Example package leads to author name being munged with author_email

[bwoodsend]

Following the example package from here, in particular the method of specifier author/email it demonstrates causes pip show to get confused. An example pyproject.toml:

# pyproject.toml
[build-system]
requires = ["hatchling"]
build-backend = "hatchling.build"

[project]
name = "test-package"
version = "0.0.1"
authors = [
  { name="Example Author", email="[email protected]" },
]

which when installed, reports the Author field as blank and the author's name + email as the email field.

> pip install -q .
> pip show test-package
Name: test-package
Version: 0.0.1
Summary: 
Home-page: 
Author: 
Author-email: Example Author <[email protected]>
License: 
Location: /usr/local/lib/python3.10/site-packages
Requires: 
Required-by: 

dict(importlib.metadata.distribution("test-package")) gives the same pattern. This happens irregardless of build backend. What is the reasoning behind this discrepancy? Is the Author field in packaging land being phased out or is this a bug somwhere?

[ofek]

Hatchling interprets https://packaging.python.org/en/latest/specifications/core-metadata/#author as https://github.com/pypa/hatch/blob/hatchling-v1.8.1/backend/src/hatchling/metadata/core.py#L681-L686

[bwoodsend]

Hmm, so Author-email includes author's name and Author includes the author's email. Why have separate fields for the two then if Author is a superset of Author-email?

[abravalheri]

Hatchling interprets https://packaging.python.org/en/latest/specifications/core-metadata/#author as https://github.com/pypa/hatch/blob/hatchling-v1.8.1/backend/src/hatchling/metadata/core.py#L681-L686

I believe this is also the interpretation setuptools follows.

@bwoodsend this is in accordance with the text of PEP 621:

If only name is provided, the value goes in Author/Maintainer as appropriate.

If only email is provided, the value goes in Author-email/Maintainer-email as appropriate.

If both email and name are provided, the value goes in Author-email/Maintainer-email as appropriate, with the format {name} <{email}> (with appropriate quoting, e.g. using email.headerregistry.Address).
https://peps.python.org/pep-0621/#authors-maintainers

Or would it be a different problem?

Note: According to core metadata, I belive that both Author and Author-email could be used when both pieces if information are available, but PEP 621 restricts that to Author-email.

---

If you disagree with the approach described in the PEP, I suggest creating a discussion in https://discuss.python.org/c/packaging/14 and possibly volunteering to write another PEP changing that.

[bwoodsend]

It is indeed what the PEP says. I can't say I like it but you're right - this isn't the place.