Python packaging

Process Steps

1. Develop setup.py and other distribution-related files

2. Test distribution; should pass all distribution tests

3. Register project with the Python Package Index (PyPI)

4. Upload distribution(s) to PyPI

Distribution tests

• python setup.py sdist does not raise an exception

• all expected files are included in the distribution tarball

• python setup.py test works in install environment

• acceptance tests pass in install environment

• python setup.py install produces expected footprint in site-packages

• easy_install works

• pip install python-pptx works

Test can install with all popular methods

• manual

• easy_install

• pip

Distribution-related files

• setup.py

• MANIFEST.in

• setup.cfg

---

Distribution user stories

… some notions about who uses these and for what …

Roles

• naive end-user

Use Cases

Test build before distribution

“Just-works” installation

In order to enable a new capability in my computing environment
As a naive end-user
I would like installation to "just work" and not scare me with error
messages that don't indicate a real problem.

Install as a dependency

Verify installation

In order to verify a new installation
As a python developer
I want to be able to easily run the test suite without having to invest in
any additional discovery or configuration.

Resources

• The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Packaging

• Writing a Package in Python by Tarek Ziadé is an extract from his PACKT book Expert Python Programming and while being somewhat dated, contains some useful tidbits.

• Ian Bicking’s blog post Python’s Makefile discusses how to write extensions to setup.py, for perhaps a command like coverage that would automatically run nosetests --with-coverage.

• tox documentation

• virtualenv documentation

• How To Package Your Python Code

• Python Packaging: Hate, hate, hate everywhere

• Building and Distributing Packages with setuptools

• A guide to Python packaging

• Python Packaging by Tarek Ziade