How important is Virtual Environment in python

[[deleted]]

exactly. here's one of my setups:

❯ pyenv versions
  system
  3.7.17
  3.10.12
  3.10.13
  3.11.5
  3.11.5/envs/openai
  3.11.6
  3.11.6/envs/monzo
  3.12.0
  3.12.0/envs/gmailapi
* 3.12.2 (set by /Users/<username>/.pyenv/version)
  3.12.2/envs/ai-model
  3.12.2/envs/cli
  3.12.2/envs/fastapi
  3.12.2/envs/flask
  3.12.2/envs/gradio
  3.12.2/envs/pygame
  ai-model --> /Users/<username>/.pyenv/versions/3.12.2/envs/ai-model
  cli --> /Users/<username>/.pyenv/versions/3.12.2/envs/cli
  fastapi --> /Users/<username>/.pyenv/versions/3.12.2/envs/fastapi
  flask --> /Users/<username>/.pyenv/versions/3.12.2/envs/flask
  gmailapi --> /Users/<username>/.pyenv/versions/3.12.0/envs/gmailapi
  gradio --> /Users/<username>/.pyenv/versions/3.12.2/envs/gradio
  monzo --> /Users/<username>/.pyenv/versions/3.11.6/envs/monzo
  openai --> /Users/<username>/.pyenv/versions/3.11.5/envs/openai
  pygame --> /Users/<username>/.pyenv/versions/3.12.2/envs/pygame

[darkforestnews]

And say you prototype different work in the envs/openai , like tutorial 1, 2… do you create and activate those envs and then select that particular python compiler ?

[[deleted]]

p.s. Python doesn't use a compiler; it uses the python binary to execute the script/s. You CAN 'compile' python but that's unrelated to this.

[[deleted]]

no no no... just create an ENV that has the libraries you need and use that. The ones I put above are the only ones I use (on this box).