[Python-Dev] "setuptools has divided the Python community"

[M.-A. Lemburg]

On 2009-03-27 20:24, skip at pobox.com wrote:
>     mal> Zip files are great for shipping packages to the end-user, but
>     mal> there's no need to keep them zipped once they get there.
> 
> I thought one of the arguments for zip files was a performance increase
> (reduced stat(2) calls, etc).  I may misremember though.

True and like Fred already mentioned that's the main reason why we
have ZIP file package imports.

Putting the stdlib into a ZIP file does make our favorite interpreter
start up faster. E.g. py2exe makes use of this feature.

However, using eggs (which are ZIP files) directly on the sys.path
causes these to get scanned on every startup - regardless of whether
you use any of their content. Very much unlike standard Python package
directories that only get scanned if they are referenced.

Due to the nature of eggs (many small packages), you usually end up
having a whole Easter basket full of them in your sys.path.

Unless you want to maintain a separate Python installation per task,
your overall Python startup time will increase noticeably for every
single script you run with it.

Perhaps someone should start working on a tool called "FryingPan" to
create "Omelettes", ie. all eggs squashed into a single ZIP file... ;-)

-- 
Marc-Andre Lemburg
eGenix.com

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