Simple Guide to Setting Up virtualenv on Windows

1. Install Python

Before anything, make sure you have Python installed. You can download the latest version from the official Python website. During the installation, check the box that says “Add Python to PATH.” This makes it easier for you to use Python command-line tools.

2. Install virtualenv

Once Python is good to go, you can install virtualenv using pip, which comes with Python. Open your Command Prompt (you can search for “cmd” in the Start menu) and run this command:

pip install virtualenv

3. Create a Virtual Environment

To create a new virtual environment, navigate to the folder where you want it (use ‘cd folder_path’ to change directories), then execute the following command:

virtualenv env_name

You can name your environment whatever you want, but avoid spaces. Use underscores (_) or dashes (-) instead.

4. Activate the Virtual Environment

To activate your virtual environment, run this command:

env_name\Scripts\activate

You’ll know it’s activated when you see the environment name at the start of your command prompt.

5. Installing Packages

Now you can install packages using pip, and they’ll only be in your virtual environment:

pip install package_name

If you have a list of packages (like from a requirements.txt file), you can install all of them with:

pip install -r requirements.txt

6. Managing Environments

If you want to deactivate the environment, just run:

deactivate

To delete an environment you no longer need, simply delete its folder. For switching between environments, just activate the one you need by running the activate command as shown before.

Tips

• Keep your environments organized: Consider naming them based on the project.
• If you run into issues, check if the environment is activated.
• Explore using requirements.txt to manage dependencies easily.

That’s it! You’re all set to start working on your Python projects without the dependency mess!