How to Create and Use Virtual Environments

• Create a Virtual Environment: Run the following command in your terminal to create a virtual environment:

    python -m venv myenv
  

  This creates a folder (myenv) containing a Python interpreter and a separate package directory.

• Activate the Virtual Environment:

  • On Windows: .\myenv\Scripts\activate

  • On Mac/Linux: source myenv/bin/activate

After activation, your terminal prompt changes, indicating the virtual environment is active.

• Install Dependencies: Install packages using pip, and they’ll only be available in this environment:

    pip install package_name
  

• Deactivate the Environment: When done, simply deactivate it by typing:

    deactivate
  

  

  Best Practices: Managing Dependencies

  To ensure that your virtual environment is not uploaded to GitHub or other cloud repositories, follow these steps:

  1. Use .gitignore to Exclude the Virtual Environment: Create or edit a .gitignore file in your project root and add the following line:

      # Ignore the virtual environment folder
      venv/
     

     

     This prevents Git from tracking your venv folder, keeping your repository clean.

  2. Generate a requirements.txt file: To save all dependencies, run:

     (Make sure the Virtual Environment is activated.)

      pip freeze > requirements.txt
     

     

     This file lists all installed packages with their versions.

     

  3. Clone or Update the Repository with Dependencies: After cloning or pulling the repository, create a virtual environment and install dependencies with:

     1. (Make sure to crate you repository in GitHub then copy the URL link to connect your local project to your GitHub repository)

         pip install -r requirements.txt
        

LINK

REPOSITORY:

https://github.com/MonetForProgrammingPurposes/my-python-project