[Python-Dev] Dropping __init__.py requirement for subpackages

[Paul Moore]

On 4/27/06, Guido van Rossum <guido at python.org> wrote:
> On 4/26/06, Thomas Wouters <thomas at python.org> wrote:
> > Of course, I only consider *my* reasons to be valid, and mine weren't
> > knee-jerk or tool-related. I don't think Python should be going "Oh, what
> > you wanted wasn't possible, but I think I know what you wanted, let me do it
> > for you", first of all because it's not very Pythonic, and second of all
> > because it doesn't lower the learning curve, it just delays some upward
> > motion a little (meaning the curve may become steeper, later.) A clear
> > warning, on the other hand, can be a helpful nudge towards the 'a-HA'
> > moment.
>
> That still sounds like old-timer reasoning. Long ago we were very
> close to defining a package as "a directory" -- with none of this
> "must contain __init__.py or another *.py file" nonsense. IIRC the
> decision to make __init__.py mandatory faced opposition too, since
> people were already doing packages with just directories (which is
> quite clean and elegant, and that's also how it was in Java), but I
> added it after seeing a few newbies tear out their hair.

OK. After due consideration, I'm happy to accept the change. (Call
that +0, it doesn't bother me much personally either way).

Although reading the above paragraph, I get the impression that you
are saying that __init__.py was originally added to help newbies, and
yet you are now saying the exact opposite. I'll leave you to resolve
that particular contradiction, though...

FWIW, I still have every confidence in your judgement about features.
However, I'd have to say that your timing sucks :-) Your initial
message read to me as "Quick! I'm about to get lynched here - can I
have the OK to shove this change in before a2 goes out?" (OK, 2.5
isn't feature frozen until a3, so maybe you only meant a3, but you
clearly wanted a quick response). So it's hard to expect anything
other than immediate knee-jerk responses. And those are usually driven
by personal experience (implying less consideration of newbie mistakes
from this type of audience) and unfocused fear of breakage.

Paul.