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| -rw-r--r-- | docs/features/index.rst | 1 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | docs/features/packaging.rst | 39 |
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diff --git a/docs/features/index.rst b/docs/features/index.rst index c3f68107..efeb9e6c 100644 --- a/docs/features/index.rst +++ b/docs/features/index.rst @@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ Features misc multiline_commands os + packaging plugins prompt redirection diff --git a/docs/features/packaging.rst b/docs/features/packaging.rst new file mode 100644 index 00000000..10f347ac --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/features/packaging.rst @@ -0,0 +1,39 @@ + +Packaging a cmd2 application for distribution +============================================= + +As a general-purpose tool for building interactive command-line applications, +``cmd2`` is designed to be used in many ways. How you distribute your ``cmd2`` +application to customers or end users is up to you. See the +`Overview of Packaging for Python`_ from the Python Packaging Authority for a +thorough discussion of the extensive options within the Python ecosystem. + +For developers wishing to package a ``cmd2`` application into a single binary +image or compressed file, we can recommend all of the following based on +personal and professional experience: + +* Deploy your ``cmd2`` Python app using Docker_ + * Powerful and flexible - allows you to control entire user space and + setup other applications like databases + * As long as it isn't problematic for your customers to have Docker + installed, then this is probably the best option +* PyInstaller_ + * Quick and easy - it "just works" and everything you need is installable + via ``pip`` + * Packages up all of the dependencies into a single directory which you can + then zip up +* Nuitka_ + * Converts your Python to C and compiles it to a native binary file + * This can be particularly convenient if you wish to obfuscate the Python + source code behind your application + * Recommend invoking with ``--follow-imports`` flag like: + ``python3 -m nuitka --follow-imports your_app.py`` +* `Conda Constructor`_ + * Allows you to create a custom Python distro based on Miniconda_ + +.. _`Overview of Packaging for Python`: https://packaging.python.org/overview/ +.. _Docker: https://djangostars.com/blog/what-is-docker-and-how-to-use-it-with-python/ +.. _PyInstaller: https://www.pyinstaller.org +.. _Nuitka: https://nuitka.net +.. _`Conda Constructor`: https://github.com/conda/constructor +.. _Miniconda: https://docs.conda.io/en/latest/miniconda.html |