Package Development

9. Package Development#

Packaging your code turns scripts into reusable, shareable tools that support collaboration and long-term maintenance. This section outlines the essential steps for developing, testing, and distributing research software as a package.

Why Package Your Code?

  • Encourages modularity, reusability, and distribution.

  • Makes it easier to share code within your group or publish with a paper.

  • Enables versioning and reproducibility across projects.

9.1. Package Structure and Layout (Python Example)#

9.2. Tools for Building Packages#

9.3. Testing the Package#

9.4. Installing & Distributing#

9.5. Documentation#

9.6. Research-Specific Tips#

9.7. Versioning & Releases#

9.8. Licensing#

9.9. Summary Checklist#

  • Package is installable via pip in case of a Python package.

  • Code is modular and documented

  • Tests are included and pass in CI

  • README.md explains usage and purpose

  • Versioned and ready for sharing or publication

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