install extreme hoops for pkg_resources and I'm starting to wonder if

I really want to do it like this

2 files changed, 25 insertions, 9 deletions

diff --git a/mako/cache.py b/mako/cache.py
index b5b7ac6..2e2b09e 100644
--- a/mako/cache.py
+++ b/mako/cache.py
@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@ def register_plugin(name, modulename, attrname):
     """Register the given :class:`.CacheImpl` under the given 
     name.
 
-    This is an alternative to using a setuptools-installed entrypoint.
+    This is an alternative to using a setuptools-installed entrypoint,
+    and will work even if Mako isn't installed.  ``pkg_resources`` is
+    required, however.
 
     """
     import pkg_resources
@@ -22,7 +24,9 @@ def register_plugin(name, modulename, attrname):
     else:
         cache_map = entry_map['mako.cache']
     cache_map[name] = \
-            pkg_resources.EntryPoint.parse('%s = %s:%s' % (name, modulename, attrname), dist=dist)
+            pkg_resources.EntryPoint.parse(
+                            '%s = %s:%s' % 
+                            (name, modulename, attrname), dist=dist)
 
 try:
     register_plugin("beaker", "mako.ext.beaker_cache", "BeakerCacheImpl")
diff --git a/mako/util.py b/mako/util.py
index 6bc100b..31fcf70 100644
--- a/mako/util.py
+++ b/mako/util.py
@@ -68,22 +68,34 @@ else:
 def get_pkg_resources_distribution():
     """Return a pkg_resources.Distribution for Mako.
     
-    Pulls all kinds of strings to ensure one is 
-    available even if Mako is not installed.
+    Creates a fake distribution if Mako is not installed,
+    so that tests/apps/etc. can use register_plugin.
     
     """
     import pkg_resources
     try:
-        dist = pkg_resources.get_distribution("mako")
+        # would like to make this >= 0.5.1, but
+        # pkg_resources won't install us if another 
+        # mako already present as no, no, you're now 
+        # a "hidden distro" (not documented,
+        # just in their source code, no warning/exception,
+        # sure seems like silent failure to me...)
+        return pkg_resources.get_distribution("Mako")
     except:
+        # make a "fake" Distribution, which we very much 
+        # hope makes it so something global is returned
+        # when we say get_distribution() so we can hang
+        # our plugins in the same way as when we're 
+        # installed.
         import mako
         dist = pkg_resources.Distribution(
-                    project_name="mako", location="mako", version=mako.__version__
+                    pkg_resources.normalize_path(
+                        os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(mako.__file__))),
+                    project_name="Mako", 
+                    version=mako.__version__,
                 )
-        dist.activate()
         pkg_resources.working_set.add(dist)
-        dist = pkg_resources.get_distribution("mako")
-    return dist
+        return pkg_resources.get_distribution("Mako")
 
 def verify_directory(dir):
     """create and/or verify a filesystem directory."""