Setting up an environment and directory
The first few steps that you take when starting any project have a monumental impact on the entirety of the project. Whether you are embarking on a multi-year project—or one that will be complete in a couple of hours—these early decisions will shape how you and others work on the project. But, even though these are important choices, do not fall into the trap of thinking that you need to find the perfect solution. There is no single "right way" to set up an environment or project directory. Remember our discussion from the previous chapter: we want to make the choices that fit the project at hand.
Environment
A good practice for Python development is to isolate its running environment from other projects. This is typically accomplished with virtual environments. In its most basic understanding, a virtual environment is a tool that allows you to install Python dependencies in isolation. This is important so that when...
