note for: pypa-the-missing-outline

[ChrisBarker-NOAA]

It's not really clear how to send you comments on your pypa-the-missing-outline doc - hopefully this will work.

I think that's really helpful but it has a huge gap in what I think is the hard part :-)

"have a source tree containing the package and associated metadata describing the package "

It's not really the point of this doc -- but it would be good if it had a reference to another doc (there are many, and they are confusing :-( ) on just HOW to set up your source tree and build system!

So I guess I'm suggesting that the first step is not "have a source tree ...", but maybe something along the lines of:

• Create a package structure for you code [link to docs here]
• Set up a build system to build the package [link to docs here]
  -- once you have it buildable locally, then you are ready to work on publishing it.

Back in the day, these steps were "relatively straightforward -- you simply looked at the distutils docs. and a bit later the setuptools docs, and did what it said. But now, it's not the least bit obvious. And all the focus on making the PyPi system work better has taken focus from that core basic stuff.

[cameron-simpson]

On 13Apr2022 17:21, Chris Barker ***@***.***> wrote: It's not really clear how to send you comments on your pypa-the-missing-outline doc - hopefully this will work.

It works. I was imagining doing this in the discuss thread, more visible.

I think that's really helpful but it has a huge gap in what I think is the hard part :-) "have a source tree containing the package and associated metadata describing the package " It's not really the point of this doc -- but it would be good if it had a reference to another doc (there are many, and they are confusing :-( ) on just HOW to set up your source tree and build system!

Hmm. Yes, maybe. I came at with with a working sourse tree, so I probably had a blind spot there. Should someone without that be trying to publish a package for others?

So I guess I'm suggesting that the first step is not "have a source tree ...", but maybe something along the lines of: * Create a package structure for you code [link to docs here] * Set up a build system to build the package [link to docs here] -- once you have it buildable locally, then you are ready to work on publishing it.

Hmm. The intent was really post "so, you're got a working package you'd like to use elsewhere". But a terse link to a suitable doc might be handy. Eg: have a source tree containing the package [link to basic package definition?] Cheers, Cameron Simpson ***@***.***>

[cameron-simpson]

We never finished this off, and the flow is now up at PyPA anyway: https://packaging.python.org/en/latest/flow/

It still assumes the reader's already got a source tree. I'm still of the opinion that people shouldn't be considering packaging if they haven't already got a source tree. It does mention the tutorial, which does describe setting up a source tree:
https://packaging.python.org/en/latest/tutorials/packaging-projects/

I was going to close this issue, especially since this isn't the reference/source for this doc any more.

Cheers,
Cameron