🔒 Getting imports to work

[velvet silo]

I'm trying to install matplotlib and numpy on windows 11, but i'm not sure why they won't get called. The first image is my cmd, saying what i assume means they're installed? My python is installed in Program Files and my installed libraries are in Roaming, which might be part of the issue. Also, my cmd doesn't allow me to use "py" to call python, it has to be "python", so that might be a hint too?

[thin hamlet]

@velvet silo

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[full cloud]

how did you install python?
was it through the microsoft store?

[shut lichen]

You current pyhton has it installed, by PyLance doesn't know that. It's a separate setting in VSCode somewhere. PyLance is a linter which runs on your code in the editor to mention things which may be dubious.

[velvet silo]

it was through python.org, i got the installer

[velvet silo]

i see

[full cloud]

in that case you should have py installed and available unless you did something very strange during the installation or went in and uninstalled the python launcher

[velvet silo]

i'm very bad with this stuff, i get lost even following a wizard

i'm where pylance settings are, what am i looking for?

[shut lichen]

I don't know. Can you tell it what python instal to make use of?

[opaque rock]

In the bottom right corner of VSCode, it should tell you what Python version it's looking at. If you click that, you should be able to point it to the correct Python process you're using.

[velvet silo]

oh, i found it there

it works now, thanks

[velvet silo]

i still wonder about this though

[opaque rock]

In the terminal (either inside VSCode or not) what is the output of py -0?

[velvet silo]

it says "'py' is not recognized as an internal or external command, program or per-lot executable file"

[opaque rock]

Is that in command prompt?

[velvet silo]

yes

[opaque rock]

Humor me and can you try that same command in powershell too?

[velvet silo]

"the term 'py' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file or executable. Confirm the name was written correctly, or if an access path was included, confirm said path is correct and try again"

[opaque rock]

Then also try python -m pip --version

[opaque rock]

Huh, interesting

the py install manager doesn't seem to have been installed. Rare but happens

[velvet silo]

huh

[opaque rock]

It's not super crucial though... well. I want to check one more thing, just to be super sure

what is the output of pip --version

[flint violet]

Isn't it opt-in for 3.12?

[opaque rock]

Not from my experience, but it's been a hot second

[opaque rock]

okay you're good, I was worried it would point to a different python install

[velvet silo]

that is a reasonable worry, my python install is kinda wonky

i had to uninstall it and install it again to get pip working

[flint violet]

Give virtual environments a try sometime

pip and python will point to what you mean in the context of a virtual environment, and virtual environments isolate project dependencies on top of it

[velvet silo]

hm

[full cloud]

also, you are doing the right thing by using python -m pip over using pip directly, as using pip directly can more easily get you in trouble with multiple python installations

[flint violet]

Using python naively can have the same effect

[full cloud]

at least it's the same python that gets the modules installed then
of course, unless venvs are involved, as that can also be a source of this kind of problems unless you understand them and know how to use them properly

[velvet silo]

Venvs are something i need to get into

[full cloud]

this is a very good introduction (and more): https://realpython.com/python-virtual-environments-a-primer/

it is actually quite in-depth

[velvet silo]

Thanks

[full cloud]

and you probably don't need to read all of it if it feels too daunting

better you read some of it, than none of it

[flint violet]

What problems arise from using pip and python in the context of an activated virtual environment? If anything it means you won't be using anything outside that context so it's not like there'll be a confusion

[full cloud]

i wasn't talking of an activated venv, i meant if you forget to activate the venv when installing modules but have it active when trying to use them, or the other way around
it wasn't about python and pip, it was just that involving venvs can introduce more complexity for those who don't know them yet, even though using venvs are best practice

[untold grotto]

What does the vscode terminal show when you to run that script?

[velvet silo]

ok, i think i found something

there's two python .exes

is this normal?

[vague epoch]

You've never started your venv, no?
Was that ever mentioned in this thread already?

Oh yes, yes it was

[shut lichen]

It can be, but I think this is more misfortune than planning.

If you have several pythons around eg 3.10 and 3.12 and 3.13 (eg for compatibility with particular packages) you'd have multiple python.exe instances, one per install.

And there's one per venv also (a venv is a thin wrapper over one of the main installs).

I suspect you might have the Windows Store and the python.org pythons installed. I gather (I'm not a windows person) that the python.org one is to be preferred.

And I suspect the two installs are what led to your environment using one (the python.org one, based on the above) and pylance using the other. And thus the disagreement about what packages had been installed, as that is per-python.

[velvet silo]

hmm

[full cloud]

i think @shut lichen is correct about there being one python installed via the windows store, i would generally recommend uninstalling that one to fix possible future issues it might cause down the road

even though, doing so might create some issues right now if it's in use somewhere

@velvet silo if (and only if) you want to remove any and all python installations that comes from the windows store you can run this command in powershell

Get-AppxPackage -Name "PythonSoftwareFoundation.Python.3.*" | Remove-AppxPackage

[velvet silo]

thanks

[full cloud]

if you only want to see what it lists you can simply run the command without the | Remove-AppxPackage (before you have run it with that part, after that it's too late to inspect the list as the packages won't be left on the system anymore)

[thin hamlet]

Python help channel closed for inactivity

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