[Python-modules-team] Bug#531024: [matplotlib-devel] Bug#531024: Duplicate version of python-pyparsing included

[Michael Droettboom]

I've found pyparsing rather brittle between revisions in the past, hence 
the desire to have a local copy.  I don't know if recent versions have 
stabilized -- given that we have something that works, I'm not too keen 
on tinkering with it. 

Not knowing much about packaging myself, I think Debian should only go 
forward with using an external dependency if an *exact* version of 
pyparsing can be specified, rather than >=.  Or at the very least, if a 
different version of pyparsing is applied, one needs to make sure that 
the mathtext examples all pass unchanged.

Mike

Sandro Tosi wrote:
> Hi guys,
>
> On Fri, May 29, 2009 at 11:51, Daniel Watkins
> <daniel at daniel-watkins.co.uk> wrote:
>   
>> Package: python-matplotlib
>> Version: 0.98.3-5
>> Severity: normal
>>
>> python-matplotlib installs its own copy of pyparsing.py when it should
>> in fact be using the copy that is shipped in python-pyparsing.
>>     
>
> We've just receive this bug report about the internal copy of
> pyparsing included in mpl.
>
> The situation in Debian is:
>
> Stable   	  1.5.0-1
> Testing 	1.5.1-2
> Unstable 	1.5.2-1
>
> Currently mpl ship:
>
> $ grep "^__version" lib/matplotlib/pyparsing.py
> __version__ = "1.5.0"
> __versionTime__ = "28 May 2008 10:05"
>
> In the changelog I can see:
>
> $ egrep -A2 "2007-11-09.*pyparsing" CHANGELOG
> 2007-11-09 Moved pyparsing back into matplotlib namespace. Don't use
>            system pyparsing, API is too variable from one release
>            to the next - DSD
>
> So there seems to be a reason for this "private" copy. The question
> is: is this reason still valid nowdays? should we (at least packagers)
> remove the private copy and rely on the system pyparsing (or at least
> introduce a "check if system has pyparsing, if not fallback on
> private" wrap)?
>
> I haven't checked, but maybe you already know the answer :)
>
> Cheers,
>   

-- 
Michael Droettboom
Science Software Branch
Operations and Engineering Division
Space Telescope Science Institute
Operated by AURA for NASA