pip vs pipenv: What are the differences?
# Differences between pip and pipenv
Pip and pipenv are both package managers used in Python development. However, they differ in several key aspects.
1. **Dependency Management**:
Pip installs packages globally, affecting all projects, while pipenv creates a virtual environment for each project, isolating dependencies.
2. **Locking Dependencies**:
Pip does not provide a built-in way to lock dependencies to ensure consistency across environments, whereas pipenv generates a `Pipfile.lock` file that locks dependencies to specific versions.
3. **Environment Management**:
Pip does not manage virtual environments directly, leaving that task to tools like virtualenv, while pipenv handles both dependency and environment management in one tool.
4. **Workflow Integration**:
Pip requires additional tools for workflow automation, such as virtualenv and requirements.txt files, while pipenv streamlines the workflow by combining dependency and environment management.
5. **Development vs Production Dependencies**:
Pip installs all dependencies, including development and production, in one go, which can lead to unnecessary packages in production. In contrast, pipenv segregates development and production dependencies to avoid clutter in the final environment.
6. **Activation of Virtual Environments**:
With pip, developers need to manually activate and deactivate virtual environments, while pipenv automatically activates and deactivates virtual environments when working within a project.
In Summary, pip and pipenv differ in their approach to dependency management, locking dependencies, environment management, workflow integration, handling of development vs production dependencies, and activation of virtual environments.