What is the point of Python egg files?

Question

When I run python setup.py install django, it generates an egg file.

What is the usefulness of Python egg files?

Answer 1

The "egg" is Python's binary distribution format. It's basically a zipped file with some extra metadata that you can give another Python user. He can "install" and use them. For details on what they are, please refer to http://peak.telecommunity.com/DevCenter/PythonEggs. Since it's a "native" format, Python can employ custom importers and the like.

For details on how to use them, check this out.

I've been out of touch with the packaging world for a while now. There was some talk of discontinuing support for binary distribution formats. The relevant documents that I know of are at http://bitbucket.org/tarek/distutils2/src/tip/docs/design/wiki.rst

Answer 2

the egg file is an archive which holds a module (django in your case) and gives you the ability to import something_from_egg. Read more here