Eclipse + PyDev + PortablePython or Jython + Local install

Portable and client installable packages are so much easier with Jython since it is a small jar and better yet very portable and has the ability to call java jars into its fold.
I also like pure-python implementations for the same reason as there is no concern with portability.

So, I am recording steps for a local install and how to use a package.
In this example I will use xlrd and xlwt.

Prerequisites:

• MingW or MSYS tools so I can run shell scripts. This is obviously far more usable than just for this one reason. You can get it from http://www.mingw.org/wiki/MSYS . You can also install MobaXterm a one-stop-shop that has cygwin stuffed into it.
• A way to launch python or jython. 
• Python: This is reasonably simple: python portable has to be added to $PATH then you can run 'python' from command line.
• Jython: This is slightly more work but simple:

#!/bin/bash 
#export JAVA_HOME=/usr/java/latest

export JYTHON_HOME=`msys2winpath "/PortableApps/Jython2.7b1"`
#export JYTHON_HOME=`msys2winpath "/PortableApps/jython2.5.3"`
export JVMOPTS="$JAVA_OPTIONS $JVMOPTS"

export JYTHONCACHEDIR="./jythoncache"
echo $JYTHONPATH
export PATH=$JYTHON_HOME/bin:$PATH
export CLASSPATH="$CLASSPATH;$JYTHON_HOME/jython.jar"
export JVMOPTS="$JVMOPTS -Dpython.home=$JYTHON_HOME -Dpython.cachedir=$JYTHONCACHEDIR" 

export PYTHONPATH=$JYTHONPATH

#echo $JVMOPTS
echo $CLASSPATH
set -x
$JAVA_HOME/bin/java.exe -cp "$CLASSPATH" $JVMOPTS org.python.util.jython $*

 
And, msys2winpath is a simple script:

#!/bin/bash --login
if [ $# -eq 0 ]
then
 pwd -W
else
 cd "$1"
 pwd -W
fi

Now, create a shell script, I called it 'dopylocalinstall.sh', to make it easier to setup the local site-packages.

#!/bin/bash

CPWD=`pwd -W | sed 's/\//\\\\/g'`
if [ ! -d 'dist/Lib/site-packages' ]
then
 mkdir -p dist/Lib/site-packages
fi
export PYTHONPATH="$CPWD\\dist\\Lib\\site-packages"
export JYTHONPATH="$PYTHONPATH"
pycmd="runjython.sh"
#pycmd="python"
$pycmd setup.py build
$pycmd setup.py install --prefix="$CPWD\\dist"

Now, change to the xlrd unzipped folder and run the dopylocalinstall.sh
This should have now created a dist folder with Lib and site-packages within.

The contenets of the site-packages/xlrd can now be copied into a folder in Eclipse and you should be able to use the package in your projects.