[SciPy-dev] Renaming scipy_core ???

[Pearu Peterson]

Renaming and installing scipy_core packages under different namespace
from scipy is certainly possible. Technically it does not simplify
importing packages, we would still need pkgload hooks for setting 
scipy.__doc__ and scipy.__all__ without importing scipy subpackages.
It is a bit unfortunate that now, when many of the issues with importing 
scipy_core and "full scipy" packages have been resolved and importing 
scipy became stable, we need a major renaming patches again. I really hope 
it will be the last one if we decide to do it.

OT: Btw, with the current scipy_core from svn

   import scipy          # (i)

and

   from scipy import *   # (ii)

do already the right thing with proper scipy.__all__ list, that is,
(i) imports only subpackages that have global symbols and (ii) imports 
all subpackages.

Anyway, I am in favor of renaming scipy_core, but preferably to something 
shorter. `scicore` sounds good to me, I would propose also `scico` or 
`scire`, but they seem to be taken for other project names, note that also 
`scicore` is taken. Hmm, also `sciarray` is taken.

As for applying the renaming, it should be mostly a replace scipy->.. 
task. I'll be tomorrow away but I'll be back on January 3rd to help with 
the renaming.

And as for dropping scipy.distutils, scipy.f2py etc from scipy_core, I'm 
-1. We have discussed that before. scipy.distutils have many features over 
std distutils that considerably simplify maintaining scipy setup.py files 
etc. I am continuously cleaning up scipy.distutils to use more and more 
std distutils. However, I doubt that scipy.distutils anytime soon or ever, 
to be honest, could be replaced with std distutils.

Pearu