Proposal

Add aPathBase class that can be subclassed by users to implement "virtual paths", e.g. paths within.zip files or on FTP servers, and publish it as an external PyPI package.

Phase 1: Private support in pathlib

• Add private_PathBase class
  • GH-89812: Addpathlib._PathBase #106337
• MergeWalkTests intoDummyPathTest
  • GH-110109: Simplify pathlib test setup #110308
  • GH-110109: Move tests forpathlib.Path.walk() into main test classes. #110655
• Sort out__hash__(),__eq__, etc - we shouldn't inherit thePurePath implementation
  • GH-110109: Churnpathlib.PurePath methods #112012
  • GH-110109: Addpathlib._PurePathBase #110670
• Simplify/speed up path walking and globbing
  • GH-72904: Addglob.translate() function #106703
• Addfrom_uri() classmethod
  • GH-107465: Addpathlib.Path.from_uri() classmethod. #107640

Phase 2: Experimental support in PyPI package

• Move ABCs intopathlib._abc
  • GH-110109: Move pathlib ABCs to newpathlib._abc module. #112881
  • GH-110109: Move tests for pathlib ABCs to new module. #112904
• Figure out the default value forpathmod, if any
  • GH-110109: pathlib tests: store base directory as test class attribute #113221
  • GH-110109: pathlib ABCs: do not vary path syntax by host OS. #113219
• Publish PyPI package

Previous Discussion

https://discuss.python.org/t/make-pathlib-extensible/3428

Linked PRs

• GH-110109: Simplify pathlib test setup #110308
• GH-110109: pathlib docs: bringfrom_uri() andas_uri() together. #110312
• [WIP] GH-110109: Make pathlib extensible #110321
• GH-110109: Speed uppathlib._PathBase.resolve() #110412
• GH-110109: Move tests forpathlib.Path.walk() into main test classes. #110655
• GH-110109: Addpathlib._PurePathBase #110670
• GH-110109: Churnpathlib.PurePath methods #112012
• GH-110109: Fix misplaced tests forpathlib.WindowsPath.owner() andgroup() #112239
• GH-110109: Test pure functionality ofpathlib.Path user subclasses #112242
• GH-110109: Move pathlib ABCs to newpathlib._abc module. #112881
• gh-110109: Fix installed buildbots nowpathlib is a package #112901
• GH-110109: Move tests for pathlib ABCs to new module. #112904
• GH-110109: pathlib ABCs: do not vary path syntax by host OS. #113219
• GH-110109: pathlib tests: store base directory as test class attribute #113221
• GH-110109: Drop use of new regex features inpathlib._abc. #113292
• GH-110109: Fix misleadingpathlib._abc.PurePathBase repr #113376
• GH-110109: Adjusttest_pathlib_abc imports to ease backporting #113411
• GH-110109: pathlib ABCs: drop use ofio.text_encoding() #113417
• GH-110109: pathlib ABCs: drop use ofwarnings._deprecated() #113419