python-packaging

Package a Python project for PyPI distribution by configuring pyproject.toml with a build backend like setuptools or hatchling, structuring the project layout, and generating wheel and sdist formats for upload. This ensures valid metadata and a clear publishing path.

The best way to structure a Python package with pyproject.toml is using either a source layout or flat layout, combined with build-system configuration and metadata. This modern packaging approach replaces setup.py and standardizes project distribution.

Python packaging works with both libraries and CLI tools by configuring pyproject.toml entry points and classifiers. This allows you to scaffold reusable library code and executable command-line interfaces within the same distributable wheel or sdist.

Choose a build backend for Python packaging based on your workflow needs: setuptools for legacy compatibility, hatchling for modern simplicity, or poetry for dependency management. Each configures build-system requirements in pyproject.toml to produce wheel and sdist distributions.

You need a valid project layout to publish to PyPI because build backends require correctly structured directories and metadata to compile source files into wheel and sdist formats. Without proper structure, the build-system configuration fails to locate and package modules correctly.

You can publish a Python package to a private repository instead of PyPI by configuring your publishing workflow to target alternative indexes. The packaging process generates standard wheel and sdist formats that are compatible with private distribution repositories.