Extension support for environment managers

[karthiknadig]

Overview

The intent of the Python Environments extension is to enable developers to provide support for their favorite Python environment and package managers by shipping support via its own extension. This extension provides mechanisms for users to interact with environment managers to create, select, and install packages, etc. Your extension will depend on this extension for user interactions, and you can handle the various core features of the environment manager in your extension. This ensures a consistent experience for the user with specific support for each environment manager.

We are looking for community support to build and maintain these extensions!

APIs

This extension provides a set of APIs for developers to register their own Environment and Package managers. We are also looking for feedback on the APIs. See here for more details: https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python-environments?tab=readme-ov-file#api-reference-proposed

Help wanted

Environment manager

Env manager	Status
venv	Built-in [1]
conda	Expecting community extension [2]
poetry	Expecting community extension
pyenv	Expecting community extension
pixi	In progress @jjjermiah
hatch	In progress @flying-sheep
pipenv	Expecting community extension
uv	Expecting community extension
activaState	Expecting community extension

[1]: venv (built-in) will use uv if available for environment creation, package install and delete.
[2] : We have demo support for conda to show case some of the features of the extension. But we are expecting community extension for full featured support (like for example stacked envs in conda)

Package manager

Package Manager	Status
pip	Built-in
conda	Expecting community extension [1]

[1] : We have demo support for conda to show case some of the features of the extension. But we are expecting community extension for full featured support.

[corytomlinson]

Please consider adding support for uv as both package and environment manager.

[karthiknadig]

@corytomlinson uv is partially supported. If you have uv, create environment and package installation will use uv. Additionally, adding projects will also use uv init.

[corytomlinson]

Great! No detection of existing uv projects though?

[jjjermiah]

this is neat, great timing as I've just started to overhaul the pixi-vscode extension. Will reach out for help!

[karthiknadig]

@jjjermiah You may want to co-ordinate with pixi folks microsoft/vscode-python#22968 (comment)

/cc @Hofer-Julian

[Hofer-Julian]

Thanks for the tag @karthiknadig.

@jjjermiah you are well-connected within our community, so you already know that you can always reach out if you need help :)

[VWCBazaga]

Are you considering adding support for 'Pipenv' as package and environment manager?

[karthiknadig]

@VWCBazaga No plans for built-in support. This extension provides APIs for extension authors to build support for any environment/package manager. The hope is that community will contribute an extension for pipenv with tailored experiences that are intuitive to Pipenv, using the APIs in the extension.