Re: [matplotlib-devel] MEP11: Attempting to deal with the Python library dependency issue

[Damon M. <dam...@gm...>]

On Wed, Oct 3, 2012 at 10:08 PM, Christoph Gohlke <cg...@uc...> wrote:
> On 10/3/2012 9:20 AM, Michael Droettboom wrote:
>> I invite comments for a new MEP about improving the situation with
>> respect to our bundling of third-party Python dependencies.
>>
>> In particular, I'd love feedback from the various stakeholders -- those
>> producing binary installers and packages for the various platforms.
>>
>> https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/wiki/MEP11
>>
>> Mike

> I think that matplotlib, the library, should not attempt to work around
> Python's distribution/packaging limitations. Please do not use
> post-install or run-time scripts to detect and install missing
> dependencies.

I whole-heartedly agree here. There are package managers for this job.
I understand there are people less package-literate and, as you point
out below, the development team for each separate dependency can ship
a binary. Though I understand not all do this.

> Optionally, for Windows users that won't touch pip or easy_install (like
> me), matplotlib could provide separate downloads of installers for
> dateutil, pytz, pyparsing, and six. They are trivial to create.

> Also consider a separate package for the matplotlib tests, which would
> include 35 MB of baseline images that are of little use to end users.

I agree here, too. I think most people who want to use the library
won't ever run or touch the tests. Heck, I only ever ran the tests
after I started contributing back to the community. Perhaps they
should be spawn off to a matplotlib-tests git submodule that Travis
can use for commit-checking.

-- 
Damon McDougall
http://www.damon-is-a-geek.com
B2.39
Mathematics Institute
University of Warwick
Coventry
West Midlands
CV4 7AL
United Kingdom