[Python-Dev] magic in setuptools (Was: setuptools in the stdlib)

["Martin v. Löwis"]

Bob Ippolito wrote:
> They DO NOT compete any more than source packages do.  eggs are packages
> plus metadata, nothing more.  What eggs do and what rpm/msi/deb does are
> orthogonal.  It's entirely reasonable that in the future rpm/msi/deb
> will simply be a delivery mechanism for eggs.

That might be your view, but it apparently isn't the view of the
inventor(s). From

http://peak.telecommunity.com/DevCenter/setuptools

Create Python Eggs - a single-file importable distribution format

http://peak.telecommunity.com/DevCenter/PythonEggs

'"Eggs are to Pythons as Jars are to Java..."'

'There are several binary formats that embody eggs, but the most common
is '.egg' zipfile format, because it's a convenient one for distributing
projects.'

'.egg files are a "zero installation" format for a Python package;'

So the .egg inventors do view .egg files (i.e. the .egg zipfile
format) as a distribution format, just like rpm/msi/deb *are*
distribution formats (none of them "zero installation", though,
you always have to perform some deployment activity).

Regards,
Martin