🔒 Help with venv in vs code

[timid umbra]

Wondering what the benefits of virtual environments in vs code

[shut plover]

@timid umbra

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[lament ember]

Virtual environments are useful when working with multiple projects because it helps you isolate a project's dependencies from another and avoid dependency conflicts. So that's why it's a nice habit to get into.

[clear flint]

venv or an Virtual environments are pretty helpful it helps create a 1. Dependency Isolation 2. Clean Project Dependencies 3. No System Pollution & python version controls

[vocal compass]

basically when you are in a virtual enviorment whatever you pip install is only in that folder, not on your whole system. its a good way to test things.

[nimble ruin]

It's also a reliable place to install packages. If you're not using a venv your (as a user) have less certainty about which python env's getting your package. On some systems you can install in the "system" python.
We get a fair number of questions like "I installed package X but I can't import it" which are often from "pip install did not install into the particular env I'm using".

@timid umbra

[tulip silo]

to add to the convo, I want to provide an example:
Imagine you imported a lib called mylib and required a version of 0.0.3. Now imagine you have another project that imports the same library but at a different version. That's what virtual environments aim to solve is how i see it as

[timid umbra]

Thanks for the insight, I bet this will get necessary as I jump into projects 💪

[nimble ruin]

My default (nonproject) Python also comes from a venv.

[timid umbra]

Does that venv have a lot of libraries installed?

[nimble ruin]

Well, the several I routinely use (across various scripts).

[nimble ruin]

Hmm, on inspection, quite a lot. But many come from dependencies of the particular things I want. Eg installing pandas or matplotlib pulls in lots of other supporting stuff.

[shut plover]

Python help channel closed for inactivity

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