

Summary

• replace legacy setup.py packaging with declarative pyproject.toml metadata and setuptools 77+
• support Python 3.8 through 3.14 in package metadata and CI
• consolidate runtime and development dependencies into pyproject.toml
• replace Flake8 with Ruff and keep all lint configuration in pyproject.toml
• migrate the OR-Tools assignment backend from removed pywrapgraph APIs to SimpleLinearSumAssignment
• add tag-driven PyPI Trusted Publishing with artifact validation and a protected release environment
• move package-data declarations into setuptools configuration
• remove obsolete requirements, Conda, Pylint, precommit, manifest, setup, and shell-example files
• update installation, development, and release documentation

Why

The previous packaging and release process depended on manually parsed setup.py metadata, end-of-life Python and tool versions, and references to AppVeyor and Travis configurations that no longer exist. It had no current PyPI publishing workflow and retained several unreferenced legacy files.

The existing OR-Tools integration also relied on ortools.graph.pywrapgraph, which has been removed from supported OR-Tools releases.

This change establishes one canonical package configuration, tests the complete supported Python range, updates the optional assignment backend, and publishes immutable artifacts through short-lived OIDC credentials.

Impact

• end users continue to install with pip install motmetrics
• the published universal wheel declares Python 3.8 through 3.14 support
• contributors create an environment with uv venv and install the dev group with uv pip install --group dev
• CI runs Ruff and pytest on Python 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, 3.12, 3.13, and 3.14
• current OR-Tools releases work without retaining the removed legacy API
• maintainers publish by pushing a signed vX.Y.Z tag after merging a reviewed release PR
• PyPI owners must register publish-to-pypi.yml and the protected pypi GitHub environment as a Trusted Publisher before the first automated release

Testing

• GitHub Actions Python 3.8–3.14 matrix: all 7 jobs passed
• Ruff blocking checks: passed on every supported Python version
• pytest: passed on every supported Python version
• Python 3.8 + OR-Tools 9.11: 34 LAP tests passed
• Python 3.14 + OR-Tools 9.15: 34 LAP tests passed
• full Python 3.14 suite with OR-Tools: 63 tests passed
• python -m build produced the source distribution and py3-none-any wheel
• python -m twine check passed for both artifacts
• wheel smoke import reported version 1.4.0
• package datasets, XML/MAT fixtures, text files, and image asset were confirmed in the built wheel
• workflow YAML parsed successfully
• git diff --check passed

Successful matrix run: https://github.com/cheind/py-motmetrics/actions/runs/29200906225

[mikel-brostrom]

All these updates are much needed in order to publish an up-to-date version of this package, now that HOTA matches the trackeval results

[cheind]

Hey, thanks again - you may want to add your name to the list of authors if you care!

[mikel-brostrom]

Glad to contribute to such a great package! I would love to be listed as author of this ❤️. Specially for the HOTA pypi release 🚀

[cheind]

yah, just open another pull request with your author details - I will merge in the coming days when I have a bit of spare time.

thanks again!