Add forward reference annotations and update CI Python version

Introduce the `__future__.annotations` import for better type hints compatibility. Adjust the GitHub Actions workflow to use Python 3.9 instead of 3.12, and set the PYTHONPATH for proper module resolution during tests.

Author: nicholasadamou

.github/workflows/python-pytests.yml

@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ jobs:
             -   name: Set up Python
                 uses: actions/setup-python@v4
                 with:
-                    python-version: '3.12'
+                    python-version: '3.9'
 
             -   name: Install dependencies
                 run: |
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ jobs:
                     pip install poetry
                     poetry install
 
+            - name: Set PYTHONPATH
+              run: echo "PYTHONPATH=$PYTHONPATH:$(pwd)" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+
             -   name: Run tests
                 run: |
                     source .venv/bin/activate

database/database.py

@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
 import os
 import psycopg2
 from typing import Any, Dict