Mastering Pipenv: Simplify Python Dependency and Virtual Environment Management

Preface

In traditional mature solutions we usually create a virtual environment based on the current Python version and manage packages with pip. Pipenv is a convenient tool that helps manage packages more easily.

What is Pipenv and what does it do?

Pipenv is a Python package management tool created by Kenneth Reitz, the author of

requests

. It provides management across Python versions and packages, similar to npm or yarn in the frontend world.

It automatically creates and manages a virtual environment for a project. When you use Pipenv, it creates a

Pipfile

in the project root to record package versions, and a

Pipfile.lock

to lock versions and dependencies, preventing build errors.

It mainly solves two problems:

No need to manually create a virtual environment with virtualenv and pip for the current Python interpreter.

Eliminates unordered maintenance of

requirements.txt

by using

Pipfile

and

Pipfile.lock

instead.

Basic concepts:

Running

pipenv install

in a new project root automatically creates a virtual environment and generates a

Pipfile

.

If the

install

command is run without specifying packages and a

Pipfile

exists, Pipenv installs all packages listed under

[packages]

in the

Pipfile

.

Installing Pipenv

<code># MacOS
pip install pipenv
# Enable shell completion
echo 'eval "$(pipenv --completion)"' >> ~/.zshrc
# For CentOS 7, use /etc/profile or another env file instead of ~/.zshrc
</code>

Pros and Cons of Pipenv

Advantages:

Automatically links the project to its virtualenv, allowing quick activation.

Provides a

Pipfile

and

Pipfile.lock

as a replacement for pip and a dependency list.

Pipfile

supports fixed PyPI source URLs and a specific Python version.

Supports a development‑dependency list;

pipenv install

forces use of the source defined in the

Pipfile

.

The

pipenv graph

command displays the dependency tree.

Easy switching between Python 2 and Python 3.

Disadvantages:

On Windows the terminal prompt does not show the virtual‑env name, making it easy to lose track of the active environment.

Once a source is permanently set in the

Pipfile

, the file still shows the official source even though the configured source is used.

Using Pipenv

Creating a Pipenv virtual environment

<code># Create project directory
mkdir project1
cd project1
# Optionally specify Python version
pipenv --python 3.10.4
# Initialize Pipfile and Pipfile.lock
pipenv install
# List packages (without entering the env)
pipenv run pip list
# Activate the virtual environment
pipenv shell
# Install a package
pipenv install requests
# Show dependency graph
pipenv graph
# Update a package
pipenv update requests
# Exit the environment
exit
# Remove the virtual environment (project files remain)
pipenv --rm
</code>

Team Sharing

When sharing a project with a teammate, copy the

Pipfile

and

Pipfile.lock

into the new directory and run:

<code>mkdir project2
cd project2
pipenv install
</code>

This installs all required dependencies.

Using Pipenv in PyCharm

First add Pipenv to your PATH:

<code>vi ~/.zshrc
# python pipenv
export PATH="$PATH:/Users/allenjol/.local/" >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc
</code>

In PyCharm, create a new project and select “New environment using Pipenv”. The IDE will set up the Pipenv environment automatically.