python-peps/peps/pep-0396.rst

PEP: 396
Title: Module Version Numbers
Author: Barry Warsaw <barry@python.org>
Status: Withdrawn
Type: Informational
Topic: Packaging
Created: 16-Mar-2011
Post-History: 05-Apr-2011

.. withdrawn::

   Refer to :ref:`packaging:runtime-version-access` and
   :ref:`packaging:single-source-version` in the Python
   Packaging User Guide for up to date recommendations on
   accessing package version information at runtime,
   and on defining runtime ``__version__`` attributes which are
   automatically kept consistent with package distribution metadata


Abstract
========

Given that it is useful and common to specify version numbers for
Python modules, and given that different ways of doing this have grown
organically within the Python community, it is useful to establish
standard conventions for module authors to adhere to and reference.
This informational PEP describes best practices for Python module
authors who want to define the version number of their Python module.

Conformance with this PEP is optional, however other Python tools
(such as ``distutils2`` [1]_) may be adapted to use the conventions
defined here.


PEP Rejection/Withdrawal
========================

This PEP was formally rejected on 2021-04-14.  The packaging ecosystem
has changed significantly in the intervening years since this PEP was
first written, and APIs such as ``importlib.metadata.version()`` [11]_
provide for a much better experience.

This rejection was reclassified as a withdrawal on 2024-10-21,
as the previous state was being misinterpreted [12]_ as suggesting
that *no* modules should be defining ``__version__`` attributes,
which definitely isn't the case.

Modules are still free to define ``__version__`` if they choose to.
However, choosing *not* to do so won't interfere with looking up
the version information for installed distribution packages, so an
Informational PEP isn't the right tool to document community
conventions around the use of module ``__version__`` attributes
(they're better covered as part of the Python Packaging User Guide).


User Stories
============

Alice is writing a new module, called ``alice``, which she wants to
share with other Python developers.  ``alice`` is a simple module and
lives in one file, ``alice.py``.  Alice wants to specify a version
number so that her users can tell which version they are using.
Because her module lives entirely in one file, she wants to add the
version number to that file.

Bob has written a module called ``bob`` which he has shared with many
users.  ``bob.py`` contains a version number for the convenience of
his users.  Bob learns about the Cheeseshop [2]_, and adds some simple
packaging using classic distutils so that he can upload *The Bob
Bundle* to the Cheeseshop.  Because ``bob.py`` already specifies a
version number which his users can access programmatically, he wants
the same API to continue to work even though his users now get it from
the Cheeseshop.

Carol maintains several namespace packages, each of which are
independently developed and distributed.  In order for her users to
properly specify dependencies on the right versions of her packages,
she specifies the version numbers in the namespace package's
``setup.py`` file.  Because Carol wants to have to update one version
number per package, she specifies the version number in her module and
has the ``setup.py`` extract the module version number when she builds
the *sdist* archive.

David maintains a package in the standard library, and also produces
standalone versions for other versions of Python.  The standard
library copy defines the version number in the module, and this same
version number is used for the standalone distributions as well.


Rationale
=========

Python modules, both in the standard library and available from third
parties, have long included version numbers.  There are established
de facto standards for describing version numbers, and many ad-hoc
ways have grown organically over the years.  Often, version numbers
can be retrieved from a module programmatically, by importing the
module and inspecting an attribute.  Classic Python distutils
``setup()`` functions [3]_ describe a ``version`` argument where the
release's version number can be specified.  :pep:`8` describes the
use of a module attribute called ``__version__`` for recording
"Subversion, CVS, or RCS" version strings using keyword expansion.  In
the PEP author's own email archives, the earliest example of the use
of an ``__version__`` module attribute by independent module
developers dates back to 1995.

Another example of version information is the sqlite3 [5]_ module
with its ``sqlite_version_info``, ``version``, and ``version_info``
attributes.  It may not be immediately obvious which attribute
contains a version number for the module, and which contains a version
number for the underlying SQLite3 library.

This informational PEP codifies established practice, and recommends
standard ways of describing module version numbers, along with some
use cases for when -- and when *not* -- to include them.  Its adoption
by module authors is purely voluntary; packaging tools in the standard
library will provide optional support for the standards defined
herein, and other tools in the Python universe may comply as well.


Specification
=============

#. In general, modules in the standard library SHOULD NOT have version
   numbers.  They implicitly carry the version number of the Python
   release they are included in.

#. On a case-by-case basis, standard library modules which are also
   released in standalone form for other Python versions MAY include a
   module version number when included in the standard library, and
   SHOULD include a version number when packaged separately.

#. When a module (or package) includes a version number, the version
   SHOULD be available in the ``__version__`` attribute.

#. For modules which live inside a namespace package, the module
   SHOULD include the ``__version__`` attribute.  The namespace
   package itself SHOULD NOT include its own ``__version__``
   attribute.

#. The ``__version__`` attribute's value SHOULD be a string.

#. Module version numbers SHOULD conform to the normalized version
   format specified in :pep:`386`.

#. Module version numbers SHOULD NOT contain version control system
   supplied revision numbers, or any other semantically different
   version numbers (e.g. underlying library version number).

#. The ``version`` attribute in a classic distutils ``setup.py``
   file, or the :pep:`345` ``Version`` metadata field SHOULD be
   derived from the ``__version__`` field, or vice versa.


Examples
========

Retrieving the version number from a third party package::

    >>> import bzrlib
    >>> bzrlib.__version__
    '2.3.0'

Retrieving the version number from a standard library package that is
also distributed as a standalone module::

    >>> import email
    >>> email.__version__
    '5.1.0'

Version numbers for namespace packages::

    >>> import flufl.i18n
    >>> import flufl.enum
    >>> import flufl.lock

    >>> print flufl.i18n.__version__
    1.0.4
    >>> print flufl.enum.__version__
    3.1
    >>> print flufl.lock.__version__
    2.1

    >>> import flufl
    >>> flufl.__version__
    Traceback (most recent call last):
      File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
    AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute '__version__'
    >>>


Deriving
========

Module version numbers can appear in at least two places, and
sometimes more.  For example, in accordance with this PEP, they are
available programmatically on the module's ``__version__`` attribute.
In a classic distutils ``setup.py`` file, the ``setup()`` function
takes a ``version`` argument, while the distutils2 ``setup.cfg`` file
has a ``version`` key.  The version number must also get into the PEP
345 metadata, preferably when the *sdist* archive is built.  It's
desirable for module authors to only have to specify the version
number once, and have all the other uses derive from this single
definition.

This could be done in any number of ways, a few of which are outlined
below.  These are included for illustrative purposes only and are not
intended to be definitive, complete, or all-encompassing.  Other
approaches are possible, and some included below may have limitations
that prevent their use in some situations.

Let's say Elle adds this attribute to her module file ``elle.py``::

    __version__ = '3.1.1'


Classic distutils
-----------------

In classic distutils, the simplest way to add the version string to
the ``setup()`` function in ``setup.py`` is to do something like
this::

    from elle import __version__
    setup(name='elle', version=__version__)

In the PEP author's experience however, this can fail in some cases,
such as when the module uses automatic Python 3 conversion via the
``2to3`` program (because ``setup.py`` is executed by Python 3 before
the ``elle`` module has been converted).

In that case, it's not much more difficult to write a little code to
parse the ``__version__`` from the file rather than importing it.
Without providing too much detail, it's likely that modules such as
``distutils2`` will provide a way to parse version strings from files.
E.g.::

    from distutils2 import get_version
    setup(name='elle', version=get_version('elle.py'))


Distutils2
----------

Because the distutils2 style ``setup.cfg`` is declarative, we can't
run any code to extract the ``__version__`` attribute, either via
import or via parsing.

In consultation with the distutils-sig [9]_, two options are
proposed.  Both entail containing the version number in a file, and
declaring that file in the ``setup.cfg``.  When the entire contents of
the file contains the version number, the ``version-file`` key will be
used::

    [metadata]
    version-file: version.txt

When the version number is contained within a larger file, e.g. of
Python code, such that the file must be parsed to extract the version,
the key ``version-from-file`` will be used::

    [metadata]
    version-from-file: elle.py

A parsing method similar to that described above will be performed on
the file named after the colon.  The exact recipe for doing this will
be discussed in the appropriate distutils2 development forum.

An alternative is to only define the version number in ``setup.cfg``
and use the ``pkgutil`` module [8]_ to make it available
programmatically.  E.g. in ``elle.py``::

    from distutils2._backport import pkgutil
    __version__ = pkgutil.get_distribution('elle').metadata['version']


PEP 376 metadata
================

:pep:`376` defines a standard for static metadata, but doesn't
describe the process by which this metadata gets created.  It is
highly desirable for the derived version information to be placed into
the :pep:`376` ``.dist-info`` metadata at build-time rather than
install-time.  This way, the metadata will be available for
introspection even when the code is not installed.


References
==========

.. [1] Distutils2 documentation
   (http://distutils2.notmyidea.org/)

.. [2] The Cheeseshop (Python Package Index)
   (http://pypi.python.org)

.. [3] http://docs.python.org/distutils/setupscript.html

.. [5] sqlite3 module documentation
   (http://docs.python.org/library/sqlite3.html)

.. [8] pkgutil - Package utilities
   (http://distutils2.notmyidea.org/library/pkgutil.html)

.. [9] https://mail.python.org/pipermail/distutils-sig/2011-June/017862.html

.. [11] importlib.metadata
   (https://docs.python.org/3/library/importlib.metadata.html#distribution-versions)

.. [12] Misinterpreting the significance of this PEP's rejection
   (https://discuss.python.org/t/please-make-package-version-go-away/58501)


Copyright
=========

This document has been placed in the public domain.



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