Can a Python package and its corresponding PyPi project have different names?

Question

For example, I'm wondering how is it possible that scikit-learn is the name of a PyPi package while the actual Python module is named sklearn. The reason I'm asking is that I have a local Python package packageA that I can't upload to PyPi since that name happens to already be taken. I therefore wonder if I can upload it as packageB (which actually is available on PyPi)? If so, how can I do that?

Answer 1

The names on PyPi or the names you are useing when doing pip install NAME are Distribution Packages.

The names you use when doing import NAME are Import Packages.

One Distribution Package can have multiple Import Packages in it.

Example

As an example see this demo project bit-demo:

• The name of the repositories (you find in the URL) is "bit-demo".
• The name of the Distribution Package (you would use via pip) is bitdemo. This is defined in the packages metadata via pyproject.toml file.
• There are two Import Packages in it named bitcli and bitgui. This is also defined in the package metadata.

Scikit-learn

The project setup of Scikit-learn is bit more complex but you also can see it there.

• The Distributon Package name is defined in setup.py
• Not absolute sure about how the Import Package name is defined. But I would say setup.cfg tells to look up sub-folders name. And there is scilearn.