> So, convince us to continue using setuptools. What incentive do we
> have to keep using it? I'm not sure the convenience of easily being
> able to specify a manifest outweighs the horrid stain of requiring an
> Internet connection just to install our software. Are there any other
> ways we can take advantage of it, perhaps?

Here are a couple that I've been thinking about, both using setuptools
entry points.

Easy: make database backends pluggable. There's no good reason for all
db backends in the world to go in core, nor for users to be unable to
use custom backends without hacking core. This could be solved with a
tiny change in django.db: if the backend isn't in core, look under the
'django.db.backends' entry point and load whatever you find there under
the requested name.

Harder: make app loading use entry points. models.loading is ... not
the least hacky part of django. :) The app/model structure constraints
are quite difficult to work around. Entry points could make app loading
much easier and more flexible. Just iterate the django.applications
entry point and call everything you find there an app. No more need to
dictate package layouts ... plus with apps distributed as eggs, you
have a solution to the absolute/relative package loading problems
caused by the practice of copying apps from one project to another.

In summary: entry points *rule*. My experience with using them to add
plugin support to my test runner (nose) left me with a great respect
for their power to make a framework much more open and hacker-friendly,
at minimal cost. Dependency loading and versioning and such are great,
but to me entry points are *the* reason to use setuptools.

JP


--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups 
"Django developers" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected]
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
For more options, visit this group at 
http://groups.google.com/group/django-developers
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---

Reply via email to