Python Starting to Learn Python: Development Tools and Environments

[Locrian]

The problem is that in Windows there is no such thing as "yourenvfolder".

Sure there is!

Here's the exact code I would type to create and activate it in git bash:

python -m venv envs/physicsforum
source envs/physicsforum/Scripts/activate

The first line creates a "phsysicsforum" folder in my "envs" folder. Envs is where I keep all my environments; you can put yours somewhere else. You can even place it in your repo, though that's generally inadvisable. You might need to do so if you're leveraging lambda or other serverless tool.

The second line activates that folder in my path, just as you say needs to be done.

When I'm done with that environment, i can activate another one or type "deactivate" to return to defaults.

I keep an activate.env bash script in each of my repos that does the "source" command, so I don't have to type it in every time.

 

[pbuk]

Sure there is!...

I don't doubt that your solution works for you, however it is solving a different problem to the one we are discussing here, namely:

• Starting to Learn Python
• I've never programmed (or done anything technical) on Windows
• I don't want to get into installing Linux at this stage

 

[Locrian]

I haven't suggested installing linux, just git bash. If you don't like the git bash terminal, you can use the windows terminal to do the same thing (it will even give you that option when you install git bash).

The important thing I want folks to take away from this is that there's nothing magical about the Python environment. There's no Windows Python package management system or something like that.

Python package management consists of
1) A folder (with a specific subfolder structure)
2) A way to get code into that folder, compiling when necessary (and with the right structure)
3) A way to point Python to that folder

There are programs that obscure this in the name of ease, and there's nothing wrong with using them. . . until they don't work. Then if you don't understand what's happening behind the scenes, it can all seem very mysterious and hard to solve.

 

[archaic]

python actually comes with a very simple "ide" on windows.

 

[WWGD]

Spyder coupled with Anacondais a good IDE. I use it all the time and it has served me well. Works on both Windows and Linux.

How is Spyder different from Jupyter notebooks?

 

[Dr Transport]

How is Spyder different from Jupyter notebooks?

I couldn't tell you, I've never used a Jupyter notebook.

 

[Locrian]

Spyder is a different experience than a notebook - it isn't a web application, and doesn't have the same options for graphics, narrative text, etc. within the code. However, like a notebook, it does keep a kernel running, which can allow for some very nice debugging options. Spyder will feel more like Pycharm to those used to Jupyter.

My only complaint with Spyder is that, for reasons that I cannot fathom, it takes absolutely forever to spin up on my work machine. Like, 3-10 minutes. It comes right up at home, so I assume it's the anti-virus or some similar program getting in the way.