[Python-Dev] Fwd: PEP 426 is now the draft spec for distribution metadata 2.0

[M.-A. Lemburg]

On 20.02.2013 03:37, Paul Moore wrote:
> On 20 February 2013 00:54, Fred Drake <fred at fdrake.net> wrote:
>> I'd posit that anything successful will no longer need to be added to
>> the standard library, to boot.  Packaging hasn't done well there.
> 
> distlib may be the exception, though. Packaging tools are somewhat
> unique because of the chicken and egg issue involved in having a
> packaging tool with external dependencies - who installs your
> dependencies for you? So enabling technology (library code to perform
> packaging-related tasks, particularly in support of standardised
> formats) could be better available from the stdlib.
> 
>> I'd rather see a successful packaging story develop than bundle it into the
>> standard library.  The later just isn't that interesting any more.
> 
> Bundling too early is a bad idea though. distlib is developing fast
> and to do so it needs (1) a development cycle independent of python's
> and (2) compatibility and ease of use with earlier versions of Python
> (the latter is also critical for adoption in place of custom code in
> packaging tools).
> 
> Aiming for an accelerated level of development targeting inclusion in
> Python 3.4 is plausible, though. MAL pointed out that agreeing
> standards but not offering tools to support them in the stdlib is
> risky, as people have no incentive to adopt those standards. We've got
> 6 months or more until 3.4 feature freeze, let's not make any decision
> too soon, though.

I'm fine with not adding distlib to Python 3.4. The point I wanted
to make was that there has to be an reference implementation of the PEP
that tool makers can use to avoid reinventing the wheel over and over
again (each with its own set of problems).

If distlib implements the PEP, then it just needs to be
mentioned there as a suitable reference implementation.

-- 
Marc-Andre Lemburg
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