In the last few years, Python packaging has seen a lot of change. Instead of every project using setuptools/setup.py, there are now many tools to choose from when building and distributing Python packages. This can be overwhelming for new and experienced developers alike.

My goal with the Python Developer Tooling Handbook is to help you make informed choices to make your Python development easier and more productive.

As I’ve tried to learn the ins-and-outs of these tools, I created a series of example repositories showing how to use each of the major packaging tools. I hope these examples will be helpful to you as you learn about Python packaging.

• Setuptools with setup.py
• Setuptools with pyproject.toml only
• Flit
• Poetry
• PDM
• Hatch
• uv