Virtual environment

Learn to create virtual environments with venv.

Virtual environment

A virtual environment creates a separate Python directory for a project. Packages installed there do not pollute the global Python; each project gets its own dependency tree.

python -m venv .venv

The command creates a fresh Python copy in the .venv/ directory. When activated, pip install writes only into this directory and leaves global packages untouched.

venv.EnvBuilder

venv.EnvBuilder is the class that creates a virtual environment from Python code. The with_pip=True parameter also installs pip; clear=True wipes an existing directory.

import venv

builder = venv.EnvBuilder(with_pip=True)
builder.create(".venv")

EnvBuilder does the same job as the python -m venv command line, but it can be called from scripts. This is handy for writing automated setup commands.

Exercise Print the type of the EnvBuilder object

Start with import venv. Create a builder object with builder = venv.EnvBuilder(with_pip=False). Print the class name of the object with print(type(builder).__name__).

Show example solution

import venv

builder = venv.EnvBuilder(with_pip=False)
print(type(builder).__name__)

Test yourself

What does python -m venv .venv do?
- Creates a virtual environment
- Builds a wheel
- Uploads the package to PyPI
- Freezes dependencies
Show answer

Creates a virtual environment — The venv command creates a virtual environment in .venv.

Complete the EnvBuilder call

import venv

builder = venv.____(with_pip=True)

Show answer

import venv

builder = venv.EnvBuilder(with_pip=True)

Match the venv concepts

venv

Virtual env module
EnvBuilder

Class that builds envs
with_pip

Also installs pip
.venv

Env directory

Next lesson: pip install

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