[BoF Room 105] Scientific Python Packaging Summit
C.A.M. Gerlach, Henry Schreiner III
"Python packaging is a rapidly changing landscape, plagued by many hurdles and challenges for users. The scientific Python community faces some of the greatest difficulties of anyone here, given the high reliance on external binaries and compiled code, the diversity of packaging ecosystems (PyPI, Conda, others), and the fact that many if not most users are not professional software engineers, like in other ecosystems. This is made all the more critical by the importance of reproducible research, and its sensitivity to even small dependency changes.
We'd like to build on the recent momentum behind evolving the packaging landscape to better serve these needs and building bridges between key players in the core Python and scientific spaces, with an intense, engaging and open discussion. This will bring together the key community stakeholders and everyday package authors to sync up on best practices, strengthen collaboration, and help come to consensus that would take months or even years if not for in-person discussion, as well as provide a jumping-off point for followup conversations and future action items."