Implementation & Configuration Flashcards

What is the correct way to pin a package to an exact version in `requirements.txt`?

Answer: package==1.2.3

The `==` operator in `requirements.txt` pins to an exact version, ensuring reproducible installs.

What does `pip install --upgrade pip` do?

Answer: Updates pip itself to the latest available version

The `--upgrade` flag tells pip to upgrade the named package (pip itself in this case) to the newest available version.

In Python, which module is used to run external shell commands and capture their output?

Answer: subprocess

The `subprocess` module provides `run()`, `Popen()`, and related tools for spawning processes and capturing stdout/stderr.

What does `python setup.py install` do compared to `pip install .`?

Answer: `setup.py install` installs into site-packages directly; `pip install .` builds a wheel first and tracks metadata better

`pip install .` creates a proper wheel and records installation metadata, making uninstallation clean; `setup.py install` copies files directly without full pip metadata.

Which file, placed at the root of a package, is read by PyPI and displayed as the package description on the package page?

Answer: README.md (or README.rst) referenced in setup.py/pyproject.toml

The README file (Markdown or reStructuredText) is referenced via `long_description` in packaging config and rendered on the PyPI project page.

What is the purpose of entry points defined in `setup.py` or `setup.cfg`?

Answer: They define command-line scripts and plugin hooks that pip installs automatically

Entry points allow packages to expose callable functions as CLI scripts or plugin hooks discoverable by other packages.

What does `pip check` do?

Answer: Checks for broken or missing dependencies among installed packages

`pip check` inspects the installed environment and reports any packages with unsatisfied or conflicting dependencies.