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| -rw-r--r-- | docs/pkg_resources.txt | 15 |
1 files changed, 15 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/docs/pkg_resources.txt b/docs/pkg_resources.txt index b2166b54..6c93b57d 100644 --- a/docs/pkg_resources.txt +++ b/docs/pkg_resources.txt @@ -26,6 +26,21 @@ zip archive or subdirectory), while others (such as plugin discovery) will work correctly so long as "egg-info" metadata directories are available for relevant distributions. +Eggs are a distribution format for Python modules, similar in concept to +Java's "jars" or Ruby's "gems", or the "wheel" format defined in PEP 427. +However, unlike a pure distribution format, egg can also be installed and +added directly to ``sys.path`` as an import location. When installed in +this way, eggs are *discoverable*, meaning that they carry metadata that +unambiguously identifies their contents and dependencies. This means that +an installed egg can be *automatically* found and added to ``sys.path`` in +response to simple requests of the form, "get me everything I need to use +docutils' PDF support". This feature allows mutually conflicting versions of +a distribution to co-exist in the same Python installation, with individual +applications activating the desired version at runtime by manipulating the +contents of ``sys.path`` (this differs from the virtual environment +approach, which involves creating isolated environments for each +application). + The following terms are needed in order to explain the capabilities offered by this module: |