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

[Greg Ewing]

Martin v. Löwis wrote:
> Greg Ewing wrote:
> 
>>>The "resources" name is actually quite a common meme;
>>
>>I believe it goes back to the original Macintosh, 
>
> I can believe that history. Still, I thought a resource
> is something you can exhaust;

Haven't you heard the term "renewable resource" ?-)

In the real world, yes, most resources will eventually
become exhausted, but I don't think it's a necessary
part of the meaning. It's just something that you
exploit, or make use of.

BTW, in the game programming industry the in-vogue
term at the moment seems  to be "asset", which has
even more inappropriate connotations. Or perhaps
not, if you're a commercial entity that attaches a
dollar value to all your intellectual property...

> the fork should have been named "data fork"

Except that's what they call the *other* fork
(equivalent to the only "fork" on systems that
don't have forks).

> or just "second fork".

But then the relevant Toolbox module would have to
have been called the Second Fork Manager, which
sounds like an API for use by dining philosophers. :-)

FWIW, Apple seem to be deprecating the use of
resource forks these days, and the Resource
Manager, which is a bit sad. It was *fun*
programming the Mac back when it was quirky
as hell and like nothing else on the planet.
Frustrating at times, but fun!

--
Greg