Creating and Using Virtual Environments in Visual Studio Code on macOS

Virtual environments are crucial for managing Python project dependencies. In this tutorial, we'll explore how to create and activate a virtual environment within Visual Studio Code on macOS.

Step 1: Open Visual Studio Code

Launch Visual Studio Code and open your Python project.

Step 2: Open a New Terminal

Go to the "View" menu and select "Terminal" or press Ctrl + ` to open a new terminal in Visual Studio Code.

Step 3: Create a Virtual Environment

python3 -m venv venv

This creates a virtual environment named venv. Make sure you have Python 3 installed; if not, use Homebrew to install it (brew install python).

Step 4: Activate the Virtual Environment

source venv/bin/activate

Your terminal prompt should change, indicating that you are now in the virtual environment.

Step 5: Install Dependencies (Optional)

While in the virtual environment, use pip to install project-specific dependencies:

pip install package_name

Step 6: Deactivate the Virtual Environment

Once done, deactivate the virtual environment:

deactivate

This returns you to the global Python environment.

Conclusion

Creating and using virtual environments in Visual Studio Code provides a clean space for managing project dependencies, crucial for smooth development.

Happy coding!