Building Distributions

When you create a Python package that you want to distribute, you need to build a distribution artifact. There are two primary distribution types: source distributions (sdist) and wheel distributions (wheel). Each serves a distinct purpose during installation.

A source distribution is an archive (usually a .tar.gz file) containing your raw source code and metadata. When someone installs your package from an sdist, the installer must build the package on the target system. This means running setup scripts and potentially compiling code, which can take time and may require extra dependencies or compilers.

A wheel distribution is a pre-built, binary package with the .whl extension. Wheels are the modern standard for Python packaging. Because wheels are already built, installation is much faster and does not require building or compiling code during installation. This is especially helpful for packages with compiled extensions or complex build steps.

Both sdists and wheels are important. Wheels provide speed and convenience for users, while sdists offer a fallback for systems or environments where a pre-built wheel is not available or compatible.

# To build both a source distribution (sdist) and a wheel, use the following commands in your project directory:

# First, ensure you have the build tool:
pip install build

# Then, build both distributions:
python -m build

# This will create .tar.gz (sdist) and .whl (wheel) files in the 'dist/' directory.