**Develop or Install: When to Use Which setup.py Command in Python Package Development?**

Navigating Python Package Development: Setup.py Develop vs Install

In the realm of Python package management, setup.py plays a crucial role. Among its commands, develop and install serve distinct purposes, often leaving developers in a state of confusion. Let's shed light on their usage.

Understanding Python setup.py Develop

Setup.py develop establishes a special connection to the site-packages directory. Unlike a regular install, develop installs the package in a lightweight manner, simply creating a source folder structure within site-packages. This approach allows for seamless code editing without the need for constant re-installations.

Benefits and Use Cases for Develop

Develop finds its niche in the realm of package development. It enables a dynamic development cycle where changes to the package's source code are reflected immediately in the installed environment. This is particularly suitable for developers actively working on the package, allowing for iterative debugging and testing.

Understanding Python setup.py Install

Setup.py install, in contrast, performs a traditional installation. It copies the package files to a designated directory within site-packages. The installed package is fully functional, but any changes to the source code necessitate a complete re-installation.

Best Practices: Using Develop and Install Wisely

For third-party packages or packages that will not undergo frequent modifications, setup.py install suffices. However, for packages under development, where code iterations are common, setup.py develop is the preferred choice.

Note:

It's recommended to favor pip install over setup.py directly for installing packages. Pip ensures proper dependency management and compatibility checks, while setup.py may introduce issues with prereleases and incompatible versions.

Update: Modern Development Workflow

The python -m build approach is gaining traction as a more streamlined alternative to setup.py. Its develop counterpart is as follows:

python -m build -e .

This command installs the package in a manner similar to setup.py develop, offering live code changes reflections and easy debugging.

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