Module name

This is just meant as a discussion. But something that probably would have to be decided before the release of v1.0.

What about changing the module name from SimPEG to simpeg?

• Pro’s:

  • Following the convention of most packages, in that the package and module names are identical.

  • Following pep8 guidelines, in which packages and modules should have all-lowercase names.

  • Less confusing. At the moment what a potential user would do (and what happend to me at the beginning several times) is

    1. pip install simpeg
    2. Fire-up an IPython shell or a notebook
    3. import simpeg

    with the result that it throws an error stating that simpeg is not installed. One has then to check the documentation or the examples to find out that the module to import is called SimPEG, not simpeg.

• Con’s: Maybe too late for a change, too many scripts and notebooks exist which import SimPEG.

Just thought I initiate once the discussion. Maybe it was discussed before, I don’t know.

[prisae]

I think there is a possibility to deliver a new simpeg package and at the same time a SimPEG package which will only print information about the name-change. The important bit would be the line

    packages=['simpeg`, `SimPEG'],

in setup.py. Then, pip install simpeg or pip install SimPEG (pip is case-insensitive, I believe) would install both packages, simpeg and SimPEG. The directory SimPEG would then only contain a __init__.py-file. In there, we could put print-statements about all the changes. E.g.: SimPEG->simpeg, EM->electromagnetics, etc etc.

In this case, if someone does import simpeg all is good and as it used to be before with SimPEG. However, if someone does import SimPEG, it will print all the info we put into __init__.py.

Here an example with a fictitious testme/TestMe-package, install them via python setup.py install: testme.zip

And here a screenshot of it in action:

[prisae]

I am closing this. As it didn’t happen in the simulation-PR it is unlikely going to happen. Re-open if you disagree 😉