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Clarify definition of native and implicit namespace packages #1979

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8e6bb80
Clarify definition of native and implicit namespace packages
stevepiercy Dec 24, 2025
ef4f27d
Expand glossary with namespace package definitions
stevepiercy Dec 24, 2025
5b49945
Add a note regarding namespace packages
stevepiercy Dec 24, 2025
c8d916f
Update glossary entry for namespace packages with pep 420 reference
stevepiercy Dec 24, 2025
4d0f8fb
[pre-commit.ci] auto fixes from pre-commit.com hooks
pre-commit-ci[bot] Dec 24, 2025
e461c7d
Replace tab with spaces. Beware the GitHub editor!
stevepiercy Dec 24, 2025
60f94b7
Insert "packages " in terms
stevepiercy Feb 10, 2026
eae76d7
Add seealso for native namespace packages
stevepiercy Feb 23, 2026
e17a3d2
Merge branch 'main' into patch-1
stevepiercy Feb 23, 2026
bd73c03
Add target for reference
stevepiercy Feb 23, 2026
a0c8b87
Attempt to fix deprecated pkg_resources link in namespace packaging g…
stevepiercy Feb 23, 2026
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17 changes: 17 additions & 0 deletions source/glossary.rst
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Expand Up @@ -119,6 +119,23 @@ Glossary
extensions.


Implicit Namespace Package
Native Namespace Package

"Native namespace packages" and "implicit namespace packages" are two names for
the same type of namespace package. It's defined in :pep:`420`, and is available
in Python 3.3 and later.

The term "native" derives from the built-in feature of Python to create packages
without installing an extra package, such as setuptools, from outside the standard
library. The term "implicit" derives from the fact that you don't have to explicitly
declare the namespace package in a :file:`__init__.py` file.

This guide uses these names interchangeably.

.. seealso::
:ref:`native-namespace-packages`

Import Package

A Python module which can contain other modules or recursively, other
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12 changes: 10 additions & 2 deletions source/guides/packaging-namespace-packages.rst
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Expand Up @@ -71,6 +71,14 @@ from which the latter is discouraged:
#. Use `legacy namespace packages`_. This comprises `pkgutil-style namespace packages`_
and `pkg_resources-style namespace packages`_.

.. note::

:term:`Native namespace packages <Native Namespace Package>` and
:term:`implicit namespace packages <Implicit Namespace Package>` are two
names for the same thing. This guide uses these names interchangeably.

.. _native-namespace-packages:

Native namespace packages
-------------------------

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -159,8 +167,8 @@ Legacy namespace packages

These two methods, that were used to create namespace packages prior to :pep:`420`,
are now considered to be obsolete and should not be used unless you need compatibility
with packages already using this method. Also, :doc:`pkg_resources <setuptools:pkg_resources>`
has been deprecated.
with packages already using this method. Also,
:doc:`pkg_resources <setuptools:deprecated/pkg_resources>` has been deprecated.

To migrate an existing package, all packages sharing the namespace must be migrated simultaneously.

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