[Python-Dev] Install Hook [Was: Re: PEP 414 updated]

[Armin Ronacher]

Hi,

On 3/4/12 4:44 PM, Guido van Rossum wrote:
> I'd love a pointer to the rubygems debacle...
Setuptools worked because Python had .pth files for a long, long time.
When the Ruby world started moving packages into nonstandard locations
(GameName/<the files in that gem>) something needed to activate that
import machinery hack.  For a while all Ruby projects had the line
"require 'rubygems'" somewhere in the project.  Some libraries even
shipped that line to bootstrap rubygems.

I think an article about that should be found here:
http://tomayko.com/writings/require-rubygems-antipattern

But since the page errors out currently I don't know if that is the one
I'm referring to.

Considering such an import hook has to run over all imports because it
would not know which to rewrite and which not I think it would be
equally problematic, especially if libraries would magically activate
that hook.


Regards,
Armin