Conventions and requirements for a python module

[Michael Felt]

On 11/10/2016 17:30, Michael Torrie wrote:
> On 10/11/2016 08:29 AM, Michael Felt wrote:
>>   From reading the python source, and other projects I am looking to
>> patch I see that there is often a file __init__.py, sometimes empty
>> (only comments), sometimes not.
>>
>> I have tried looking in what I hope are the "regular" places such as:
>> https://docs.python.org, readthedocs (it took 454 seconds to build
>> something - what did it build, and where do I get it? I was assuming it
>> was "latest documentation" and I even tried the old, no-longer
>> maintained, wiki.
>>
>> A search for __init__.py, except for on https://packaging.python.org/
>> that talks about a setup command to extract the version from __init__.py
>> - I have not been able to find anything on "standards" for packages that
>> are more than a single .py file.
>>
>> Probably, I am not looking correctly - however, I do hope someone also
>> notices that finding this is not straight forward for a novice in
>> python. Had I lacked curiosity I would have given up, moved on. Instead
>> - this email.
> Yes all this is in the docs:
> https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/modules.html#packages
Thanks!
>
> Also there are links that show up when searching google for "python
> packages":
> http://www.learnpython.org/en/Modules_and_Packages
> http://docs.python-guide.org/en/latest/writing/structure/#packages
And again!
> Packages are convenient for organizing code. Typically I put code into
> __init__.py to organize the package's symbols. In other words whatever
> symbols get imported when the package is imported are defined here.
> Sometimes I'll import things from sub-modules from within __init__.py
> and name and organize them.  Sometimes submodules are left on their own
> to be imported separately.  Though the notation "from foo import *" is
> discouraged, if a programmer is wont to do that, the package can limit
> the damage somewhat by defining the __all__ variable.
>
>
As I said, probably not looking correctly - looking under the wrong 
baskets. Tutorials is not where I usually look first - I like them 
better after I have done some basic reading to confirm and/or correct my 
expectations.