Python conda build tutorial

Daisy 146 Published: 06/22/2024

Python conda build tutorial

I'm happy to provide a step-by-step guide on building a Conda package with Python!

What is Conda?

Conda is a package manager and environment management system that allows you to easily install, run, and manage multiple versions of packages and their dependencies. It's particularly useful for data scientists and developers who work with various libraries and frameworks.

Why build a Conda package?

Building a Conda package can be beneficial in several ways:

Easy sharing: Conda packages can be shared with others, making it easy to collaborate on projects. Dependency management: Conda takes care of dependencies for you, ensuring that all required packages are installed and versioned correctly. Isolation: Each Conda environment is isolated from other environments, preventing package conflicts or versioning issues.

Step-by-Step Guide: Building a Conda Package with Python

Create a new directory for your project: Make a new folder to store your project files. For this example, we'll use my_package.

mkdir my_package cd my_package

Create a setup.py file: This file will contain the necessary information for Conda to build your package.

Create a new file named setup.py and add the following code:

from setuptools import setup, find_packages
setup(
name='My Package',
version='1.0.0',
packages=find_packages(),
install_requires=['numpy', 'pandas'],
)

This script tells Conda what your package is called, what its version number is, and which packages it depends on.

Create a conda-build file: This file will contain the instructions for building your Conda package.

Create a new file named meta.yaml (yes, that's a real filename!) and add the following code:

from conda_forge import conda_build
package_name = "my_package"
version = "1.0.0"
conda_build(
name=package_name,
version=version,
build_number=0,
)

This script tells Conda how to build your package.

Create a test directory: This is where you'll put your test files (if you have any).

Create a new folder named test and add some sample tests:

mkdir test touch test/my_test.py

Install Conda dependencies: You need to install Conda itself, as well as the conda-build package.

Run the following command in your terminal:

conda install conda conda install -c defaults conda-build

Build and package your project: Use the conda build command to create a tarball of your package.

Run the following command in your terminal:

conda build .

This will generate a .tar.bz2 file containing your package.

Upload your package to Anaconda Cloud: You can upload your package to Anaconda Cloud, where it can be shared with others and easily installed via Conda.

Run the following command in your terminal:

anaconda-cloud push .

Congratulations!

You've successfully built a Conda package with Python!

Remember that building a Conda package requires some knowledge of Python packaging and Conda-specific configuration files. If you're new to this, don't worry – it's worth the learning curve for the benefits you'll gain in project organization and collaboration.

How to build a Python package with conda?

Building a Python package with conda is a straightforward process that can help you share your code with the world. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do it:

Prerequisites

You have a Python project that you want to distribute as a package. You have conda installed on your machine. If not, download and install Anaconda or Miniconda, depending on your operating system.

Step 1: Create a setup.py file

In the root directory of your project, create a file named setup.py. This file contains metadata about your package and is used by conda to build and distribute your package. Here's an example setup.py file:

from setuptools import setup
setup(
name='mypackage',
version='1.0.0',
packages=['mypackage'],  # replace with your package name
author='Your Name',
author_email='[email protected]',
url='https://github.com/you/mypackage',  # replace with your package URL
description='A brief description of mypackage.',
long_description=open('README.md').read(),  # replace with your README file
classifiers=[
'Development Status :: 5 - Production Ready',
'Intended Audience :: Developers',
'Topic :: Software Development'
],
keywords='mypackage development',
python_requires='>=3.7',  # replace with the required Python version
)

Step 2: Create a README.md file

In the root directory of your project, create a file named README.md. This file should contain a brief description of your package, its features, and any installation or usage instructions.

Step 3: Build Your Package

Run the following command in your terminal:

conda build . --output-dir mypackage-1.0.0

This will create a conda package named mypackage-1.0.0 in the current directory. The dot (.) refers to the root directory of your project.

Step 4: Upload Your Package

Once you have built your package, you can upload it to a package repository like Anaconda Cloud or GitHub Packages. For example, to upload your package to Anaconda Cloud, run:

conda upload mypackage-1.0.0.tar.gz --username YOUR_USERNAME --password YOUR_PASSWORD

Replace YOUR_USERNAME and YOUR_PASSWORD with your Anaconda Cloud credentials.

Step 5: Install Your Package

To install your package using conda, simply run:

conda install -c anaconda mypackage=1.0.0

This will download and install the latest version of your package from Anaconda Cloud.

That's it! With these steps, you should now have a Python package built with conda that you can distribute to the world. Happy packaging!