[Distutils] Current to-do list
Greg Ward
gward@python.net
Fri, 26 May 2000 23:18:11 -0400
I've started maintaining my Distutils to-do list again. In the absence
of a proper bug database or issue tracker, this'll have to do. Please
add any items I've missed; feel free to claim items for yourself if you
can submit a patch. If you're already working on a patch, let me know
so I can add you. If you see your name in a "delegated to" comment but
you are unwilling/unable to do that task, let me know and I'll take you
off.
Here's the list...
GENERAL
-------
* I think fancy_getopt needs to get fancier to properly support the
-I, -D, -l, -L, etc. options of "build_ext": need to be able
to accumulate multiple options in a list, should be able to
split a string on a given delimiter, probably want to specify if
repetitions of the same option will accumulate or replace, etc.
* do the above options even work at all? seem to recall hearing
reports of dismal failure, but I never looked into it
[knowing how FancyGetopt works, there's no way these options
can work: damn]
* think about how to support distribution-specific "configure" commands --
eg. how can they push option values (include/library directories, that
sort of thing) onto the "build_ext" command?
* should/can the 'finalize_options()' methods be made more robust, so
you can sensibly call them multiple times? this might be all that's
necessary to enable option-pushing...
HELP
----
* interface for "help about some option" -- eg. --help-compiler to
build_ext would list available compilers; --help-formats to "sdist"
or "bdist" would list available distribution formats; ...
[delegated to Rene Liebscher]
DOCS
----
* write write write
* standard blurb for README files
BUILD/INSTALL
-------------
EXTENSION BUILDING
------------------
* review and integrate cygwin patch from Rene Liebscher
DISTRIBUTIONS
-------------
* review/tweak bdist_rpm code from Harry Gebel (minor style issues, fix
hardcoded directories)
* figure out why bdist_rpm doesn't work with RPM 2.x, and make it work if
possible
EXTERNAL DEPENDENCIES
---------------------
* ??? do we need to implement autoconf in Python (shudder) ???
* if not, how to handle the case of "if Tk present, build with it" in
PIL, or "define HAVE_STRFTIME if we have strftime()" in mxDateTime"?
--
Greg Ward - maladjusted computer geek gward@python.net
http://starship.python.net/~gward/
"Passionate hatred can give meaning and purpose to an empty life."
-- Eric Hoffer