At its core, every Python installation consists of two things: an interpreter
and modules. The modules, in turn, come from the standard library and from
third-party packages, if you’ve installed any. Together, these provide the
essential components you need to execute a Python program: a Python
environment (Figure 2-1).
Python installations aren’t the only kind of Python environment. Virtual
environments are stripped-down environments that share the interpreter and the
standard library with a full installation. You use them to install third-party
packages for a specific project or application while keeping the system-wide
environment pristine.
Note
This book uses Python environment as an umbrella term that includes both
system-wide installations and virtual environments. Beware that some people only
use the term for project-specific environments, like virtual environments or
Conda environments.
Figure 2-1. Python environments consist of an interpreter and modules. Virtual environments share the interpreter and the standard library with their parent environment.
Managing environments is a crucial aspect of Python development. You’ll want to make sure your code works on your users’ systems, particularly across the language versions you support, and possibly across major versions of an important third-party package. A Python environment can contain ...
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