Add tools comparison tables

source/discussions/index.rst

@@ -13,3 +13,4 @@ specific topic. If you're just trying to get stuff done, see
    install-requires-vs-requirements
    wheel-vs-egg
    src-layout-vs-flat-layout
+   packaging-tools-comparisons

source/discussions/packaging-tools-comparisons.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,202 @@
+===========================
+Packaging tools comparisons
+===========================
+
+.. contents::
+    :local:
+
+
+Use cases
+=========
+
+.. csv-table::
+    :align: left
+    :header-rows: 1
+    :stub-columns: 1
+
+    ,Install Python,Install packages,Build distributions,Upload distributions,Manage virtual environments,Lock files
+    build,no,no,yes,no,no,no
+    Flit,no,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes
+    Hatch,no,yes,yes,yes,yes,no
+    PDM,no,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes
+    pip,no,yes,yes,no,no,yes
+    pip-tools,no,yes,no,no,no,yes
+    Pipenv,no,yes,no,no,yes,yes
+    pipx,no,yes,no,no,no,no
+    Poetry,no,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes
+    pyenv,yes,no,no,no,no,no
+    Pyflow,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes
+    setuptools,no,yes,yes,no,no,no
+    twine,no,no,no,yes,no,no
+    venv,no,no,no,no,yes,no
+    virtualenv,no,no,no,no,yes,no
+    virtualenvwrapper,no,no,no,no,yes,no
+    wheel,no,no,yes,no,no,no
+
+Build back-ends are not listed here, but they are in a dedicated section below.
+
+
+Comparisons
+===========
+
+Development workflow tools
+--------------------------
+
+.. csv-table::
+    :align: left
+    :header-rows: 1
+    :stub-columns: 1
+
+    ,``[build-system]`` (PEP-517),Build,Upload,Env,Interchangeable build back-end,Plugins,Lock file
+    Flit,yes,yes,yes,no,no,no,no
+    Hatch,yes,yes,yes,yes,no,yes,no
+    PDM,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes
+    Poetry,yes,yes,yes,yes,no,yes,yes
+    Pyflow,no,yes,yes,yes,no,no,yes
+
+See also build back-end features in dedicated section.
+
+There is no standard for lock files.
+
+
+Install Python interpreters
+---------------------------
+
+.. csv-table::
+    :align: left
+    :header-rows: 1
+    :stub-columns: 1
+
+    ,Install Python interpreters
+    pyenv,yes
+    Pyflow,yes
+
+
+Install packages
+----------------
+
+.. csv-table::
+    :align: left
+    :header-rows: 1
+    :stub-columns: 1
+
+    ,Dependency resolution,Editable
+    pip,yes,yes
+    pip-tools,yes,yes
+    Pipenv,yes,yes
+    pipx,yes,no
+
+``pipx`` is intended to be used to install standalone applications
+rather than to install packages in a virtual environment.
+
+
+Build distributions
+-------------------
+
+These tools are also called "*build front-ends*".
+
+.. csv-table::
+    :align: left
+    :header-rows: 1
+    :stub-columns: 1
+
+    ,``[build-system]`` (PEP-517),sdist,wheel
+    build,yes,yes,yes
+    pip,yes,no,yes
+    wheel,no,no,yes
+    "dev workflow tools (Hatch, Flit, PDM, Poetry, etc.)",yes,yes,yes
+
+
+Build back-ends
+---------------
+
+.. csv-table::
+    :align: left
+    :header-rows: 1
+    :stub-columns: 1
+
+    ,``[build-system]`` (PEP-517),``[project]`` (PEP-621),editable (PEP-660),C extensions
+    ``enscons``,yes,yes,yes,yes
+    ``flit-core``,yes,yes,yes,no
+    ``hatchling``,yes,yes,yes,no
+    ``pdm-backend``,yes,yes,yes,no
+    ``poetry-core``,yes,no,yes,[#]_
+    ``pymsbuild``,yes,no,no,yes
+    ``trampolim``,yes,yes,no,no
+    ``setuptools``,yes,yes,yes,yes
+    ``whey``,yes,yes,yes,no
+
+.. [#]  Poetry has an undocumented feature allowing
+        the customization of the build process via a ``build.py`` file,
+        which indirectly allows the handling of C extensions
+        (this is  comparable to ``setuptools`` own `setup.py`).
+
+
+Upload distributions
+--------------------
+
+.. csv-table::
+    :align: left
+    :header-rows: 1
+    :stub-columns: 1
+
+    ,Upload
+    Flit,yes
+    Hatch,yes
+    PDM,yes
+    Poetry,yes
+    twine,yes
+
+
+Manage virtual environments
+---------------------------
+
+.. csv-table::
+    :align: left
+    :header-rows: 1
+    :stub-columns: 1
+
+    ,For any Python interpreter,Description in file
+    Hatch,yes,yes [#]_
+    nox,yes,yes [#]_
+    PDM,yes,no
+    Pipenv,yes,no
+    Poetry,yes,no
+    tox,yes,yes [#]_
+    venv,no,no
+    virtualenv,yes,no
+    virtualenvwrapper,yes,no
+
+Unlike the other tools presented in this section,
+``venv`` is part of Python's own standard library,
+it should be always available without having to be installed separately.
+But note that some Linux distributions (e.g. Debian, Ubuntu, and derivatives)
+made the decision to package ``venv`` separately from the rest of the Python distribution
+and consequently it might be necessary to install ``venv`` explicitly
+(typically with a command such as ``apt install python3-venv``,
+consult the documentation of the Linux distribution for exact details).
+
+.. [#] ``[tool.hatch.envs]`` section of ``pyproject.toml``
+.. [#] ``noxfile.py``
+.. [#] ``tox.ini``
+
+
+Lock files
+----------
+
+There is no PyPA standard for the concept of "*lock files*".
+There is some kind of a *de facto* convention
+around *pip*'s ``requirements.txt`` file format
+but it can not be considered a good enough *lock file* format.
+
+.. csv-table::
+    :align: left
+    :header-rows: 1
+    :stub-columns: 1
+
+    ,Format
+    pip,``requirements.txt``
+    pip-tools,``requirements.txt``
+    Pipenv,``Pipfile.lock``
+    poetry,``poetry.lock``
+    PDM,``pdm.lock``