[Distutils] Python module for use in ‘setup.py’ but not to install

[Ben Finney]

Ethan Furman <ethan at stoneleaf.us> writes:

> However, I feel that requiring a dependency simply for the
> installation of the main package (the main package doesn't actually
> use this install-dependency, correct?) is heavy-handed and should be
> avoided.

It's lighter than that; the third-party dependency is needed only for
building packages (sdist, or wheel). It parses a reST document to create
an extra Setuptools metadata file, and then it's not needed any more.

It is ideally a build-time dependency and not an install-time
dependency, but I'm having a difficult time figuring out how to
distinguish those so Setuptools will pay attention.

-- 
 \       “… one of the main causes of the fall of the Roman Empire was |
  `\        that, lacking zero, they had no way to indicate successful |
_o__)                  termination of their C programs.” —Robert Firth |
Ben Finney