[Zope3-dev] DISCUSS: Packages and nzo

[Paul Everitt]

Howdy.  Sidnei (dreamcatcher) and I are working on the "Software 
Product" product for new.zope.org (nzo).  This was a product written to 
improve the experience of creating and locating software from the 
zope.org website.

Zope 2 has a rather ad-hoc approach to what developers need to do to 
create distributable add-ons for Zope.  Chris McDonough wrote a proposal 
to canonicalize these conventions and make some improvements:

   http://dev.zope.org/Wikis/DevSite/Proposals/FinishedProductGuidelines

The subject of a real package system has come up in many other 
Zope/Python places, notably by distutils and by Kapil.  However, this 
email is *not* a conversation about CPAN. :^)

In my opinion, nzo should work for Zope 2 packages, but also at least 
*contemplate* Zope 3.  Is there such as thing as a "package" for Zope 3? 
  The use cases contemplate this:

http://dev.zope.org/Wikis/DevSite/Projects/ComponentArchitecture/InstallAPackage

Excerpt:

"""
A package is a configuration of components. There is a "packages" 
service where you can install, uninstall, create, and modify packages. 
Packaging capabilities enable you to install components with a minimum 
of effort, as well as uninstall and redistribute changes to packages. 
Packaging is designed to finally make easy component reuse a reality.
"""

Should Zope.org, in the next year, provide any facilities for Zope 3 
software, as it is for Zope 2 software?  If so, then we'll need some 
input on the future of the above paragraph.  I just chatted with Jim 
about it, and he suggested that we find out if anyone is planning to 
look into this.

--Paul