requirements.txt

requirements.txt is a file used for specifying a list of dependencies for a Python project. Typically the file is intended to be run with pip install -r requirements.txt.

There is nothing special about the name requirements.txt and any text file can be used with pip.

Pros

• Simple and universally accepted in the Python community.
• Native support from pip for installing dependencies.
• Support for version pinning.

Cons

• Does not specify the version of Python required for the environment.
• May not result in reproducible environment creation without pinning of all dependencies, e.g. with pip freeze.
• Does not separate production and development dependencies.

Learn More

• requirements.txt documentation
• Install packages in a virtual environment using pip and venv