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From: Harry George <harry.g.george at boeing.com>
Subject: Re: Modules for inclusion in standard library?
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Date: Thu, 30 Jun 2005 13:38:28 GMT
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Paul Rubin <http://phr.cx@NOSPAM.invalid> writes:

> Rocco Moretti <roccomoretti at hotpop.com> writes:
> > Except that (please correct me if I'm wrong) there is somewhat of a
> > policy for not including interface code for third party programs which
> > are not part of the operating system. (I.e. the modules in the
> > standard libary should all be usable for anyone with a default OS +
> > Python install.)
> 
> I've never heard of Python having such a policy and I don't understand
> how such a stupid policy could be considered compatible with a
> proclaimed "batteries included" philosophy.  Why would Python
> advocates want to make Python deliberately uncompetitive with PHP,
> Java, and other languages that do include database modules?
> 
> > A notable exception is the dbm modules, but I seem to recall hearing
> > that the official position is that it was a mistake. (Now only kept
> > for backward compatability.)
> 
> Ahem: Tkinter.  There's actually several more, looking in the lib docs.

I typically install dozens of python packages (on IRIX, Solaris, AIX,
Linux, Win2K).  21 are standalone enough to be considered for the std
library.  However I wouldn't necessarily want them in there, because:

a) They have their own release cycles, and coordinating would be too
painful.  We'd get a Python-1.2.3 with a package ABC-2.3.4 which is
(too late) discovered to have a bug.  So everyone would have to
download ABC-2.3.5 and install it anyway.

b) Installing distutils-aware python packages is trivial.  I'd rather
the energy which might go into a bigger std library go instead into
helping projects which don't have distutils-style builds.


-- 
harry.g.george at boeing.com
6-6M21 BCA CompArch Design Engineering
Phone: (425) 294-4718