Environment Setup
Package Management
3 min read
pip is Python's package installer. It lets you install libraries from the Python Package Index (PyPI), which hosts over 500,000 packages.
Installing Packages
# Make sure your virtual environment is activated first!
# Install a single package
pip install requests
# Install a specific version
pip install openai>=1.50.0
# Install multiple packages
pip install langchain openai tiktoken
Common AI Packages
| Package | Purpose |
|---|---|
openai |
OpenAI API client |
anthropic |
Claude API client |
langchain |
AI agent framework |
requests |
HTTP requests |
python-dotenv |
Load environment variables |
requirements.txt
This file lists all your project's dependencies. It's essential for sharing your project.
Creating requirements.txt
# Export all installed packages
pip freeze > requirements.txt
Example requirements.txt:
openai>=1.50.0
langchain>=0.3.0
python-dotenv==1.0.0
requests==2.31.0
Installing from requirements.txt
pip install -r requirements.txt
Version Specifiers
openai==1.50.0 # Exact version
openai>=1.50.0 # Minimum version
openai>=1.50,<2.0 # Version range
openai~=1.50.0 # Compatible release (>=1.50.0, <1.51.0)
Upgrading Packages
# Upgrade a specific package
pip install --upgrade openai
# Upgrade pip itself
pip install --upgrade pip
Next, we'll learn how to securely manage API keys with environment variables. :::