bpo-45124: Remove the bdist_msi command (GH-28195)

The bdist_msi command, deprecated in Python 3.9, is now removed.
Use bdist_wheel (wheel packages) instead.

Author: hugovk

Doc/distutils/apiref.rst

@@ -1852,22 +1852,6 @@ Subclasses of :class:`Command` must define the following methods.
 .. % todo
 
 
-:mod:`distutils.command.bdist_msi` --- Build a Microsoft Installer binary package
-=================================================================================
-
-.. module:: distutils.command.bdist_msi
-   :synopsis: Build a binary distribution as a Windows MSI file
-
-.. class:: bdist_msi
-
-.. deprecated:: 3.9
-   Use bdist_wheel (wheel packages) instead.
-
-   Builds a `Windows Installer`_ (.msi) binary package.
-
-   .. _Windows Installer: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc185688(VS.85).aspx
-
-
 :mod:`distutils.command.bdist_rpm` --- Build a binary distribution as a Redhat RPM and SRPM
 ===========================================================================================
 

Doc/distutils/builtdist.rst

@@ -138,11 +138,6 @@ generated by each, are:
 +--------------------------+-------------------------------------+
 | :command:`bdist_rpm`     | rpm, srpm                           |
 +--------------------------+-------------------------------------+
-| :command:`bdist_msi`     | msi                                 |
-+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+
-
-.. note::
-   bdist_msi is deprecated since Python 3.9.
 
 The following sections give details on the individual :command:`bdist_\*`
 commands.

Doc/library/msilib.rst

@@ -20,10 +20,9 @@ exposes an API to create CAB files. Support for reading ``.cab`` files is
 currently not implemented; read support for the ``.msi`` database is possible.
 
 This package aims to provide complete access to all tables in an ``.msi`` file,
-therefore, it is a fairly low-level API. Two primary applications of this
-package are the :mod:`distutils` command ``bdist_msi``, and the creation of
-Python installer package itself (although that currently uses a different
-version of ``msilib``).
+therefore, it is a fairly low-level API. One primary application of this
+package is the creation of Python installer package itself (although that currently
+uses a different version of ``msilib``).
 
 The package contents can be roughly split into four parts: low-level CAB
 routines, low-level MSI routines, higher-level MSI routines, and standard table
@@ -439,9 +438,7 @@ GUI classes
 -----------
 
 :mod:`msilib` provides several classes that wrap the GUI tables in an MSI
-database. However, no standard user interface is provided; use
-:mod:`~distutils.command.bdist_msi` to create MSI files with a user-interface
-for installing Python packages.
+database. However, no standard user interface is provided.
 
 
 .. class:: Control(dlg, name)

Doc/whatsnew/3.11.rst

@@ -250,6 +250,9 @@ Removed
 
   (Contributed by Victor Stinner in :issue:`45085`.)
 
+* The distutils ``bdist_msi`` command, deprecated in Python 3.9, is now removed.
+  Use ``bdist_wheel`` (wheel packages) instead.
+  (Contributed by Hugo van Kemenade in :issue:`45124`.)
 
 Optimizations
 =============

Lib/distutils/command/bdist.py

@@ -61,8 +61,7 @@ class bdist(Command):
                       'nt': 'zip'}
 
     # Establish the preferred order (for the --help-formats option).
-    format_commands = ['rpm', 'gztar', 'bztar', 'xztar', 'ztar', 'tar',
-                       'zip', 'msi']
+    format_commands = ['rpm', 'gztar', 'bztar', 'xztar', 'ztar', 'tar', 'zip']
 
     # And the real information.
     format_command = {'rpm':   ('bdist_rpm',  "RPM distribution"),
@@ -72,10 +71,8 @@ class bdist(Command):
                       'ztar':  ('bdist_dumb', "compressed tar file"),
                       'tar':   ('bdist_dumb', "tar file"),
                       'zip':   ('bdist_dumb', "ZIP file"),
-                      'msi':   ('bdist_msi',  "Microsoft Installer")
                       }
 
-
     def initialize_options(self):
         self.bdist_base = None
         self.plat_name = None