The distutils archiver should attempt zipfile.py usage 
before attempting a spawn of an external 'zip'.

The current code in archive_util.py attempts to spawn an 
external 'zip' program for zip action, if this fails, an 
attempt to import zipfile.py is made...

This bites folks who have 'old' or non-conforming zip 
programs on windows platforms...

Have had a conversation about this with thellar, and he 
suggested  A: a bug report, B: changing code to attempt 
import first, then take spawn action if that fails.

Since this is my first bug report, I am attaching a 
archive_util.py that I have modified to do this... I also 
modified this particular file to not use the '-q' option when 
in verbose mode, for the zip spawn. Also modified so 
that if in verbose mode, what gets added to zip file 
during zipfile usage gets printed to stdio.

I tested the attached file for with and w/o verbose, and 
test with and w/o zipfile.py to force the different code 
path executions. Also forced error of having no zipfile.py 
and no external zip program.

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amk, you've been doing a lot of distutils stuff recently. 
Do you have any comments?

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I have a meta comment: Ollie, thanks for your report. It would 
be even more useful if you had attached a context or unified 
diff (diff -c/-u) of the modified file, since that would simplify 
merging you changes with other changes that the file has 
seen (or will see until the patch is accepted).

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attaching diff between archive_util.orig.py and modified 
archive_util.py

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Good idea!

Here's an updated patch against the CVS trunk.  I've rearranged the code a bit to reduce the depth of indentation, but it still seems to work.

Ollie, can you please scan the patch and see if I introduced any problems with the rearrangement?  If you don't spot anything wrong, I'll check it in.

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A.M.  Yes. I had considered this type of change as well.
Looks good, however, I have a few comments :)

1) I LIKE the log.info modification you made...

nit pick 1) Consider renaming new variable 'zipfile' to 
something like 'haveZipModule'. Just for clarity...

nit pick 2) You left the comment lines below: 'except 
DistutilsExecError' intact, only the indentation changed... I 
removed this comment, as in my mind it no longer made 
sense, since the function now attempts zipfile module first... 
If you are going to leave it, at least re-word it...

nit pick 3) I re-worded the raise DistutilsExecError message... 
to show the true order of what it could not do - as did the 
original message.

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On 1), zipfile is either the module object or None; it's not a Boolean, 
so I'd like to keep it named 'zipfile'.

On 2), good point; edited down to 
# XXX really should distinguish between "couldn't find
# external 'zip' command" and "zip failed".

On 3), another good point; fixed.

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Checked in to CVS as rev. 1.15 of archive_util.py; thanks for your contribution!