[Python-Dev] PEP 365 (Adding the pkg_resources module)

[Robert Brewer]

Janzert wrote:
> Since there seems to be a fair number of negative responses to
> setuptools, I just wanted to add a bit of positive counterbalance. I'm
> just a random python user that happens to track python-dev a bit, so
> take all this with the realization that I probably shouldn't have much
> input into anything. ;)
> 
> I've been using python for somewhere around 10 years to write various
> random small scripts, gui applications and recently web applications.
> For me setuptools is the best thing to happen to python since I've
been
> using it. I develop and deploy on a seemingly constantly changing mix
> of
> various flavors of windows and linux. Unlike for others, I love that
> once I get setuptools installed I can just use the same commands to
get
> the things I need. I guess the contrast for me is that python is the
> common base that I tend to work from not the underlying OS.
> 
> So I don't know if I'm part of a large number of quiet users or just
> happen to be an odd case that works really well with setuptools. I was
> disappointed when setuptools didn't make it into 2.5 and I really hope
> it or something very much like it can make it into a release in the
> near future. Because while setuptools certainly isn't perfect, for me
> at least, it is much, much better than nothing at all.

My interpretation of this is that setuptools suffers from the same
malaise all flexible apps do (but especially CLI apps it seems):
frequent users love the power and high volume of options, infrequent
users despise it. If you're installing apps all day, you probably use it
a lot more often than library devs like me who use it once every other
month (if we're forced to).


Robert Brewer
fumanchu at aminus.org