Python: Install With Virtual Environment

Contents

1 Storage Setup
2 Install Python
3 Setup the Virtual Environment
4 Use requirements.txt
5 Reference

Storage Setup

Create directories to install Python and to save projects. Replace d: with the drive of your choice.

md d:\dev
md d:\dev\python
md d:\dev\python\pyprojects
md d:\dev\python\pyversions
md d:\dev\python\pyversions\py<major & minor version> e.g. py0313 for Python v3.13

Install Python

Download the latest stable version of Python.

Install python in d:\dev\python\pyversions\py<major & minor version> e.g. py0313 for Python v3.13

Update pip (Preferred Installer Program)

python.exe -m pip install --upgrade pip
pip list

Setup the Virtual Environment

Best practice is to create a separate virtual environment for each project.

cd d:\dev\python\pyprojects
md demo-project
cd demo-project
python -m venv .venv

Activate the Virtual Environment

cd d:\dev\python\pyprojects\demo-project
.venv\Scripts\activate
- This sets the path and environment variables for the selected version of Python.

Install a module/library in the Virtual Environment

(.venv) D:\python\pyprojects\demo-project> pip install numpy
Or # python -m pip install numpy

Deactivate the Virtual Environment

.venv\Scripts\deactivate

Use requirements.txt

For each project create a “requirements.txt” with the list of dependencies/libraries/packages the project requires.

# pip install -r requirements.txt
- Anything already installed will be skipped.