[Zope3-dev] Re: Packaging

[Philipp von Weitershausen]

Jim,

> Some initial thoughts on packaging:
> 
> - zopeproducts was a stupid idea of mine that I'd
>   like to abandon.  There's no point in providing a special
>   top-level package (TLP) for Zope 3 add-on products.  Most
>   independent Zope 3 add-on products should be either in
>   their own TLPs or should be organized into project-defined
>   TLPs.

+1

This would make package distribution easier anyway. People could simply 
use distutils to install Zope products. Operating system distribution 
packagers won't have to rely on Zope 3 being installed in a specific 
path etc.

> - I want to make zope.app much smaller.  zope.app should contain
>   core infrastructure needed by the Zope application and not much more.

+1

> - I'd like to make it easier for add-on products to survive refactoring.
>   We have an area in the repository now, zopeproducts, containing products
>   that are mostly dead because they weren't refactored when Zope was
>   refactored. This is a dang shame.

I've always been trying to keep examples and products up to date. I just 
recently updated the example product that goes with the Python 
Programmer Tutorial slides. Some chapters were still based on 
pre-namegeddon code!

I also hope to update many products at the upcoming Zope 3 products 
sprint which begins Thursday this week. IIRC, Christian Theune, for 
example, has already promised to work on database adapters. I would like 
to get someone to analyze the NewsSite product and either port it if 
it's worth keeping or else scrap it and write something better.

>   I'd like to introduce a new package, zope.products, that is a container
>   package for add-on packages for the zope application (zope.app) that are
>   part of the zope project.  These add-on products:

+1

I, too, think that zope.app has grown too heavy. It is hard to find 
things these days. This might also satisfy some of the people who were 
trying to flattened the package hierarchy in zope.app a while ago.

One package that I'd definitely like to see in zope.products is the 
workflow package. It's been floatin' around zope.app for too long.

>   - Will be refactored when Zope is refactored.
> 
> This means that these products must have adequate unit and/or 
> functional tests. These tests must be understandable, so that people
> doing refactoring have a prayer of getting failing tests running
> without pulling their hare out.

IOW, the tests have to follow the same rules as tests for Zope3 core.

>   - Will have identified contacts who are willing to help out by at least
>     answering questions when issues arise during refactoring.

+1

>   - May be removed if they become too dificult to maintain or are hudged 
> not
>     to be worth the effort.

That is difficult. People may be relying on these products. If we 
release a new Zope version and some product is gone, code will break.

Philipp