[Python-Dev] PEP 382: Namespace Packages

[M.-A. Lemburg]

On 2009-04-03 02:44, P.J. Eby wrote:
> At 10:33 PM 4/2/2009 +0200, M.-A. Lemburg wrote:
>> Alternative Approach:
>> ---------------------
>>
>> Wouldn't it be better to stick with a simpler approach and look for
>> "__pkg__.py" files to detect namespace packages using that O(1) check ?
> 
>> One of the namespace packages, the defining namespace package, will have
>> to include a __init__.py file.
> 
> Note that there is no such thing as a "defining namespace package" --
> namespace package contents are symmetrical peers.

That was a definition :-)

Definition namespace package := the namespace package having the
                                __pkg__.py file

This is useful to have since packages allowing integration of
other sub-packages typically come as a base package with some
basic infra-structure in place which is required by all other
namespace packages.

If the __init__.py file is not found among the namespace directories,
the importer will have to raise an exception, since the result
would not be a proper Python package.

>> * It's possible to have a defining package dir and add-one package
>> dirs.
> 
> Also possible in the PEP, although the __init__.py must be in the first
> such directory on sys.path.  (However, such "defining" packages are not
> that common now, due to tool limitations.)

That's a strange limitation of the PEP. Why should the location of
the __init__.py file depend on the order of sys.path ?

-- 
Marc-Andre Lemburg
eGenix.com

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