[Python-checkins] cpython (3.3): Issue #18939: Updated venv documentation with some clarifications.

[vinay.sajip]

http://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/ad09332f856f
changeset:   85561:ad09332f856f
branch:      3.3
parent:      85557:6e76cfeee777
user:        Vinay Sajip <vinay_sajip at yahoo.co.uk>
date:        Fri Sep 06 09:50:43 2013 +0100
summary:
  Issue #18939: Updated venv documentation with some clarifications.

files:
  Doc/library/venv.rst |  14 ++++++++++++++
  1 files changed, 14 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)


diff --git a/Doc/library/venv.rst b/Doc/library/venv.rst
--- a/Doc/library/venv.rst
+++ b/Doc/library/venv.rst
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 creation of environments with various Python versions) and can have its own
 independent set of installed Python packages in its site directories.
 
+See :pep:`405` for more information about Python virtual environments.
 
 Creating virtual environments
 -----------------------------
@@ -61,6 +62,19 @@
    ignored from all distutils configuration files to prevent projects being
    inadvertently installed outside of the virtual environment.
 
+   When working in a command shell, users can make a venv active by running an
+   ``activate`` script in the venv's executables directory (the precise filename
+   is shell-dependent), which prepends the venv's directory for executables to
+   the ``PATH`` environment variable for the running shell. There should be no
+   need in other circumstances to activate a venv -- scripts installed into
+   venvs have a shebang line which points to the venv's Python interpreter. This
+   means that the script will run with that interpreter regardless of the value
+   of ``PATH``. On Windows, shebang line processing is supported if you have the
+   Python Launcher for Windows installed (this was added to Python in 3.3 - see
+   :pep:`397` for more details). Thus, double-clicking an installed script in
+   a Windows Explorer window should run the script with the correct interpreter
+   without there needing to be any reference to its venv in ``PATH``.
+
 
 API
 ---

-- 
Repository URL: http://hg.python.org/cpython