A Complete Guide to Python Virtual Environments

A Complete Guide to Python Virtual Environments

Python virtual environments are a great way to keep your development environment organized and your codebase clean. A Python virtual environment is a separate, isolated working copy of python and its associated libraries, where you can build and experiment with different versions of software without affecting the rest of your system. In this guide, we’ll explore how to create, manage and delete a Python virtual environment.

What is a Python Virtual Environment?

A virtual environment (venv) is a copy of the python interpreter and its associated libraries, installed into an isolated directory in your system. By using a venv, you can set up different development environments and test different versions of software without impacting other projects. This also allows you to keep your main Python library free from clutter, so when a new project comes up you don’t have to reconfigure your main library.

Creating a Python Virtual Environment

Creating a virtual environment is easy. You can do it in your system’s terminal or command prompt, just by typing in a few commands. Here’s the most common way to create a virtual environment:

• Navigate to a directory you’d like to use for your venv, and enter the following command: python -m venv path/to/new/virtual/environment
• Activate your new virtual environment with the following command: source path/to/new/virtual/environment/bin/activate

Once you’ve activated your venv, you can start up a new python interpreter by running python3 in the terminal.

Managing a Python Virtual Environment

Managing your venv requires you to become familiar with a few commands. For example, you can install packages into your venv with the pip install command. You can also freeze packages in your venv with the pip freeze command. Finally, you can list the packages installed in a venv with the pip list command.

Deleting a Python Virtual Environment

To delete a virtual environment, just delete its directory. Make sure that you’re not inside the venv before deleting it. It’s also important to make sure that there are no processes running in the venv before deleting it. To exit a venv, simply type deactivate in the terminal.

Conclusion

Python virtual environments are a great way to keep your development environment organized and your codebase clean. They allow you to create multiple isolated environments, within which you can install packages, freeze packages, and even list the packages installed. Creating, managing, and deleting Python virtual environments is easy as long as you follow the steps outlined in this guide.