such as its entry points
or its top-level names (`Import Package <https://packaging.python.org/en/latest/glossary/#term-Import-Package>`_\s, modules, if any).
Built in part on Python's import system, this library
-intends to replace similar functionality in the `entry point
-API`_ and `metadata API`_ of ``pkg_resources``. Along with
-:mod:`importlib.resources`,
-this package can eliminate the need to use the older and less efficient
-``pkg_resources`` package.
+provides the entry point and metadata APIs that were previously
+exposed by the now-removed ``pkg_resources`` package. Along with
+:mod:`importlib.resources`, it supersedes ``pkg_resources``.
``importlib.metadata`` operates on third-party *distribution packages*
installed into Python's ``site-packages`` directory via tools such as
The ``DatabaseDistribution`` may also provide other metadata files, like
``RECORD`` (required for :attr:`!Distribution.files`) or override the
implementation of :attr:`!Distribution.files`. See the source for more inspiration.
-
-
-.. _`entry point API`: https://setuptools.readthedocs.io/en/latest/pkg_resources.html#entry-points
-.. _`metadata API`: https://setuptools.readthedocs.io/en/latest/pkg_resources.html#metadata-api
.. note::
- This module provides functionality similar to `pkg_resources
- <https://setuptools.readthedocs.io/en/latest/pkg_resources.html>`_ `Basic
- Resource Access
- <https://setuptools.readthedocs.io/en/latest/pkg_resources.html#basic-resource-access>`_
- without the performance overhead of that package. This makes reading
- resources included in packages easier, with more stable and consistent
- semantics.
-
The standalone backport of this module provides more information
on `using importlib.resources
<https://importlib-resources.readthedocs.io/en/latest/using.html>`_ and