Setting up a Python Virtual Environment (venv)

A concise guide on how to set up a Python virtual environment (venv) with CLI commands, rendered in Markdown, and a CSV cheat sheet:

Setting up a Python Virtual Environment (venv)

1. Open a terminal or command prompt.

2. Navigate to the directory where you want to create your virtual environment.

   cd /path/to/your/project/directory
   

3. Create a new virtual environment using the python -m venv command.

   python -m venv my_venv
   

   This will create a new directory called my_venv in your current directory, which will contain the Python interpreter and all the packages you install.

4. Activate the virtual environment.

   • On Windows:

     my_venv\Scripts\activate
     

   • On macOS or Linux:

     source my_venv/bin/activate
     

   You should see (my_venv) at the beginning of your command prompt, indicating that the virtual environment is active.

5. Install packages in the virtual environment.

   pip install <package_name>
   

   For example, to install the numpy package:

   pip install numpy
   

6. Deactivate the virtual environment when you're done.

   deactivate
   

   This will return you to your system's default Python environment.

Virtual Environment Cheat Sheet (CSV)

| Command | Description | | --- | --- | | python -m venv my_venv | Create a new virtual environment named my_venv | | source my_venv/bin/activate | Activate the virtual environment on macOS or Linux | | my_venv\Scripts\activate | Activate the virtual environment on Windows | | deactivate | Deactivate the virtual environment | | pip install <package_name> | Install a package in the virtual environment | | pip freeze > requirements.txt | Save the installed packages to a requirements.txt file | | pip install -r requirements.txt | Install packages from a requirements.txt file |

Remember, always activate your virtual environment before installing or using packages to ensure that your project's dependencies are isolated from the system's default Python environment.