================= Advanced concepts ================= .. highlight:: python Namespace packages ================== Hierarchical package structure ------------------------------ Traditionally, Python packages were organized into a hierarchical structure with modules and subpackages being located inside the parent package directory. When submodules are imported, they are represented as attributes on the parent module. Consider the following session:: >>> import sphinx.addnodes >>> sphinx >>> sphinx.addnodes This works fine most of the time. However, it start being problematic when multiple Gentoo packages install parts of the same top-level package. This may happen e.g. with some plugin layouts where plugins are installed inside the package. More commonly, it happens when upstream wishes all their packages to start with a common component. This is the case with Zope framework. Different Zope packages share common ``zope`` top-level package. ``dev-python/zope-interface`` installs into ``zope.interface``, ``dev-python/zope-event`` into ``zope.event``. For this to work using the hierarchical layout, a common package has to install ``zope/__init__.py``, then other Zope packages have to depend on it and install sub-packages inside that directory. As far as installed packages are concerned, this is entirely doable. The real problem happens when we wish to test a freshly built package that depends on an installed package. In that case, Python imports ``zope`` from build directory that contains only ``zope.interface``. It will not be able to import ``zope.event`` that is installed in system package directory:: >>> import zope.interface >>> zope >>> zope.interface >>> import zope.event Traceback (most recent call last): File "", line 1, in ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'zope.event' Now, this could be worked around by copying all other subpackages back to the build directory. However, there is a better solution. Namespace package structure --------------------------- Unlike traditional packages, namespace packages act as a kind of proxy. They are not strictly bound to the containing directory, and instead permit loading subpackages from all directories found in module search path. If we make ``zope`` a namespace package, we can import both the locally built ``zope.interface`` and system ``zope.event`` packages:: >>> import zope.interface >>> import zope.event >>> zope >>> zope.interface >>> zope.event There are three common methods of creating namespace packages: 1. `PEP 420`_ namespaces implemented in Python 3.3 and newer, 2. Using pkgutil_ standard library module, 3. Using `namespace package support in setuptools`_ (discouraged). PEP 420 namespaces are created implicitly when a package directory does not contain ``__init__.py`` file. While earlier versions of Python (including Python 2.7) ignored such directories and did not permit importing Python modules within them, Python 3.3 imports such directories as namespace packages. pkgutil namespaces use ``__init__.py`` with the following content:: __path__ = __import__('pkgutil').extend_path(__path__, __name__) setuptools namespace can use ``__init__.py`` with the following content:: __import__('pkg_resources').declare_namespace(__name__) Alternatively, setuptools normally installs a ``.pth`` file that is automatically loaded by Python and implicitly injects the namespace into Python. Both pkgutil and setuptools namespaces are portable to all versions of Python. More general information on the topic can be found under `packaging namespace packages`_ in Python Packaging User Guide. Determining whether namespaces are used --------------------------------------- The exact method of detecting namespace packages depends on the type of namespace used. PEP 420 namespaces can generally be recognized by the lack of ``__init__.py`` in an installed package directory. However, since they do not require any specific action, distinguishing them is not very important. pkgutil namespaces can be recognized through the content of their ``__init__.py``. Generally, you should find it suspicious if it is the only file in a top-level package directory, and if the name of this directory is less specific than the package name (e.g. ``zope`` for ``zope.interface``, ``ruamel`` for ``ruamel.yaml``). If you miss this, then you will learn about it when the ``__init__.py`` file collides between multiple packages. setuptools namespaces usually do not install ``__init__.py`` but do install a ``.pth`` file instead. Prior to installation, they can also be recognized by ``namespace_packages`` option in ``setup.py`` or ``setup.cfg``. However, some packages use a custom ``__init__.py`` file that does enable setuptools namespaces. Adding new namespace packages to Gentoo --------------------------------------- If the package uses PEP 420 namespaces, no special action is required. Per PEP 420 layout, the package must not install ``__init__.py`` files for namespaces. If the package uses the regular setuptools namespace install method (i.e. ``namespace_packages`` option), then the eclass detects that and strips the namespaces automatically, e.g.:: * python3_11: running distutils-r1_run_phase distutils-r1_python_install * Stripping pkg_resources-style namespace ruamel * Stripping pkg_resources-style namespace ruamel.std If the package uses pkgutil-style or setuptools-style namespaces via ``__init__.py`` files, these files need to be removed manually. This is done after the PEP 517 build phase: .. code-block:: bash python_compile() { distutils-r1_python_compile rm "${BUILD_DIR}/install$(python_get_sitedir)"/jaraco/__init__.py || die } Note that in some extreme cases, upstream combines namespace support and other code in the ``__init__.py`` file. Naturally, this file cannot be removed. No good solution has been found for this problem yet. Some packages include an explicit ``setuptools`` runtime dependency (``install_requires``) when using namespaces. If this is the only use of ``pkg_resources`` and ``setuptools`` in installed package sources, this dependency needs to be stripped, e.g.: .. code-block:: bash src_prepare() { # strip rdep specific to namespaces sed -i -e "/'setuptools'/d" setup.py || die distutils-r1_src_prepare } Legacy namespace packages in Gentoo ----------------------------------- Historically, Gentoo has used ``dev-python/namespace-*`` packages to support namespaces. This method is deprecated and it is in process of being retired. .. _PEP 420: https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0420/ .. _pkgutil: https://docs.python.org/3/library/pkgutil.html .. _namespace package support in setuptools: https://setuptools.readthedocs.io/en/latest/setuptools.html#namespace-packages .. _packaging namespace packages: https://packaging.python.org/guides/packaging-namespace-packages/