[Python-Dev] supporting multiple versions of one package in one environment is insane

[Chris Withers]

Tarek Ziadé wrote:
> = Virtualenv and the multiple version support in Distribute =
> 
> (I am not saying "We" here because this part was not discussed yet
> with everyone)

Good, so maybe take this discussion to distutils-sig first?

> Virtualenv allows you to create an isolated environment to install
> some distribution without polluting the
> main site-packages, a bit like a user site-packages.

...as does buildout, and these are the right type of solution to this 
problem.

> My opinion is that this tool exists only because Python doesn't
> support the installation of multiple versions for the same
> distributions.

No, it exists because per-project specification of requirements is a 
really good thing. Having multiple versions of the same package in the 
same python environment it totally batshit crazy...

> Setuptools provided a multiple version support but I don't like its
> implementation and the way its works.

See the "crazy" comment above...

> - a special import system using importlib that would automatically
> pick the latest version, thanks to PEP 376.

As long as I never have to use it or see it, I don't really care, but 
this seems like creating more work for yourself and another gun pointed 
at the face, nevermind the foot, of the unwary newbie...

Chris

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