[Python-Dev] First draft of "sysconfig"

Ben Finney ben+python at benfinney.id.au
Tue Dec 15 05:12:57 CET 2009


David Lyon <david.lyon at preisshare.net> writes:

> On Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:40:56 +1100, Mark Hammond <skippy.hammond at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > I think it is fine. If you are really looking for properties
> > specific to the operating system (eg, the location of the start
> > menu, desktop, appdata folders etc)
>
> But under windows, an application developer might (as in probably
> would) like to install an application in \Program Files\someapp rather
> than hidden in the bowels of the python interpretor.
>
> They might like their data in "Application Data", which is where
> support people get trained to look for application data. Not down in
> \pythonX.Y\ ...

Similarly, GNU operating system distributions usually have documentation
separate from programs, separate from configuration files, separate from
static data, separate from mutable data.

> > I don't think they belong in this PEP; they are a property of the OS
> > install/version, not of the specific Python install/version.

I think the “sysconfig” specification should allow for *extension*,
without needing a modified specification each time a new distinct
location is requested.

That is, those developers and packagers who don't need a gamut of system
locations can stick to a minimal set, while those who need many can use
them, and those who need many can extend the set compatibly.

-- 
 \       “If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; |
  `\     but if you really make them think, they'll hate you.” —Donald |
_o__)                                             Robert Perry Marquis |
Ben Finney



More information about the Python-Dev mailing list