Import setuptools at init

[ahartikainen]

Our package needs setuptools. And recently there have been warnings that setuptools should be imported before the distutils.

.../python3.8/site-packages/setuptools/distutils_patch.py:25: UserWarning: 
Distutils was imported before Setuptools. 
This usage is discouraged and may exhibit undesirable behaviors or errors. 
Please use Setuptools' objects directly or at least import Setuptools first.

Following our import path (from app.py) there is import for webargs, which imports distutils in their init.

https://github.com/marshmallow-code/webargs/blob/dev/src/webargs/__init__.py

To fix this issue, I suggest that we import setuptools at __init__.py and delete it after import

import setuptools
del setuptools

This procedure makes sure that our library will import setuptools first and then distutils. It is not foolproof, but at least works when used normally.

[riddell-stan]

I'm sure I'm not alone in not liking adding hacks like this. Can we find a root cause of this? Why is webargs importing distutils? Are they unwilling to address the problem they are creating? We could also reopen the issue which discussed removing webargs as a dependency. Removing webargs might be much easier than removing marshmallow.

…

On 9/9/20 2:18 AM, Ari Hartikainen wrote: Our package needs |setuptools|. And recently there have been warnings that |setuptools| should be imported before the |distutils|. |.../python3.8/site-packages/setuptools/distutils_patch.py:25: UserWarning: Distutils was imported before Setuptools. This usage is discouraged and may exhibit undesirable behaviors or errors. Please use Setuptools' objects directly or at least import Setuptools first. | Following our import path (from |app.py|) there is import for |webargs|, which imports |distutils| in their init. https://github.com/marshmallow-code/webargs/blob/dev/src/webargs/__init__.py To fix this issue, I suggest that we import |setuptools| at |__init__.py| and delete it after import |import setuptools del setuptools | This procedure makes sure that our library will import |setuptools| first and then |distutils|. It is not foolproof, but at least works when used normally. — You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#448>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AJQUBVSBAP6N6VCUBHDPKB3SE4M3NANCNFSM4RBGL7LA>.

[ahartikainen]

Yeah, this hack is not nice.

They have this

from distutils.version import LooseVersion

also, this problem doesn't affect them, because they don't use setuptools (at runtime).

[riddell-stan]

Perhaps webargs could be persuaded to switch to setuptools's distutils's LooseVersion.

Removing the dependency on webargs would be great though. Getting rid of marshmallow will take work. Getting rid of webargs might be much easier.

[riddell-stan]

I suspect this is going to be resolved somehow. Lots of people are affected by this. See pypa/setuptools#2230

If it doesn't get resolved, let's open a new issue to remove the dependency on webargs.