• SummerOfCode
• 2011
• pkumar
• PackagingPy2Porting

This is a project for the porting of 'Packaging' over to lesser versions of python i.e. python 2.4 to python 3.2. In nutshell, the project will result in a successful release of a standalone backport of "Packaging" for python2.4 to python3.2 along with a detailed tutorial on the porting of 'Packaging'.

• Benefits to the Python community:
  1. Porting of 'Packaging' will make it available to all the other versions of python i.e. python2.4 to python3.2.
  2. Since 'Packaging' is made after many improvisations and modifications over distutils2, it will prove to be a better utility than the currently existing distutils2 for all the versions of python.
  3. It is known that python3.3 is going to be released and similar other python3.x releases have yet to be done. Since 'Packaging' is compatible with python3.x, it would certainly be less painful to port 'Packaging' for the lesser versions of python i.e. python3.2 to python2.4, rather than porting distutils2 to python3.x with each new release of python3.x.
  4. The tutorial provided will help in the further development of the project.
  Project Details:
  1. Make 'Packaging' compatible with python3.2 to python2.4 which includes following steps.
     • - Applying 3to2 to 'Packaging' for all the versions of python2. - fixing 'type' issues corresponding to bytes and string. - fixing import errors wherever required. - Few basic modifications in the code to make it compatible with other versions of python.
  2. Adding a few tests for the newly made changes.
  3. Ensure that build and installation process goes well for all the versions of python i.e. 2.4 - 3.2 which includes porting files like setup.py, setup.cfg, Makefile, etc to make it compatible with other versions of python.
  4. Write a tutorial on the porting work of 'Packaging' to support further development of the project.

Milestones

• Initial preparations includes the following:
  • - Installation of all the versions of python i.e. python 2.4 to python 3.2. - Creating a repo for the project. - Creating a wiki page for the documentation of the porting work. - Going through the work already done on 'Packaging'.

Start of Program (May 24)

• Before Midterm Evaluation [May 24 - July 12]
  1. [May 24 - May 29] Porting 'Packaging' to all the versions of python 3.x at first.
  2. [May 30 - June 6] Testing and finalizing the porting work on python 3.x.
  3. [June 7 - June 14] Porting 'command' module to python2.4 - python2.7. 4 [June 15 - June 21] Testing and finalizing porting of 'command' module
  4. [June 22 - June 28] Porting 'compiler' module to python2.4 - python2.7.
  5. [June 29 - July 6] Testing and finalizing porting of 'compiler' module.
  6. [July 7 - July 11] Porting 'index' module to python2.4 - python2.7.

Midterm Evaluation (July 12)

• Deliverables:
  1. 'Packaging' ported for all the versions of python 3.x
  2. Completion of following modules for python 2.4 to python 3.2:
     • -command -compiler
  3. Documentation on the porting work till date.

• Before Final Evaluation [July 13 - August 15]
  1. [July 13 - July 22] Testing and finalizing porting of 'index' module.
  2. [July 23 - July 30] Ensure the installation and working of 'Packaging' in all the given versions of python i.e. python2.4 to python3.2.
  3. [July 31 - August 7] Editing and completion of documentation on the porting work of 'Packaging'.
  4. [August 8 - August 15] Testing and wrap up.

Final Evaluation (Aug 16)

• Deliverables:
  1. 'Packaging' compatible with python2.4 to python3.2.
  2. A detailed documentation on the porting of 'Packaging'.