[Python-Dev] [Distutils] Static metadata using setup.cfg

[Nick Coghlan]

Chris Withers wrote:
> David Lyon wrote:
>> On Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:18:50 +0100, Chris Withers
>> <chris at simplistix.co.uk>
>> wrote:
>>> <mini rant>
>>> If Python had a packaging system *and* used it for the standard
>>> library, then things like this wouldn't be a problem...
>>> The setup.cfg could just say "requires sqlite greater than version
>>> x.y.z", and if it was in the standard library, it would be used
>>> unless a newer version was needed. 
>>
>> +1
>>
>> Actually, this was already discussed on this mailing list.
> 
> Yeah, I know, but I had memories of it be poo-poo'ed on Python-Dev...
> (CC'ing so they can tell me I'm wrong ;-) )

My recollection of the python-dev discussions was that the outcome was
"there isn't even a distutils-sig consensus yet, so it's a little early
for python-dev to be sticking its oar in". Also, I don't think providing
new metadata *describing* the standard library was particularly
controversial - it was more radical ideas of actually breaking up the
core distro into separate components that met resistance. Third party
installers having the power to easily "replace" standard library modules
for more than a single application was also a heavily debated feature
(since that way lies unintended coupling and application/library
installations that break previously installed applications).

It's probably also worth mentioning that on many of these topics there
is a recurring communications gap that usually becomes painful for the
distutils-sig side as core devs re-ask questions that were hashed out on
the distutils list long before. So I would suggest being prepared to
summarise and provide links to such discussions when this all becomes
settled enough to bring back to the whole of python-dev. The back and
forth of an archived mailing list discussion can sometimes be more
persuasive than the relatively sanitised summaries that end up in a PEP :)

That said, Tarek's response suggests that this still isn't ready for a
wider python-dev discussion, so I've set followup-to accordingly.

Cheers,
Nick.

-- 
Nick Coghlan   |   ncoghlan at gmail.com   |   Brisbane, Australia
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