Greg Ward wrote: [installing data files]
On Windows and Mac OS, clearly these should go somewhere under sys.prefix: this is the directory for all things Python, including third-party module distributions. If Brian Hooper distributes a module "foo" that requires a data file containing character encoding data (yes, this is based on a true story), then the module belongs in (eg.) C:\Python and the data file in (?) C:\Python\Data. (Maybe C:\Python\Data\foo, but that's a minor wrinkle.)
Any disagreement so far?
Yeah. I tend to install stuff outside the sys.prefix tree and then use .pth files. I realize I'm, um, unique in this regard but I lost everything in some upgrade gone bad. (When a Windows de- install goes wrong, your only option is to do some manual directory and registry pruning.) I often do much the same on my Linux box, but I don't worry about it as much - upgrading is not "click and pray" there. (Hmm, I guess it is if you use rpms.) So for Windows, I agree with Mark - put the data with the module. On a real OS, I guess I'd be inclined to put global data with the module, but user data in ~/.<something>.
Greg Ward - "always the quiet one" <snort>
- Gordon