Packaging Python Applications

”Do you have any cheese at all?” “No.”

– Monty Python, the “Cheese Shop” sketch

In this chapter, we are going to learn how to create an installable package for a Python project and publish it for others to use.

There are many reasons why you should publish your code. In Chapter 1, A Gentle Introduction to Python, we said that one of the benefits of Python is the vast ecosystem of third-party packages that you can install for free using pip. Most of these were created by developers just like you and, by contributing with your own projects, you will be helping to ensure that the community keeps thriving. In the long term, it will also help to improve your code, since exposing it to more users means bugs might be discovered sooner. Finally, if you are trying to get a job as a software developer, it really helps to be able to point to projects that you have worked on.

The best...