clean C++ extension build directory in setup.py
Question: I have a python package which contains a C++ extension.

The C++ extension is built within `setup.py` using its own Makefile, and the
.so files are create in its own subfolder, and then copied in the build
folder.

When I call `python setup.py clean`, only the build directory is removed, but
the `cxxextension/build` is not removed, so if I build it again, it is just
copied and not recompiled.

How can I instruct `setup.py clean` to also remove my `cxxextension/build`
folder?


Answer: The easiest way would probably be to simply process it manually in setup.py.
You could add something like this to it before calling distutils.setup:

    
    
    import sys, shutil
    if 'clean' in sys.argv:
        shutil.rmtree('cxxextension/build')
    

