[Python-Dev] "setuptools has divided the Python community"

[P.J. Eby]

At 08:32 AM 3/25/2009 -0500, Olemis Lang wrote:
>Sometimes it also happens that, once one such build/packaging systems
>is adopted, it is difficult to switch to using another one, since apps
>(... and plugins systems ...) are frequently hard-coupled to the pkg
>sys «exotic features» and support (... what comes to my mind right now
>is Trac plugins which are a little bit dependant on setuptools entry
>points and so on ...).

Please note that entry points are not coupled to easy_install.  They 
have a documented file format and API that's *distributed* with 
setuptools, but is not dependent on it and does not require .egg 
files, either.  There's nothing stopping an independent 
implementation in the stdlib, ala PEP 376's metadata API, which is 
designed to be backward compatible with setuptools.  It could be 
extended to support entry points as well.