# Add looseversion to PyPA

**URL:** <https://discuss.python.org/t/add-looseversion-to-pypa/24359>\
**Category:** Packaging\
**Created:** [March 1, 2023, 4:40pm UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/add-looseversion-to-pypa/24359 "2023-03-01T16:40:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 6

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**Author:** ![pf\_moore](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discuss.python.org/pf_moore/32/35_2.png) [@pf\_moore](https://discuss.python.org/u/pf_moore)\
**Post date:** [March 2, 2023, 11:03am UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/add-looseversion-to-pypa/24359/6 "2023-03-02T11:03:47Z")

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> [@effigies](#):
>
> The main use case I have is for managing non-Python resources where raising exceptions because they don’t follow PEP440 is counterproductive.

For that use case, I don’t think the class should be called a _loose_ version. It’s not loose, it’s conforming to a different standard than PEP 440. Or call it something like `GenericVersion` with documentation explicitly noting that it’s for parsing versions of non-Python projects.

If the use case you’re targetting isn’t parsing old, pre-PEP440 Python package versions (the transitional case I assumed was the intention) then the fact that it’s historically from distutils is basically irrelevant at this point, and the current documentation needs updating to note that Python packages are not the intended use for this.

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_[View the full topic](https://discuss.python.org/t/add-looseversion-to-pypa/24359)._