[Distutils] Static metadata using setup.cfg

[David Cournapeau]

David Lyon wrote:
>
> I can see your intentions here are good. But what you are suggesting is
> just overly complicated for what is required. There's no need for a
> templating engine, in this part of distutils.
>   

Compared to other parts of distutils, that's very simple, and actually
useful and well established practice.

> Yes, introducing a template engine might be good for multi-platform
> output.
>
> But the setup.py and setup.cfg and [setup] sections must be readily
> understood by the complete novice. That's the point that you don't
> seem to understand yet. Stop making it non-obvious.
>   

having if/then don't make distutils more complicated. The point of those
'dynamic' features in the static metadata is that a vast majority of
projects can be *fully* described without a setup.py file - without it,
very few packages would fall in that category.

Once you can describe a non trivial subset of all python packages with a
static metadata file, it means you can use it without using distutils
itself, which is a very big plus.

> No installation system I have ever heard of makes it mandatory
> to understand a template system to be able to write your "hello
> world - I'm installed".... script..
>   

Actually, almost every one I have ever seen does. Which installation
system does not use a templating engine of some sort ? That's a very
common practice.

cheers,

David