Feature or enhancement
Several modules wrap an external library, but expose its version inconsistently: only a string, only a plain tuple, only the runtime or only the build-time version, or under a private name. gh-117404 established a pattern for zlib, bz2, lzma and compression.zstd: a string and a named tuple for the version the module was built against (XXX_VERSION, XXX_VERSION_INFO), and the same pair for the library actually loaded (xxx_version, xxx_version_info).
Other modules (existing names, with their types):
sqlite3 — runtime: sqlite_version (str), sqlite_version_info (plain tuple, computed in Python from the string). No build-time version.pyexpat — runtime: EXPAT_VERSION (str, e.g. 'expat_2.8.4'), version_info (plain tuple). No build-time version.decimal — runtime: __libmpdec_version__ (str). No tuple, no build-time version. Matters more now that only the system libmpdec is used.readline — build-time: _READLINE_VERSION (int, 0x0803). Runtime: _READLINE_RUNTIME_VERSION (int), _READLINE_LIBRARY_VERSION (str). All private; backend (str) tells readline from libedit.dbm.gnu — build-time: private _GDBM_VERSION (plain tuple). No runtime version (gdbm_version is not exposed).dbm.ndbm — only library (str, the implementation name). No version.ctypes — nothing about libffi.uuid — nothing about libuuid.ssl — runtime: OPENSSL_VERSION (str), OPENSSL_VERSION_INFO (plain 5-tuple), OPENSSL_VERSION_NUMBER (int). Build-time: only private _OPENSSL_API_VERSION (plain 5-tuple). The existing names conflict with the scheme above (uppercase names for the runtime version).curses — runtime: ncurses_version (named tuple). No string, no build-time version. It is fine to keep only the named tuple.tkinter — build-time: _tkinter.TCL_VERSION, TK_VERSION (str, only major.minor, e.g. '8.6'), and tkinter.TclVersion, TkVersion (float, 8.6, derived from them). The runtime version cannot be obtained at import time without creating a Tcl interpreter; it is available as Tcl().eval('info patchlevel').
Not all items need to be changed, and not all libraries provide both the compile-time and the runtime version. Sub-issues are opened for those that do.
Feature or enhancement
Several modules wrap an external library, but expose its version inconsistently: only a string, only a plain tuple, only the runtime or only the build-time version, or under a private name. gh-117404 established a pattern for
zlib,bz2,lzmaandcompression.zstd: a string and a named tuple for the version the module was built against (XXX_VERSION,XXX_VERSION_INFO), and the same pair for the library actually loaded (xxx_version,xxx_version_info).Other modules (existing names, with their types):
sqlite3— runtime:sqlite_version(str),sqlite_version_info(plain tuple, computed in Python from the string). No build-time version.pyexpat— runtime:EXPAT_VERSION(str, e.g.'expat_2.8.4'),version_info(plain tuple). No build-time version.decimal— runtime:__libmpdec_version__(str). No tuple, no build-time version. Matters more now that only the system libmpdec is used.readline— build-time:_READLINE_VERSION(int,0x0803). Runtime:_READLINE_RUNTIME_VERSION(int),_READLINE_LIBRARY_VERSION(str). All private;backend(str) tells readline from libedit.dbm.gnu— build-time: private_GDBM_VERSION(plain tuple). No runtime version (gdbm_versionis not exposed).dbm.ndbm— onlylibrary(str, the implementation name). No version.ctypes— nothing about libffi.uuid— nothing about libuuid.ssl— runtime:OPENSSL_VERSION(str),OPENSSL_VERSION_INFO(plain 5-tuple),OPENSSL_VERSION_NUMBER(int). Build-time: only private_OPENSSL_API_VERSION(plain 5-tuple). The existing names conflict with the scheme above (uppercase names for the runtime version).curses— runtime:ncurses_version(named tuple). No string, no build-time version. It is fine to keep only the named tuple.tkinter— build-time:_tkinter.TCL_VERSION,TK_VERSION(str, onlymajor.minor, e.g.'8.6'), andtkinter.TclVersion,TkVersion(float,8.6, derived from them). The runtime version cannot be obtained at import time without creating a Tcl interpreter; it is available asTcl().eval('info patchlevel').Not all items need to be changed, and not all libraries provide both the compile-time and the runtime version. Sub-issues are opened for those that do.