[Python-Dev] draft of externally maintained packages PEP

[Brett Cannon]

here is the rough draft of the PEP for packages maintained externally
from Python itself.  There is some missing, though, that I would like
help filling in.

I don't know who to list as the contact person (i.e., the Python
developer in charge of the code) for Expat, Optik or pysqlite.  I know
Greg Ward wrote Optik, but I don't know if he is still active at all
(I saw AMK's email on Greg being busy).  I also thought Gerhard
Haering was in charge of pysqlite, but he has never responded to any
emails about this topic.  Maybe the responsibility should go to
Anthony since I know he worked to get the package in and probably
cares about keeping it updated?  As for Expat (the parser), is that
Fred?

I also don't know what version of ctypes is in 2.5 .  Thomas, can you tell me?

Otherwise, I have cc:ed the people I do know who are in charge of some
packages.  Can you please look over your package information and let
me know if you want anything changed?

-------------------------------------------------------

PEP: XXX
Title: Externally Maintained Packages
Version: $Revision: 43251 $
Last-Modified: $Date: 2006-03-23 06:28:55 -0800 (Thu, 23 Mar 2006) $
Author: Brett Cannon <brett at python.org>
Status: Active
Type: Informational
Content-Type: text/x-rst
Created: XX-XXX-2006


Abstract
========
There are many great pieces of Python software developed outside of the Python
standard library.  Sometimes it makes sense to incorporate these externally
maintained packages into the standard library in order to fill a gap in the
tools provided by Python.

But by having the packages maintained externally it means Python's developers
do not have direct control over the packages.  Some package developers prefer
to have bug reports and patches go through them first instead of being directly
applied by Python developers.

This PEP is meant to record details of packages in the standard library.
Specifically, it is meant to keep track of any specific maintenance needs for
each package.  It also is meant to allow people to know which version of a
package is in which version of Python.


Externally Maintained Packages
==============================

Below is a list of modules/packages within Python that are externally
maintained.  Any special notes in terms of maintenance of the code within the
Python code repository are mentioned.

The section title is the name of the package as known outside of the Python
standard library.  The "standard library name" is what the package is named
within Python.  The "contact person" is the Python developer in charge of
maintaining the package.  The "synchronisation history" lists what external
version of the package was included in each version of Python (if different
from the previous version).


ctypes
------
- Web page
    http://starship.python.net/crew/theller/ctypes/
- Standard library name
    ctypes
- Contact person
    Thomas Heller
- Synchronisation history
    * XXX (2.5)

Bugs can be reported to either the Python tracker [#python-tracker]_ or the
ctypes tracker [#ctypes-tracker]_ and assigned to Thomas Heller.


ElementTree
-----------
- Web page
    http://effbot.org/zone/element-index.htm
- Standard library name
    xml.etree
- Contact person
    Fredrik Lundh
- Synchronisation history
    * 1.2.6 (2.5)

Patches should not be directly applied to Python HEAD, but instead reported to
the Python tracker [#python-tracker]_ (critical bug fixes are the exception).
Bugs should also be reported to the Python tracker.  Both bugs and patches
should be assigned to Fredrik Lundh.


Expat XML parser
----------------
- Web page
    http://www.libexpat.org/
- Standard library name
    N/A (this refers to the parser itself, and not the Python bindings)
- Contact person
    XXX
- Synchronisation history
    * 1.95.8 (2.4)
    * 1.95.7 (2.3)


Optik
-----
- Web site
    http://optik.sourceforge.net/
- Standard library name
    optparse
- Contact person
    XXX
- Synchronisation history
    * 1.5.1 (2.5)
    * 1.5a1 (2.4)
    * 1.4   (2.3)


pysqlite
--------
- Web site
    http://www.sqlite.org/
- Standard library name
    sqlite3
- Contact person
    XXX
- Synchronisation history
    * 2.1.3 (2.5)



References
==========

.. [#python-tracker] Python tracker
   (http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=5470)

.. [#ctypes-tracker] ctypes tracker
   (http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=71702)


Copyright
=========

This document has been placed in the public domain.



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