Removed global '--force' option -- just too vague a concept to be applicable

to all commands in the same way.  Several Command methods now either expect
'self.force' to be defined, or check if it is defined and assume it's
false if not.

Lib/distutils/cmd.py

@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ class Command:
         # (etc.) will be handled by __getattr__, below.
         self._verbose = None
         self._dry_run = None
-        self._force = None
 
         # The 'help' flag is just used for command-line parsing, so
         # none of that complicated bureaucracy is needed.
@@ -74,7 +73,7 @@ class Command:
 
 
     def __getattr__ (self, attr):
-        if attr in ('verbose', 'dry_run', 'force'):
+        if attr in ('verbose', 'dry_run'):
             myval = getattr (self, "_" + attr)
             if myval is None:
                 return getattr (self.distribution, attr)
@@ -308,7 +307,8 @@ class Command:
 
     def copy_file (self, infile, outfile,
                    preserve_mode=1, preserve_times=1, link=None, level=1):
-        """Copy a file respecting verbose, dry-run and force flags."""
+        """Copy a file respecting verbose, dry-run and force flags (this
+        should only be used by commands that define 'self.force'!)."""
 
         return util.copy_file (infile, outfile,
                                preserve_mode, preserve_times,
@@ -322,7 +322,8 @@ class Command:
                    preserve_mode=1, preserve_times=1, preserve_symlinks=0,
                    level=1):
         """Copy an entire directory tree respecting verbose, dry-run,
-           and force flags."""
+           and force flags (again, should only be used by commands
+           that define 'self.force')."""
 
         return util.copy_tree (infile, outfile, 
                                preserve_mode,preserve_times,preserve_symlinks,
@@ -352,13 +353,15 @@ class Command:
 
 
     def make_file (self, infiles, outfile, func, args,
-                    exec_msg=None, skip_msg=None, level=1):
+                   exec_msg=None, skip_msg=None, level=1):
 
         """Special case of 'execute()' for operations that process one or
-           more input files and generate one output file.  Works just like
-           'execute()', except the operation is skipped and a different
-           message printed if 'outfile' already exists and is newer than
-           all files listed in 'infiles'."""
+        more input files and generate one output file.  Works just like
+        'execute()', except the operation is skipped and a different
+        message printed if 'outfile' already exists and is newer than all
+        files listed in 'infiles'.  If the command defined 'self.force',
+        and it is true, then the command is unconditionally run -- does no
+        timestamp checks."""
 
 
         if exec_msg is None:
@@ -378,7 +381,8 @@ class Command:
         # If 'outfile' must be regenerated (either because it doesn't
         # exist, is out-of-date, or the 'force' flag is true) then
         # perform the action that presumably regenerates it
-        if self.force or util.newer_group (infiles, outfile):
+        if ((hasattr(self,'force') and self.force) or
+            util.newer_group (infiles, outfile)):
             self.execute (func, args, exec_msg, level)
 
         # Otherwise, print the "skip" message

Lib/distutils/dist.py

@@ -52,8 +52,6 @@ class Distribution:
                        "run quietly (turns verbosity off)"),
                       ('dry-run', 'n',
                        "don't actually do anything"),
-                      ('force', 'f',
-                       "skip dependency checking between files"),
                       ('help', 'h',
                        "show this help message"),
                      ]
@@ -76,7 +74,6 @@ class Distribution:
         # Default values for our command-line options
         self.verbose = 1
         self.dry_run = 0
-        self.force = 0
         self.help = 0
         self.help_commands = 0