[Zope3-Users] How to best include Zope3-based code in Zope3 unrelated Python projects?

[Hermann Himmelbauer]

Hi,
I have the problem that I cannot include parts of my Zope3 project in 
external, Zope3-unrelated projects due to import errors.

For instance, I currently build a LaTeX converter that automatically converts 
SQL-Alchemy table definitions into nicely formatted LaTeX that I can then 
include in my project documentation.

This converter has to import my table definitions file, which however fails, 
as on the top of the file there are Zope3-specific imports and directives, 
e.g.:

from zope.interface import implements
import z3c.zalchemy
metadata = z3c.zalchemy.metadata()

My Python interpreter does not know anything about zope yet, as it's not in 
the PYTHONPATH, therefore the import of zope.interface fails. I assume, I 
should somehow put the Zope3 modules into the PYTHONPATH - but how would you 
recommend that? Should I perhaps link it from python/lib/site-packages? Or 
should I include the Zope3 top-level directory into PYTHONPATH?

Moreover, what's even more complicated is the import of z3c.zalchemy, how 
should I solve that one? I thought about a construct like this:

if ???started via debugzope / zopectl???:
   import z3c.zalchemy
   metadata = MetaData()
else:
   from sqlalchemy import MetaData
   metadata = MetaData()

But I don't know how to fomulate the if-clause above. Perhaps there's a better 
solution to this problem?

Best Regards,
Hermann

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