[Python-Dev] Terminology question

[Greg Ward]

A question of terminology: frequently in the Distutils docs I need to
refer to the package-that-is-not-a-package, ie. the "root" or "empty"
package.  I can't decide if I prefer "root package", "empty package" or
what.  ("Empty" just means the *name* is empty, so it's probably not a
very good thing to say "empty package" -- but "package with no name" or
"unnamed package" aren't much better.)

Is there some accepted convention that I have missed?

Here's the definition I've just written for the "Distribution Python
Modules" manual:

\item[root package] the ``package'' that modules not in a package live
  in.  The vast majority of the standard library is in the root package,
  as are many small, standalone third-party modules that don't belong to
  a larger module collection.  (The root package isn't really a package,
  since it doesn't have an \file{\_\_init\_\_.py} file.  But we have to
  call it something.)

Confusing enough?  I thought so...

        Greg
-- 
Greg Ward - Unix nerd                                   gward@python.net
http://starship.python.net/~gward/
Beware of altruism.  It is based on self-deception, the root of all evil.