[Python-ideas] Official site-packages/test directory

[Wolfgang Maier]

On 01/19/2018 03:27 PM, Stefan Krah wrote:
> 
> Hello,
> 
> I wonder if we could get an official site-packages/test directory.  Currently
> it seems to be problematic to distribute tests if they are outside the package
> directory.  Here is a nice overview of the two main layout possibilities:
> 
> http://pytest.readthedocs.io/en/reorganize-docs/new-docs/user/directory_structure.html
> 
> 
> I like the outside-the-package approach, mostly for reasons described very
> eloquently here:
> 
> http://python-notes.curiousefficiency.org/en/latest/python_concepts/import_traps.html
> 
> 
> CPython itself of course also uses Lib/foo.py and Lib/test/test_foo.py, so it
> would make sense to have site-packages/foo.py and site-packages/test/test_foo.py.
> 
> For me, this is the natural layout.
> 

I think that's a really nice idea.
With an official site-packages/test directory there could be pip support 
for optionally installing tests alongside a package if its layout allows 
it. So end users could just install things without tests, but developers 
could do: pip install <package> --with-tests or something to get everything?

Wolfgang