develop command should not pin the distribution version precisely

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Originally reported by: RonnyPfannschmidt (Bitbucket: RonnyPfannschmidt, GitHub: RonnyPfannschmidt)

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When easy_install or pip installs console entry points (scripts), it does so by referencing the installed version of the package. The develop command uses the same logic to create executable scripts for a package under development.

However, it is common when developing a package that the version number will change, thereafter making the script references invalid (and causing errors when attempting to invoke those scripts).

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• Bitbucket: https://bitbucket.org/pypa/setuptools/issue/439

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Original comment by jaraco (Bitbucket: jaraco, GitHub: jaraco):

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@RonnyPfannschmidt

Can you provide an example replicating this issue?

As I try to describe the issue, I realize I'm not even sure under what circumstances the issue occurs.

I should think that the version number in the metadata is generated when setup.py develop is invoked, and that if the version information is changed (in code or implicitly through something like setuptools_scm), that won't affect the version of the package as installed unless the metadata is regenerated.

This leads me to think the issue is only relevant if the user regenerates metadata, such as by running the egg_info command or some other command that also invokes egg_info, such as test or sdist.

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Original comment by jaraco (Bitbucket: jaraco, GitHub: jaraco):

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Extract _requirement_spec method for rendering the requirement specification for scripts. Ref #439.

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Original comment by RonnyPfannschmidt (Bitbucket: RonnyPfannschmidt, GitHub: RonnyPfannschmidt):

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think of something like using setuptools_scm, do a commit, run tox, then have your local virtualenv break
i already opened a pr regarding to the topic and will try to finish the unit/acceptance tests

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Original comment by jaraco (Bitbucket: jaraco, GitHub: jaraco):

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Adapt the dist to suppress the version in the requirement when installing scripts under the develop command. Fixes #439.

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Original comment by jaraco (Bitbucket: jaraco, GitHub: jaraco):

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Add VersionlessRequirement adapter to suppress the version number in a Distribution. Ref #439.

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Original comment by jaraco (Bitbucket: jaraco, GitHub: jaraco):

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Update changelog; ref #439.

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Original comment by RonnyPfannschmidt (Bitbucket: RonnyPfannschmidt, GitHub: RonnyPfannschmidt):

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that solution is fabulous, well done