[Distutils] guidance for contributing to packaging docs

[Nick Coghlan]

On 10 Feb 2014 07:16, "Marcus Smith" <qwcode at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Yes, the structure for the packaging guide has changed a few times, but
hopefully, <knock on wood>, we've reached the tail end of that.  It's
currently marked up with numerous FIXME comments, specifically on the
"Advanced Topics" page:
https://python-packaging-user-guide.readthedocs.org/en/latest/additional.html
>
> Beyond the guide, there's always the individual project docs:  pip,
virtualenv, setuptools, wheel, distlib
> (btw, my plan is to refactor most of those to a consistent structure and
style;  I have issues open for the refactors in the user guide tracker; I'm
currently working on pip and setuptools)
>
> As for the python.org docs, Nick Coghlan has already added notes to the
top of the old "Installing/Distributing Python Modules" guides pointing to
the new packaging user guide.  Eventually, both of the old guides need to
disappear in their current form, and be re-organized just as a distutils
reference that covers install schemes, commands, options etc... and that's
self-aware of it's place in the current ecosystem.

Right, before 3.4 final goes out next month, I aim to at least have those
refactored as "For end users" and "For tool developers".

Longer term (especially with PEP 453 in place), I'm thinking we want to
minimise the standard library's role in the build and deployment process to
providing the tools with the info they need to do the right thing for the
specific installation of Python - we've been seeing OS vendors move that
way for a while (Visual Studio, XCode, RH Developer Toolset - all have
distinct lifecycles from the underlying OS).

>
> As for ensurepip/PEP453, I don't think that changes too much of the user
guide documentation, except for a few places on installation, and to make
"pyenv" more prominent (which is currently mentioned in footnotes only).
PEP453 is already mentioned in a couple places in the Guide.

I think we still need to mention "pip" vs "pip3" for POSIX system installs
somewhere, but aside from that, I should just need two targets to link to:
one that assumes pip is already installed (for 3.4+) and one that explains
how to bootstrap pip and virtualenv (for 3.3 and earlier).

Cheers,
Nick.

>
> --Marcus
>
>
>
> On Sun, Feb 9, 2014 at 6:26 AM, Alex Burke <alexjeffburke at gmail.com>
wrote:
>>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I've been a regular reader of the packaging mailing list for a little
while now and, though I don't yet feel up to working on code, wanted to see
if I could help with documentation as both an exercise in my understanding
as well as being able to help others (I struggled a little mid to late last
year trying to figure out best practices for packaging Python code).
>>
>> My question might seem a little broad, but where would it be most useful
to focus documentation contributions? For example I know the python
packaging guide is being fleshed out, but it's seemed somewhat in a state
of flux and keeping up with reorganisations has been a little tricky.
>>
>> Any pointers or specific suggestions would be really useful. Perhaps it
would it be best to wait until Python 3.4 ships with ensurepip given how
much advicethat might affect?
>>
>> Incidentally, thought I'd mention it is a very welcome surprise to
those I have spoken to about Python that it will soon have an integrated
and blessed package managing solution that ships with default builds. It
seems to be a common point of confusion or even slight or against what is
otherwise considered a fantastic language. Kudos to everyone involved.
>>
>> Thanks, Alex J Burke.
>>
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>>
>
>
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