mirror of https://github.com/python/cpython
43 lines
1.9 KiB
ReStructuredText
43 lines
1.9 KiB
ReStructuredText
:mod:`distutils` --- Building and installing Python modules
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===========================================================
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.. module:: distutils
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:synopsis: Support for building and installing Python modules into an
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existing Python installation.
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.. sectionauthor:: Fred L. Drake, Jr. <fdrake@acm.org>
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The :mod:`distutils` package provides support for building and installing
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additional modules into a Python installation. The new modules may be either
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100%-pure Python, or may be extension modules written in C, or may be
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collections of Python packages which include modules coded in both Python and C.
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Most Python users will *not* want to use this module directly, but instead
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use the cross-version tools maintained by the Python Packaging Authority. In
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particular,
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`setuptools <https://setuptools.pypa.io/en/latest/setuptools.html>`__ is an
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enhanced alternative to :mod:`distutils` that provides:
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* support for declaring project dependencies
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* additional mechanisms for configuring which files to include in source
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releases (including plugins for integration with version control systems)
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* the ability to declare project "entry points", which can be used as the
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basis for application plugin systems
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* the ability to automatically generate Windows command line executables at
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installation time rather than needing to prebuild them
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* consistent behaviour across all supported Python versions
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The recommended `pip <https://pip.pypa.io/>`__ installer runs all
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``setup.py`` scripts with ``setuptools``, even if the script itself only
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imports ``distutils``. Refer to the
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`Python Packaging User Guide <https://packaging.python.org>`_ for more
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information.
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For the benefits of packaging tool authors and users seeking a deeper
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understanding of the details of the current packaging and distribution
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system, the legacy :mod:`distutils` based user documentation and API
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reference remain available:
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* :ref:`install-index`
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* :ref:`distutils-index`
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