Virtual Environment Tutorial
There are multiple ways of creating a **[Python virtual environment](https://packaging.python.org/guides/installing-using-pip-and-virtual-environments/#creating-a-virtual-environment)**. This tutorial covers two of those:
* The ``venv`` command (included with Python 3+).
* The virtualenvwrapper ``mkvirtualenv`` command.
``venv`` creates virtual environments in the location where run (generally with Python projects).
``mkvirtualenv`` creates virtual environments in one place (generally in your home directory).
(The [Python Software Foundation](https://www.python.org/psf/) recommends ``venv`` for creating virtual environments.)
Part 1: Using "venv"
> macOS/Linux terminal (``python3 -m venv ENV``)
```bash
python3 -m venv sbase_env
source sbase_env/bin/activate
```
> Windows CMD prompt (``py -m venv ENV``):
```bash
py -m venv sbase_env
call sbase_env\\Scripts\\activate
```
To exit a virtual env, type ``deactivate``.
--------
Part 2: Using virtualenvwrapper
> macOS/Linux terminal:
```bash
python3 -m pip install virtualenvwrapper --force-reinstall
export WORKON_HOME=$HOME/.virtualenvs
source `which virtualenvwrapper.sh`
```
(*Shortcut*: Run ``source virtualenv_install.sh`` from the top-level SeleniumBase folder to perform the above steps.)
(If you add ``source `which virtualenvwrapper.sh` `` to your local bash file (``~/.bash_profile`` on macOS, or ``~/.bashrc`` on Linux), virtualenvwrapper commands such as ``mkvirtualenv`` will be available whenever you open a new command prompt.)
> Windows CMD prompt:
```bash
py -m pip install virtualenvwrapper-win --force-reinstall --user
```
(*Shortcut*: Run ``win_virtualenv.bat`` from the top-level SeleniumBase folder to perform the above step.)
Create a virtual environment:
* ``mkvirtualenv ENV``:
```bash
mkvirtualenv sbase_env
```
(If you have multiple versions of Python installed on your machine, and you want your virtual environment to use a specific Python version, add ``--python=PATH_TO_PYTHON_EXE`` to your ``mkvirtualenv`` command with the Python executable to use.)
virtualenvwrapper commands:
Creating a virtual environment:
```bash
mkvirtualenv sbase_env
```
Leaving your virtual environment:
```bash
deactivate
```
Returning to a virtual environment:
```bash
workon sbase_env
```
Listing all virtual environments:
```bash
lsvirtualenv
```
Deleting a virtual environment:
```bash
rmvirtualenv sbase_env
```
--------
> [python-guide.org/en/latest/dev/virtualenvs](http://docs.python-guide.org/en/latest/dev/virtualenvs/) has more information about Python virtual environments. For specific details about VirtualEnv and VirtualEnvWrapper, see [http://virtualenv.readthedocs.org/en/latest/](http://virtualenv.readthedocs.org/en/latest/) and [http://virtualenvwrapper.readthedocs.org/en/latest/](http://virtualenvwrapper.readthedocs.org/en/latest/).