What is Install-Paths-To in WHEEL file?

Oscar Benjamin oscar.j.benjamin at gmail.com
Fri Dec 29 08:55:18 EST 2023


On Fri, 29 Dec 2023 at 13:04, Left Right via Python-list
<python-list at python.org> wrote:
>
> Wow. That place turned out to be the toxic pit I didn't expect.
>
> It's a shame that a public discussion of public goods was entrusted to
> a bunch of gatekeepers with no sense of responsibility for the thing
> they keep the keys to.

Here is the discussion referred to:
https://discuss.python.org/t/what-is-install-paths-to-in-wheel-file/42005

I don't see anything "toxic" in that discussion. You asked questions
and people took the time to give clear answers.

The basic answer to your question is that PEP 491 was never completed
and so there is no accepted specification of the Install-Paths-To
feature that it had been intended to introduce. The PEP text itself is
reasonably clear about this and also links to the up to date
specifications:
https://peps.python.org/pep-0491/#pep-deferral

Instead for understanding the wheel format the appropriate document is:
https://packaging.python.org/en/latest/specifications/binary-distribution-format/

That document does not mention Install-Paths-To because it documents
the standards as defined and accepted via the PEP process but PEP 491
was never accepted.

--
Oscar


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