Introduction and Comparison of Anaconda & Pip, Pyenv, Pipenv
The preceding article outlines the installation process for Pyenv and Pipenv. Building upon this exposition, I want to offer a more comprehensive overview of their functionalities and draw a comparative analysis against Anaconda.
Reviewer: Jeffrey Chen, a student in NTUST-AIVC, studying image processing and writing articles. Visit my homepage and GitHub to see more.
What is Pip?
Pip is a popular tool for managing Python packages, allowing users to easily manipulate packages for download, install, upgrade, uninstall, etc. It can also order the dependencies between different package versions.
Currently, most people use Pip3 as their package management tool. Pip3 is a package management tool for Python 3 and supports the installation of packages of Python 2 as well, while Pip is the package management tool for Python 2. Since Python 3 and Python 2 have some syntax and library differences, it is necessary to use different versions of package management tools.
Pyenv vs Pipenv
Pyenv and Pipenvare two different tools in the Python ecosystem, each with its functionality and purpose.
In general, Pyenv is primarily used for managing the versions of Python and Pipenv is used for managing the dependent relationships of Python packages.
The introduction of Anaconda
Anaconda is an open-source distribution for data science and machine learning, simplifying the management of Python environments and the installation of packages. It includes Python interpreter, commonly used data science packages such as numpy, pandas, matplotlib, and various development tools like Jupyter Notebook, Spyder, etc.
The package manager Conda in Anaconda can install, update, and uninstall libraries, environments, and software packages. Users can quickly and easily configure and manage Python environments without conflict with the software packages in other Python environments.
Difference between Anaconda & Pip
Pip is the default software package manager for Python and can only manage Python software packages. It is typically used in conjunction with Python and can install, upgrade, and uninstall Python software packages. Pip requires manual management of Python environments and dependencies, so it can become complex when managing many Python software packages.
In contrast, Anaconda is an independent Python distribution that includes the Python interpreter and a range of data science packages, tools, and environments. In addition to Python, Anaconda also supports other languages such as R, Scala, Julia, etc. The Conda package manager in Anaconda can easily manage Python environments and dependencies, and is more intelligent, making managing Python software packages easier.
Pip vs. Anaconda, which is better?
Here is a comparison between Pip and Anaconda, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of both.
In my opinion, Pip's most obvious advantage is that it is easier to use, has a smaller installation size, and is suitable for any Python system environment, making it a lightweight tool. However, the environment and dependencies of Pip need to be managed manually, which can be difficult when managing complex projects. On the other hand, Anaconda comes with many built-in scientific libraries, and the software package manager Conda can help users quickly set up and manage Python environments and dependencies. However, it takes up much more space than Pip, and unnecessary databases may occupy the storage space. Moreover, there may be compatibility issues when transferring the environments to other systems.
Conclusion
This article introduces the differences between Python package management tools including Pip, Pyenv, Pipenv, and Anaconda. Pip is the default package management tool for Python, allowing users to easily download, install, upgrade, and uninstall Python packages. Pyenv is used to manage Python versions, while Pipenv is used to manage packages, and Anaconda is a distribution of Python (think of it as a lazy package of Python). The article also lists the pros, cons, and differences between them. As for which is better between Pip and Anaconda, well… what do you think?
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