helper for recursively adding package data to python setup.py

package_data.py

#!/usr/bin/env python3
from os import path as osp
from fnmatch import fnmatch
import os


def package_data_with_recursive_dirs(package_data_spec):
    """converts modified package_data dict to a classic package_data dict

    Where normal package_data entries can only specify globs, the
    modified package_data dict can have
       a) directory names or
       b) tuples of a directory name and a pattern
    as entries in addition to normal globs.

    When one of a) or b) is encountered, the entry is expanded so
    that the resulting package_data contains all files (optionally
    filtered by pattern) encountered by recursively searching the
    directory.
    
    Usage:
    setup(
    ...
        package_data = package_data_with_recursive_dirs({
            'module': ['dir1', ('dir2', '*.xyz')],
            'module2': ['dir3/file1.txt']
                })
    )
    """
    out_spec = {}
    for package_name, spec in package_data_spec.items():
        # replace dots by operating system path separator
        package_path = osp.join(*package_name.split('.'))
        out_entries = []
        for entry in spec:
            directory = None  # full path to data dir
            pattern = None  # pattern to append
            datadir = None  # data dir relative to package (as specified)
            try:  # entry is just a string
                directory = osp.join(package_path, entry)
                datadir = entry
                pattern = None
            except (TypeError, AttributeError):  # entry has additional pattern spec
                directory = osp.join(package_path, entry[0])
                pattern = entry[1]
                datadir = entry[0]
            if osp.isdir(directory):  # only apply if it is really a directory
                for (dirpath, dirnames, filenames) in os.walk(directory):
                    for filename in (osp.join(dirpath, f) for f in filenames):
                        if not pattern or fnmatch(filename, pattern):
                            relname = osp.normpath(osp.join(datadir, osp.relpath(filename, directory)))
                            out_entries.append(relname)
            else:  # datadir is not really a datadir but a glob or something else
                out_entries.append(datadir)  # we just copy the entry
        out_spec[package_name] = out_entries
    return out_spec