Missing dist-info breaks project on version 3.4.0

[Scoppio]

The new version 3.4.0 requires the presence of the METADATA file on dist-info folder, otherwise the project breaks and is unable to load.

pyproj/pyproj/__init__.py

Line 70 in bc7805c

__version__ = importlib.metadata.version(__package__)

This is the only place where this information is ever looked and in no way it is important or vital for the correct operation of the application.

This is a breaking change for all applications where the deployment strips metadata and other files to reduce size.

[snowman2]

Related to:

• MNT: Use pyproject.toml instead of setup.cfg #1129
• MNT: Use setup.cfg for metadata instead of pyproject.toml #1137

One potential path forward: https://setuptools.pypa.io/en/latest/userguide/declarative_config.html

In __init__.py convert the version to a string and copy the version from setup.cfg.

In setup.cfg:

version = attr: pyproj.__version__

A PR with the fix is welcome.