Before a Python Project Virtualenv

May 07, 2014 1 min 44 s

###Introduction virtualenv is a tool to create isolated Python enviroments.

Imagine that when you have a few projects on hand simultaneously, and each project requires different Python package. Of course you can install the package i.e:Django globally on your /usr/bin/python but it’s not recommendeded to install packages gloablly. For instance, let’s install Django package globally into your computer via pip.

$ sudo pip install django

pip is a tool for installing and managing Python packages.

With this package, you created a successful project. After sometime you update you package for the new Django version.

$ sudo pip install -U django

Then another client demands for a slightly different project and you use the current package to create another awesome project. Everything seems fine on this awesome project but you’ll sooon discover that your brilliant project(previous) doesn’t work anymore. This is because as newer version of package is released, the API is changed simultaneously. It might be just a minor upgrade for the code, but it’ll do a lot of damage. And that’s when you spend your time to upgrade your code for your previous project. If you’re using virtualenv for each of your project, you won’t be affect.

###Installation Installing virtualenv is extremely easy.

$ sudo pip install virtualenv

###Getting Started To create a new virtual environment,

$ cd /projects/
$ virtualenv ENV

where ENV is the name of your new created directory. Of course if your have other projects, you probably will do something like this.

$ virtualenv ENV_projectA
$ virtualenv ENV_projectB

To begin using the ENV, it had to be activated.

#First let's check if we are using the global python
$ which python 			
/usr/bin/python

#Now let's activate the virtual environment
$ source ENV/bin/activate 
$ which python
/home/username/projects/ENV/bin/python

Then it’s time for you to install any modules you wish under this environment. When you’re done working for the moment, you can deactivate it. Also there is no command to delete your virtual environment. Simply delete the directory using rm after deactivating.

$ deactivate
$ sudo rm -rf ENV 			# ENV gone

###Conclusion The workflow of virtualenv is extremely easy and simple. The only module you need to install it globally is probably virtualenv which containing copy of python, pip and their own directory to store other libraries installed.

###Resource