Check Manifest

Warnings

• breaking check-manifest version 0.51 dropped support for Python 3.7. Earlier versions (e.g., 0.45) also dropped Python 3.5 support. Ensure your development environment uses Python 3.8 or newer for compatibility.
  Fix: Upgrade your Python interpreter to version 3.8 or higher. If you must use an older Python, pin check-manifest to a compatible version (e.g., `<0.51` for Python 3.7).
• gotcha Users have reported significant performance degradation, particularly starting from version 0.41 and continuing in later releases. This can lead to slower CI/CD pipelines or local checks, especially in larger projects.
  Fix: While there's no direct fix within user configuration, be aware of potential performance impacts. Consider running `check-manifest` less frequently or in separate steps if it becomes a bottleneck. Monitor its execution time in your CI/CD.
• gotcha check-manifest relies on the state of your Version Control System (VCS), like Git. Uncommitted changes, particularly deleted files, can cause `check-manifest` to report them as 'missing from sdist' until these changes are committed to your VCS.
  Fix: Always ensure your working directory changes are committed (or at least staged) in your VCS before running `check-manifest` to get accurate results. If a file is genuinely meant to be removed, commit its deletion first.

Install

• pip install check-manifest Install stable version

Quickstart

check-manifest is primarily used as a command-line tool. This quickstart demonstrates how to run it within a Python script to verify a project's `MANIFEST.in` (or generate one if missing). It sets up a temporary project with `git` to simulate a real-world scenario, then runs `check-manifest` to identify missing files and subsequently uses the `-u` flag to automatically update the `MANIFEST.in`.

import subprocess
import os
import shutil

# Create a dummy project structure for demonstration
project_dir = "my_package_to_check"
os.makedirs(f"{project_dir}/my_package", exist_ok=True)
with open(f"{project_dir}/setup.py", "w") as f:
    f.write("from setuptools import setup\nsetup(name='my_package', version='0.1.0')\n")
with open(f"{project_dir}/my_package/__init__.py", "w") as f:
    f.write("import os\n
__version__ = '0.1.0'\n")
with open(f"{project_dir}/README.md", "w") as f:
    f.write("# My Package")

print(f"Created dummy project in {project_dir}/")

# Simulate initial git init and add/commit for check-manifest to work
# check-manifest needs a VCS to compare against.
subprocess.run(["git", "init", "-b", "main"], cwd=project_dir, capture_output=True, text=True)
subprocess.run(["git", "add", "."], cwd=project_dir, capture_output=True, text=True)
subprocess.run(["git", "commit", "-m", "Initial commit"], cwd=project_dir, capture_output=True, text=True)

print("\n--- Running check-manifest (expecting no MANIFEST.in, so it will suggest one) ---")
# Run check-manifest without updating initially
result = subprocess.run(
    ["check-manifest"],
    cwd=project_dir,
    capture_output=True,
    text=True,
    check=False
)
print(result.stdout)
print(result.stderr)
if result.returncode != 0:
    print("check-manifest detected issues (as expected without MANIFEST.in).")

print("\n--- Running check-manifest with -u to update MANIFEST.in ---")
result_update = subprocess.run(
    ["check-manifest", "-u"],
    cwd=project_dir,
    capture_output=True,
    text=True,
    check=False
)
print(result_update.stdout)
print(result_update.stderr)
if result_update.returncode == 0:
    print("check-manifest -u successfully created/updated MANIFEST.in.")
    with open(f"{project_dir}/MANIFEST.in", "r") as f:
        print("\n--- Generated MANIFEST.in content ---")
        print(f.read())
else:
    print("check-manifest -u failed.")

# Cleanup
shutil.rmtree(project_dir)
print(f"\nCleaned up dummy project directory: {project_dir}")