Python Virtual Environment with VS Code

These are notes for my own use. If it helps you in any way it is great!

Create virtual environment with python 3

Go to the project folder, create a virtual environment with the folder name .venv (leading with “dot” as a hidden folder)

python3 -m venv .venv

Activate virtual environment

source .venv/bin/activate

Deactivate the environment

deactivate

Check which python is in use

which python

pip or pip3

In a virtual environment, pip will automatically point to pip3 because the virtual environment is created from a specific version of Python. So just pip is enough.

List all packages installed

In the virtual environment.

pip list

Note: It is the command to check which packages installed in python in general.

Create requirements file

pip freeze > requirements.txt

Install requirement packages from file

pip install -r requirements.txt

Delete the virtual project folder

rm -rf .venv

My real-life practice

python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install wheel # need this package to install others
pip install -r requirements.txt
pip list

NOTE

This is all in the command line, and in the project folder.

After you activate the virtual environment, the prompt will be in the project folder.

You can completely ignore the virtual environment folder now and use everything as normal (Create files or run python commands in the main project folder…)