[IPython-dev] Request: IPython.ext namespace
Takafumi Arakaki
aka.tkf at gmail.com
Thu Oct 25 17:04:28 EDT 2012
On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 9:41 PM, Jake Vanderplas
<vanderplas at astro.washington.edu> wrote:
> Hi,
> There's one particularly difficult issue with disparate packages sharing
> a namespace: multiple install paths cause problems. For example, if you
> have a system-wide ipython installation and then install a new extension
> in a local folder, you can get an import error because the extension
> does not exist in the first version of the namespace found by python.
> This was one of the main problems that led to deprecation of the scikits
> namespace.
> Jake
I see. That's the fundamental problem. Shared namespace definitely
not good idea then!
I'd like to have some rule such as ipyext_ prefix though. But as
packages may have IPython extension as submodule like sympy does it
won't be constant anyway.
>
> On 10/25/2012 12:28 PM, Takafumi Arakaki wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I think IPython should provide namespace for IPython extensions, so
>> that extension authors can upload their extensions to PyPI. I don't
>> care about what the actual name is (probably it can be ipythonext,
>> IPythonContrib, IPython.extensions, or what ever). It is something
>> what Sphinx does for "sphinxcontrib.*" namespace. I can think of many
>> reasons why it is better for IPython extension users and authors:
>>
>> 1. When you want to use external Python module in your extension,
>> currently there is no easy way to install it. If you can upload
>> your extension as `IPython.ext.YOUREXT`, it can be easily solved.
>>
>> 2. Similarity, you can depends on other IPython extensions. Currently
>> there is no easy way to import other IPython extensions.
>>
>> 3. It does not stop people using `%install_ext`. If your extension is
>> just one file, you can just do::
>>
>> %install_ext
>> https://raw.github.com/YOU/ipython-ext-YOUREXT/master/IPython/ext/YOUREXT.py
>>
>> 4. You get IPython extension search engine for free. People can just do::
>>
>> pip search IPython.ext
>>
>> Try ``pip search sphinxcontrib``, for example.
>>
>> 5. It helps people avoiding namespace collision. Currently there is
>> no easy way to make sure if other people not using some name.
>> Sure, you can google it, but you can't be 100% sure.
>>
>> 6. IPython don't need to create any machinery for this. All you need
>> to do is to put some notice in the documentation for extension
>> author.
>>
>>
>> To be fair, I will try to think the reasons why you should not do this:
>>
>> 1. It may drive lazy people away from writing it. "Oh, I need setup.py
>> for IPython extension? No... I won't upload it hen."
>>
>> (But you don't need to upload your extension to pypi, if your
>> extension is just one file.)
>>
>> 2. It increases the amount and complexity of documentation you need to
>> maintain. You need to explain: "You can install extensions using
>> `pip` (or `easy_install`, if you want). Oh, you can use
>> `%install_ext` magic by the way. But it cannot be used for some
>> packages blah blah blah...".
>>
>>
>> BTW, should I post something like this in ML or github issue? As
>> there was old discussion in this ML [1]_, I am posting it here.
>>
>> .. [1] http://mail.scipy.org/pipermail/ipython-dev/2012-June/thread.html#9427
>>
>>
>> --
>> Takafumi Arakaki
>> https://github.com/tkf
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>> http://mail.scipy.org/mailman/listinfo/ipython-dev
>
>
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