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Packaging tools comparisons
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.. contents::
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Use cases
=========

.. csv-table::
    :align: left
    :header-rows: 1
    :stub-columns: 1

    ,Install Python,Install packages,Build distributions,Upload distributions,Manage virtual environments,Lock files
    build,no,no,yes,no,no,no
    Flit,no,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes
    Hatch,no,yes,yes,yes,yes,no
    PDM,no,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes
    pip,no,yes,yes,no,no,yes
    pip-tools,no,yes,no,no,no,yes
    Pipenv,no,yes,no,no,yes,yes
    pipx,no,yes,no,no,no,no
    Poetry,no,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes
    pyenv,yes,no,no,no,no,no
    Pyflow,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes
    setuptools,no,yes,yes,no,no,no
    twine,no,no,no,yes,no,no
    venv,no,no,no,no,yes,no
    virtualenv,no,no,no,no,yes,no
    virtualenvwrapper,no,no,no,no,yes,no
    wheel,no,no,yes,no,no,no

Build back-ends are not listed here, but they are in a dedicated section below.


Comparisons
===========

Development workflow tools
--------------------------

.. csv-table::
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    ,``[build-system]`` (PEP-517),Build,Upload,Manage virtual environments,Interchangeable build back-end,Plugins,Lock file
    Flit,yes,yes,yes,no,no,no,no
    Hatch,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,no
    PDM,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes
    Poetry,yes,yes,yes,yes,no,yes,yes
    Pyflow,no,yes,yes,yes,no,no,yes

See also build back-end features in dedicated section.

There is no standard for lock files.


Install Python interpreters
---------------------------

.. csv-table::
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    ,Install Python interpreters
    pyenv,yes
    Pyflow,yes


Install packages
----------------

.. csv-table::
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    ,Dependency resolution,Editable
    pip,yes,yes
    pip-tools,yes,yes
    Pipenv,yes,yes
    pipx,yes,no

``pipx`` is intended to be used to install standalone applications
rather than to install packages in a virtual environment.


Build distributions
-------------------

These tools are also called "*build front-ends*".

.. csv-table::
    :align: left
    :header-rows: 1
    :stub-columns: 1

    ,``[build-system]`` (PEP-517),sdist,wheel
    build,yes,yes,yes
    pip,yes,no,yes
    wheel,no,no,yes
    "dev workflow tools (Hatch, Flit, PDM, Poetry, etc.)",yes,yes,yes


Build back-ends
---------------

.. csv-table::
    :align: left
    :header-rows: 1
    :stub-columns: 1

    ,``[build-system]`` (PEP-517),``[project]`` (PEP-621),Editable installation (PEP-660),Extensions configuration
    ``enscons``,yes,yes,yes,*SCONS*
    ``flit-core``,yes,yes,yes,no
    ``hatchling``,yes,yes,yes,via plug-ins
    ``maturin``,yes,yes,yes,*Cargo* (*Rust*)
    ``meson-python``,yes,yes,yes,*Meson*
    ``pdm-backend``,yes,yes,yes,no
    ``poetry-core``,yes,no,yes,``build.py`` [#]_
    ``pymsbuild``,yes,no,no,``_msbuild.py``
    ``scikit-build-core``,yes,yes,no,*CMake*
    ``setuptools``,yes,yes,yes,``setup.py``
    ``trampolim``,yes,yes,no,no
    ``whey``,yes,yes,yes,no

.. [#]  Poetry has an undocumented feature allowing
        the customization of the build process via a ``build.py`` file,
        which indirectly allows the handling of C extensions
        (this is  comparable to ``setuptools`` own `setup.py`).


Upload distributions
--------------------

.. csv-table::
    :align: left
    :header-rows: 1
    :stub-columns: 1

    ,Upload
    Flit,yes
    Hatch,yes
    PDM,yes
    Poetry,yes
    twine,yes


Manage virtual environments
---------------------------

.. csv-table::
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    :header-rows: 1
    :stub-columns: 1

    ,For any Python interpreter,Description in file
    Hatch,yes,yes [#]_
    nox,yes,yes [#]_
    PDM,yes,no
    Pipenv,yes,no
    Poetry,yes,no
    tox,yes,yes [#]_
    venv,no,no
    virtualenv,yes,no
    virtualenvwrapper,yes,no

Unlike the other tools presented in this section,
``venv`` is part of Python's own standard library,
it should be always available without having to be installed separately.
But note that some Linux distributions (e.g. Debian, Ubuntu, and derivatives)
made the decision to package ``venv`` separately from the rest of the Python distribution
and consequently it might be necessary to install ``venv`` explicitly
(typically with a command such as ``apt install python3-venv``,
consult the documentation of the Linux distribution for exact details).

.. [#] ``[tool.hatch.envs]`` section of ``pyproject.toml``
.. [#] ``noxfile.py``
.. [#] ``tox.ini``


Lock files
----------

There is no PyPA standard for the concept of "*lock files*".
There is some kind of a *de facto* convention
around *pip*'s ``requirements.txt`` file format
but it can not be considered a good enough *lock file* format.

.. csv-table::
    :align: left
    :header-rows: 1
    :stub-columns: 1

    ,Format
    pip,``requirements.txt``
    pip-tools,``requirements.txt``
    Pipenv,``Pipfile.lock``
    poetry,``poetry.lock``
    PDM,``pdm.lock``


..
    EOF