python-packaging

name python-packaging description Create distributable Python packages with proper project structure, setup.py/pyproject.toml, and publishing to PyPI. Use when packaging Python libraries, creating CLI tools, or distributing Python code. Python Packaging Comprehensive guide to creating, structuring, and distributing Python packages using modern packaging tools, pyproject.toml, and publishing to PyPI. When to Use This Skill Creating Python libraries for distribution Building command-line tools with entry points Publishing packages to PyPI or private repositories Setting up Python project structure Creating installable packages with dependencies Building wheels and source distributions Versioning and releasing Python packages Creating namespace packages Implementing package metadata and classifiers Core Concepts 1. Package Structure Source layout : src/package_name/ (recommended) Flat layout : package_name/ (simpler but less flexible) Package metadata : pyproject.toml, setup.py, or setup.cfg Distribution formats : wheel (.whl) and source distribution (.tar.gz) 2. Modern Packaging Standards PEP 517/518 : Build system requirements PEP 621 : Metadata in pyproject.toml PEP 660 : Editable installs pyproject.toml : Single source of configuration 3. Build Backends setuptools : Traditional, widely used hatchling : Modern, opinionated flit : Lightweight, for pure Python poetry : Dependency management + packaging 4. Distribution PyPI : Python Package Index (public) TestPyPI : Testing before production Private repositories : JFrog, AWS CodeArtifact, etc. Quick Start Minimal Package Structure my-package/ ├── pyproject.toml ├── README.md ├── LICENSE ├── src/ │ └── my_package/ │ ├── __init__.py │ └── module.py └── tests/ └── test_module.py Minimal pyproject.toml [build-system] requires = [ "setuptools>=61.0" ] build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta" [project] name = "my-package" version = "0.1.0" description = "A short description" authors = [{name = "Your Name" , email = "you@example.com" }] readme = "README.md" requires-python = ">=3.8" dependencies = [ "requests>=2.28.0" , ] [project.optional-dependencies] dev = [ "pytest>=7.0" , "black>=22.0" , ] Package Structure Patterns Pattern 1: Source Layout (Recommended) my-package/ ├── pyproject.toml ├── README.md ├── LICENSE ├── .gitignore ├── src/ │ └── my_package/ │ ├── __init__.py │ ├── core.py │ ├── utils.py │ └── py.typed # For type hints ├── tests/ │ ├── __init__.py │ ├── test_core.py │ └── test_utils.py └── docs/ └── index.md Advantages: Prevents accidentally importing from source Cleaner test imports Better isolation pyproject.toml for source layout: [tool.setuptools.packages.find] where = [ "src" ] Pattern 2: Flat Layout my-package/ ├── pyproject.toml ├── README.md ├── my_package/ │ ├── __init__.py │ └── module.py └── tests/ └── test_module.py Simpler but: Can import package without installing Less professional for libraries Pattern 3: Multi-Package Project project/ ├── pyproject.toml ├── packages/ │ ├── package-a/ │ │ └── src/ │ │ └── package_a/ │ └── package-b/ │ └── src/ │ └── package_b/ └── tests/ Detailed patterns and worked examples Detailed pattern documentation lives in references/details.md . Read that file when the navigation tier above is insufficient.