Deprecation question

[arcivanov]

I just would like to clarify if there is a deadline for when python setup.py <arbitrary-command> is expected to stop working.

As I understand python -m build [--sdist|--wheel] are the only commands that will remain functioning for packaging mapping to sdist and bdist_wheel respectively.

Anybody can provider an authoritative answer?

[webknjaz]

Might be anytime. It was being actively discouraged since at least 2020. Passively — another half a decade before that. Also, unless you really need only one of the dists, don't pass those args to pypa/build.

[arcivanov]

Might be anytime.

😄 That's the amount of "clarity" I've already possessed before you've answered the question. I was looking for a precise deprecation timeline.

Also, unless you really need only one of the dists, don't pass those args to pypa/build.

Thanks for your suggestion but with setuptools.build_meta running --sdist and --wheel produces different results than when running without specifying them, i.e. those are two different types of builds. For karellen/wheel_axle the difference is relevant.

[webknjaz]

The difference is only visible if you forget to include everything in sdist. W/o args, build does what pip install would do when presented with an sdist. Otherwise, you're very likely producing incomplete sdists.