[Python-Dev] pkgutil, pkg_resource and Python 3.0 name space packages (original) (raw)

Paul Moore p.f.moore at gmail.com
Thu Jan 10 00:12:59 CET 2008

On 09/01/2008, Christian Heimes <lists at cheimes.de> wrote:

Paul Moore wrote: > If you are suggesting that a file intended to be viewed/edited by a > user manually should go in AppData, then please be explicit. We can > then argue the concrete issues, rather than just theoretical > principles.

I'm frustrated as well. Neither AppData nor MyDocuments fulfill our requirements.

For what? If you're talking about a per-user site-packages directory, I have no problem with AppData (as Michael said, there's no intention that users be able to edit the files). Of course, modules/packages/extensions don't really qualify as application data, so it is a somewhat odd usage certainly, but it's not disastrous.

Windows doesn't really have a concept of a per-user application code directory.

Come to that, if I use a bdist_wininst installer to install a package in my personal site packages, then I log off and you log on, would you expect to see my package when you look in add/remove programs? Would you expect to be able to uninstall it? Would you expect to be able to install a personal copy of your own? What would we see in add/remove programs then??

No matter how you cut it, Windows isn't designed for per-user installable programs. Maybe a per-user site-packages just isn't appropriate on Windows.

Paul.

PS This is mostly theoretical for me, as I don't have a personal need for a per-user site packages directory on any of the machines I use.

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