Explanation

Explanation pages seek to provide a deeper understanding of Python tooling tools, concepts, and practices. Unlike tutorials that teach through doing or how-to guides that solve specific problems, explanation content illuminates the “why” behind Python tools and approaches.

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• Why Doesn't the Authoritative Python Packaging Guide Mention the Best Thing that's Happened to Python Packaging?
• Does Poetry Support Python Standards for Dependency Management?
• How do Ruff and Pylint compare?
• Is Conda actually free?
• Should I run `python setup.py`?
• Should I use homebrew to install Python?
• Understanding the Conda/Anaconda Ecosystem
• What are Optional Dependencies and Dependency Groups?
• What is a build backend?
• What is a build frontend?
• What is a lockfile?
• What is a PEP?
• What is a Python application?
• What is a Python package?
• What is a Virtual Environment?
• What Is an Editable Install?
• What is PEP 503?
• What is PEP 517/518 compatability?
• What is PEP 609?
• What is PEP 621 compatability?
• What is PEP 660?
• What is PEP 723?
• What is PEP 735?
• What is PEP 8?
• What is PyPA (Python Packaging Authority)?
• What is PyPI (Python Package Index)?
• What is Python
• What's the difference between pip and uv?
• Why are there so many Python packaging tools?
• Why should I avoid using the system Python?
• Why should I choose Conda?
• Why Should I Choose pyproject.toml over requirements.txt for managing dependencies?
• Why should I use a virtual environment?