Virtual environment in Python 3

1 What is a virtual environment?

A virtual environment is a separate Python environment. It is isolated from your system’s Python environment. It lets you install Python packages and libraries. These packages don’t affect other projects or your system’s Python.

2 Why use a virtual environment?

• Isolate projects: Each project may need different packages and versions. A virtual environment helps you manage these dependencies. It keeps projects separate and avoids conflicts.
• Easy dependency management: You can easily install, upgrade, or remove packages in a virtual environment. This doesn’t affect other projects.
• Keep your system clean: A virtual environment keeps your system’s Python clean. It avoids conflicts and makes things easier to manage.

3 venv - Built-in tool in Python

venv is a module in Python 3. It’s easy to use for creating and managing virtual environments.

4 Example of using venv

1. Create a virtual environment:

   1	python3 -m venv myenv

   This makes a new virtual environment named myenv. It’s in the current folder.

2. Activate the virtual environment:

   • Linux/macOS:

     1	source myenv/bin/activate

   • Windows:

     1	myenv\Scripts\activate

   You’ll see the virtual environment’s name in the command prompt. This means it’s active.

3. Choose an interpreter:

   If you use VSCode for Python development and want it to use the interpreter from your virtual environment, instead of the default Python installed on your machine, you can do the following:

   • Press Ctrl + Shift + P to open the command palette.
   • Type Python: Select Interpreter and press Enter.
   • Choose the correct interpreter from your virtual environment.

   This will tell VSCode to use the Python interpreter inside your virtual environment for your project.

4. Deactivate the virtual environment:

   1	deactivate

5. Delete the virtual environment:

   Just delete the virtual environment’s folder.

5 Other tools

Besides venv, there are other tools for managing virtual environments. For example:

• virtualenv
• conda

6 Conclusion

A virtual environment is a useful tool. It helps you manage Python projects well. I hope this article helps you understand virtual environments and how to use them.