py27-h5py no longer available

[renzresearch]

Please restore py27-h5py. I understand that python 2 is no longer supported. But lots of python 2 programs cannot just stop running while the environment is moving on.

[ryandesign (Ryan Carsten Schmidt)]

See also #62398.

[eborisch (Eric A. Borisch)]

This isn't as simple as just putting 27 back in the portfile, as the current version of h5py doesn't support (the sunset for 15 months now, and scheduled for retirement since 2014) python27.

<rant>Other port systems (like FreeBSD's) are actively removing ports that rely on python27; asking maintainers to keep it limping along for packages that have chosen not to read the (very explicit) tea leaves for eight years consumes time and energy that should be spent elsewhere.</rant>

So just put in the old version for python27, you say. That's all fine and dandy (and I had for quite a while) except... the py27-supporting version of h5py no longer compiles with the latest version of HDF5.

So now we would need to put in:

1. An extra version of h5py for the deprecated python2 branch (not too bad)
2. An old version (likely non-conflicting, so sequestered in some extra directories) of HDF5 (starts to get painful)

and

3. the through the packages that want py27-h5py, and teach them to use the old version of HDF5... and when any of the other dependencies of those programs are built using the the newer (standard; maintained) HDF5, we'll have to bifurcate those, too.

Or, potentially, find and fix the issues that keep the old (2.10) h5py from working with the new HDF5 -- this may be the path of least resistance if you are so inclined.

I wish I had the time to do that, but I do not currently. I am more than happy to look at a pull request!

If you absolutely need to run some software today that is no longer being updated and requires py27-h5py, set up an alternate MacPorts install, and check out commit be8fd723 from the ports tree to use with it -- that's immediately before HDF5 1.12 landed, so it still had a working py27-h5py.