Path: csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!weretis.net!feeder1.news.weretis.net!feeder4.news.weretis.net!rt.uk.eu.org!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed1.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!newsgate.cistron.nl!newsgate.news.xs4all.nl!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.032 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.94; '*S*': 0.00; 'python,': 0.02; 'float': 0.07; 'received:80.91': 0.09; 'received:80.91.229': 0.09; 'received:gmane.org': 0.09; 'received:list': 0.09; 'subject:skip:c 10': 0.09; 'subject:using': 0.09; 'up-to-date': 0.14; 'finney': 0.16; 'received:80.91.229.3': 0.16; 'received:plane.gmane.org': 0.16; 'subject:versus': 0.16; 'install': 0.23; 'header:User- Agent:1': 0.23; 'header:X-Complaints-To:1': 0.27; 'specifically': 0.29; 'writes:': 0.31; 'file': 0.32; 'supposed': 0.32; 'text': 0.33; "i'd": 0.34; 'subject: (': 0.35; 'tool': 0.35; 'but': 0.35; 'add': 0.35; 'there': 0.35; 'subject:skip:d 10': 0.36; 'should': 0.36; 'requirements': 0.37; 'list': 0.37; 'subject:new': 0.38; 'ben': 0.38; 'depends': 0.38; 'subject:needed': 0.38; 'to:addr :python-list': 0.38; 'morning': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'received:org': 0.40; 'called': 0.40; 'how': 0.40; 'even': 0.60; 'future': 0.60; 'new': 0.61; 'name': 0.63; 'our': 0.64; 'more': 0.64; 'believe': 0.68; '8bit%:27': 0.74; 'batchelder': 0.84; 'dust': 0.84; 'received:125': 0.84; '*for': 0.91 X-Injected-Via-Gmane: http://gmane.org/ To: python-list@python.org From: Ben Finney Subject: Pip requirements: Machine-readable configuration versus human-audience documentation (was: using a new computer and bringing needed libraries to it) Date: Sun, 18 May 2014 12:01:43 +1000 References: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Gmane-NNTP-Posting-Host: jigong.madmonks.org X-Public-Key-ID: 0xAC128405 X-Public-Key-Fingerprint: 517C F14B B2F3 98B0 CB35 4855 B8B2 4C06 AC12 8405 X-Public-Key-URL: http://www.benfinney.id.au/contact/bfinney-pubkey.asc X-Post-From: Ben Finney User-Agent: Gnus/5.13 (Gnus v5.13) Emacs/23.4 (gnu/linux) Cancel-Lock: sha1:N7x3sCryx60sOAsxqFO46+hQoqQ= X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 30 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1400378519 news.xs4all.nl 2896 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:48987 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:71716 Ned Batchelder writes: > Make a list of the packages you need. Put it in a file called > requirements.txt. Then install them with: > > $ pip install -r requirements.txt > > Keep that file up-to-date as you add new requirements. Since these requirements are specifically for Python, more specifically for Pip, and even more specifically are supposed to be in a machine-readable foramt and not just an arbitrary free-form text document, can we recommend instead some more specific filename? ‘requirements.txt’ is already used in many projects to document *for a human reader* the project-wide requirements, not jsut for Python, and we should not arrogate a general name like that to a specific tool like Pip. I'd recommend (and have already begun to use) the name ‘pip_requirements’ or the like. I know that there is heaps of Pip-specific documentation out there already recommending the more general name, but I'd like that to change. -- \ “I believe our future depends powerfully on how well we | `\ understand this cosmos, in which we float like a mote of dust | _o__) in the morning sky.” —Carl Sagan, _Cosmos_, 1980 | Ben Finney