After the CI build is merged (#614 #613), I believe the package structure needs to be addressed. Currently, the package structure obfuscates the build structure which makes contributing as a new developer is challenging. I would therefore propose to refactor the build structure to address these concerns. This would address point 3 raised here. The following structure would work:

/basemap
├── basemap/
├── data/
│   ├── basemap_data/
│   ├── basemap_hires/
├── pyproject.toml
├── build scripts
└── README.md
└── examples

To achieve this, we need to

• update the CI builds with the new structure
• Unify the setup.py and setup.cfg in pyproject.toml for a single point of entry to understand how the package is built
• Move towards implicit namespaces

This restructuring would create a better user experience, allow for easier maintenance, consistent versioning, and simplify the build process.

Happy to hear your thoughts!