Understanding Package Metadata for Python Synchronization

Standard Metadata

Standard metadata refers to the basic information required for any Python package. This includes:

• Name: The package name, which must be unique and conform to Python naming conventions.
• Version: The package version, following PEP 440 versioning scheme.
• Filetype: Indicates whether the package is a source distribution (sdist) or a binary distribution (bdist).
• Python Version: The Python version(s) the package is compatible with.
• Platform: The target platform for the package, e.g., Windows, Linux, macOS. Use “any” for platform-independent packages.

Examples

Twine

When using Twine to upload your package, ensure your setup.py or pyproject.toml includes the necessary metadata:

setup(
    name='example_package',
    version='0.1.0',
    description='An example package',
    python_requires='>=3.6',
    classifiers=[
        'Programming Language :: Python :: 3',
        'Operating System :: OS Independent',
    ],
)

Native Python

For native Python packaging without Twine, the same metadata applies. Ensure your setup.py or pyproject.toml file is correctly populated:

[project]
name = "example_package"
version = "0.1.0"
description = "An example package"
requires-python = ">=3.6"
classifiers = [
    "Programming Language :: Python :: 3",
    "Operating System :: OS Independent",
]

Additional Metadata

Additional metadata provides more context about the package, enhancing discoverability and usability.

• Summary: A short, one-line summary of the package.
• Description: A longer description of the package. This can be detailed and may include HTML for formatting.
• License: The license under which the package is distributed.
• Home Page: URL to the project’s home page.
• Download URL: URL from where the package can be downloaded.
• Author: The name of the package author.
• Author Email: The email address of the package author.
• Maintainer: The name of the current maintainer, if different from the author.
• Maintainer Email: The email address of the current maintainer.

Examples

Twine

When preparing your package with Twine, include additional metadata in your setup.py or pyproject.toml:

setup(
    author='Jane Doe',
    author_email='jane.doe@example.com',
    license='MIT',
    url='https://example.com/project',
    download_url='https://example.com/project/releases',
)

Native Python

For native packaging, the pyproject.toml can also include these additional fields:

[project]
authors = [{name = "Jane Doe", email = "jane.doe@example.com"}]
license = "MIT"
urls = {
    "Homepage" = "https://example.com/project",
    "Download" = "https://example.com/project/releases"
}

Conclusion

Properly defining your package’s metadata is crucial for successful synchronization and distribution. By following the guidelines above and using the examples as a template, you can ensure your package is correctly recognized and processed correctly.