Bug#381599: ITP (RFC): python-debian -- python modules to work with Debian-related data formats
Package: wnpp
Severity: wishlist
Owner: "Adeodato Simó" <dato@net.com.org.es>
Package name : python-debian
Description : python modules to work with Debian-related data formats
So, uhm, hi all. I've had this in mind for about a couple weeks now, and
I kinda like the idea, but I also wanted to run it by some list, so I'm
doing an ITP/RFC. martin f. krafft mentioned yesterday on IRC a similar
idea, which prompted me to write this mail.
I. The trigger
-----------
I've recently started two small projects in Python (debcache and
deb2bzr) that deal with quite a bit of Debian-related data . In both,
I've ended up with local copies of two fine python modules (authors CC'ed):
- debian_support.py by Florian Weimer, available in the secure-testing
Subversion repository [1].
The pieces I used were the 'ed-patches support', for updates to
Packages files with the pdiff method, and the very sweet Version
class, that implements dpkg --compare-versions in Python (but uses
python-apt if available).
[1] svn://svn.debian.org/secure-testing/lib/python/debian_support.py
- deb822.py by dann frazier and John Wright, which has an IPT of its
own, #380173. This file provides support for parsing rfc822-like
files, with extra goodies like support for continuation lines (e.g.
Description), and whitespace-separated-fields-in-fields (e.g. Files
section in dsc and changes files).
II. The what, and the possible what
-------------------------------
The idea is to have a package where stuff like this can be collected:
python files coming from different sources that are made available for
other packages to depend on. In this scheme, the maintainer does little
more than notice updates and upload updated versions (or lets authors do
that themselves if they so wish).
I'm CC'ing the authors of the two files above to know what they'd think
of their module being incuded in the collection, particularly dann and
John, who were intending to upload it in a separate package.
Another possibility, probably more useful in terms of standardizing a
bit programming Debian stuff in python, would be to have some time spent
in integrating those files that come from different sources into
something consistent, and general enough as to be useful to almost
everybody.
This, of course, would require that a person with time in their hands,
and preferably Python knowledge and Debian insight, would step up to
"maintain/write parts of" such integrated library. Like always, I guess
all of us would like to use/see such library, but nobody can really
commit time to writing it. There must be lots of code out there, though,
that'd just need to be put together, I'd say.
III. The plan
--------
After writing the above, I have a bit more clear what I'd like to do,
probably with modifications after receiving input on the list:
* upload soonishly a python-debian package with the two files
mentioned above, and any others that may get mentioned in the
thread.
These modules would be available in the "debian_bundle" or
"debian.bundle" namespace: `from debian_bundle import deb822`.
* if somebody steps up to drive the implementation of that "integrated
debian python library", let them take it from there, and transfer
maintenance of the above package if they so wish.
If not, I'll create a bzr branch somewhere and will wait for code to
merge, or for inspiration to write something myself. Will probably
also create a mailing list somewhere, to drop a mail when something
of interests gets merged in.
After a while, either the branch will be dead, or there'll be
something interesting in it. If the latter, uploading that to be
provided under the "debian" namespace can be discussed, or maybe
debian_v0 / debian.v0.
Cheers,
--
Adeodato Simó dato at net.com.org.es
Debian Developer adeodato at debian.org
Listening to: Maximilian Hecker - Daylight
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