Distributing Python Projects

Authors:The Fellowship of the Packaging Email:distutils-sig@python.org Release:3.3 Date:May 22, 2012

This document describes Packaging for Python authors, describing how to use the module to make Python applications, packages or modules easily available to a wider audience with very little overhead for build/release/install mechanics.

• 1. Packaging tutorial
  • 1.1. Getting started
  • 1.2. Running commands
  • 1.3. Installing the project
• 2. Specification of the setup.cfg file
  • 2.1. Syntax
  • 2.2. Description of sections and fields
  • 2.3. Extensibility
  • 2.4. Changes in the specification
  • 2.5. Acknowledgments
• 3. An Introduction to Packaging
  • 3.1. Concepts & Terminology
  • 3.2. A Simple Example
  • 3.3. General Python terminology
  • 3.4. Distutils-specific terminology
• 4. Writing the Setup Script
  • 4.1. Listing whole packages
  • 4.2. Listing individual modules
  • 4.3. Describing extension modules
  • 4.4. Relationships between Distributions and Packages
  • 4.5. Installing Scripts
  • 4.6. Installing Package Data
  • 4.7. Installing Additional Files
  • 4.8. Metadata reference
  • 4.9. Debugging the setup script
• 5. Writing the Setup Configuration File
• 6. Creating a Source Distribution
  • 6.1. Specifying the files to distribute
  • 6.2. Manifest-related options
  • 6.3. The MANIFEST.in template
• 7. Creating Built Distributions
  • 7.1. Creating dumb built distributions
  • 7.2. Creating Windows Installers
  • 7.3. Cross-compiling on Windows
  • 7.4. Vista User Access Control (UAC)
• 8. Registering with the Package Index
  • 8.1. The .pypirc file
• 9. Uploading Packages to the Package Index
  • 9.1. PyPI package display
• 10. Examples
  • 10.1. Pure Python distribution (by module)
  • 10.2. Pure Python distribution (by package)
  • 10.3. Single extension module
  • 10.4. Checking metadata
  • 10.5. Reading the metadata
• 11. Extending Distutils
  • 11.1. Integrating new commands
  • 11.2. Adding new distribution types
• 12. Command hooks
  • 12.1. Finding hooks
• 13. Command Reference
  • 13.1. Preparing distributions
  • 13.2. The build step
  • 13.3. Creating source and built distributions
  • 13.4. Publishing distributions
  • 13.5. The install step

See also

Installing Python Projects

A user-centered manual which includes information on adding projects into an existing Python installation. You do not need to be a Python programmer to read this manual.

packaging

A library reference for developers of packaging tools wanting to use standalone building blocks like version or metadata, or extend Packaging itself.