2024-01-08 PyPI module notes

(note by Bill)

reviewed several PyPI module build tools and settled on two prospects:
1. flit: simple to put into practice; minimal metadata required
2. hatch: also simple; metadata seems more complicated; also supports more options
(also experimented with using build and twine modules: very simple; does not support dependencies so that is not suitable for Massive Wiki publishing.)
important to create and use test.pypi.org to work out the use details; requires creating a login and an API key
reading the flit documentation, care must be taken to insure that testing uses the test.pypi.org system; seems easy to end up using the default, which is the main PyPI server, and that needs to be avoided.
- see how to upload to test.pypi.org here: Using .pypirc, Controlling package uploads
questions to answer:
- best to just have an empty __init.py__ file?
- where is a good place to define the version descriptor? (reason for this question: some docs show it in the pyproject.toml file which seems like a terrible place -- once all that metadata is set up just leave that file alone; some docs show it imported into the __init.py__ file, but how is that used?; flit wants the version descriptor at the top of the source file -- OK, that seems maintainable )

Resources

Flit: Flit 3.9.0 — Flit 3.9.0 documentation (pypa.io))
Hatch: About - Hatch (pypa.io)
Twine: twine · PyPI
Build: build · PyPI
An example of a good documentation practice to emulate: The Most Complete Guide for Creating a Good PyPI Package | by Elise Landman | Towards Data Science
- what I like about this description is the inclusion of the barebones project directory tree and the warm tone and style of the writing.