Python virtual environment
Setting up a Python virtual environment (venv) involves creating an isolated folder for your project dependencies and then activating it in your terminal. This prevents conflicts between different projects.
Step 1: Create the Virtual Environment
Navigate to your project directory in the terminal or command prompt and run the following command. It will create a new folder named venv (a common convention) in your current directory.
bash: python -m venv venv
python (or python3 on some systems): Invokes the Python interpreter.
-m venv: Tells Python to run the venv module as a script.
venv: The name of the directory to create for the virtual environment
Step 2: Activate the Virtual Environment
After creating the environment, you must activate it. The command depends on your operating system and the shell you are using
bash : source venv/bin/activate
Once activated, your terminal prompt will usually change to show the name of the environment in parentheses (e.g., (venv)).
Step 3: Install Packages
With the venv active, any packages you install using pip will be placed in the isolated environment's site-packages directory.
bash : pip install <package_name>
You can generate a requirements.txt file to share your project's dependencies:
bash : pip freeze > requirements.txt
Step 4: Deactivate the Environment
When you are finished working on the project, you can exit the virtual environment by simply typing:
bash : deactivate
