Fix validation and remove unnecessary assert statements

src/hssm/param.py

@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ def __init__(
         link: str | bmb.Link | None = None,
         bounds: tuple[float, float] | None = None,
     ):
+        if name is None:
+            raise ValueError("A name must be specified.")
         self.name = name
         self.prior = prior
         self.formula = formula
@@ -211,7 +213,6 @@ def override_default_priors_ddm(self, data: pd.DataFrame, eval_env: dict[str, An
             The environment used to evaluate the formula.
         """
         self._ensure_not_converted(context="prior")
-        assert self.name is not None
 
         if not self.is_regression:
             return
@@ -319,10 +320,10 @@ def convert(self):
             if any(not np.isscalar(bound) for bound in self.bounds):
                 raise ValueError(f"The bounds of {self.name} should both be scalar.")
             lower, upper = self.bounds
-            assert lower < upper, (
-                f"The lower bound of {self.name} should be less than "
-                + "its upper bound."
-            )
+            if not lower < upper:
+                raise ValueError(
+                    f"{self.name}: lower bound must be less than upper bound."
+                )
 
         if isinstance(self.prior, int):
             self.prior = float(self.prior)
@@ -452,7 +453,6 @@ def parse_bambi(
             link = {self.name: self.link}
             return formula, prior, link
 
-        assert self.name is not None
         if self.prior is not None:
             prior = {self.name: self.prior}
         if self.link is not None:
@@ -470,7 +470,6 @@ def __repr__(self) -> str:
             regression or not.
         """
         output = []
-        assert self.name is not None
         output.append(self.name + ":")
 
         # Simplest case: float
@@ -482,12 +481,15 @@ def __repr__(self) -> str:
         # Regression case:
         # Output formula, priors, and link functions
         if self.is_regression:
-            assert self.formula is not None
+            if self.formula is None:
+                raise ValueError("Formula must be specified for regression.")
+
             output.append(f"    Formula: {self.formula}")
             output.append("    Priors:")
 
             if self.prior is not None:
-                assert isinstance(self.prior, dict)
+                if not isinstance(self.prior, dict):
+                    raise TypeError("The prior for a regression must be a dict.")
 
                 for param, prior in self.prior.items():
                     output.append(f"        {param} ~ {prior}")
@@ -505,7 +507,8 @@ def __repr__(self) -> str:
         # None regression case:
         # Output prior and bounds
         else:
-            assert isinstance(self.prior, bmb.Prior)
+            if not isinstance(self.prior, bmb.Prior):
+                raise TypeError("The prior must be an instance of bmb.Prior.")
             output.append(f"    Prior: {self.prior}")
 
         output.append(f"    Explicit bounds: {self.bounds}")