Table of contents
1.
Introduction
2.
What is a Python Package?
3.
How to Use a Python Package?
3.1.
Importing Module from a Package
3.2.
Installing a Python Package Globally
4.
How to Create Your Own Python Package?
5.
Types of Python Packages
5.1.
1. Built-in Packages
5.2.
2. User-defined Packages
6.
Frequently Asked Questions 
6.1.
What is a Python package?
6.2.
What are common Python packages?
6.3.
What are the standard Python packages?
6.4.
What are modules in Python?
7.
Conclusion 
Last Updated: Mar 27, 2024
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Python Packages

Author Lali Sharma
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Introduction

Hey! do you wonder why Python is easy to learn and is in high demand? Want to know the answer; then you are in the right place. This article will answer all your questions. Let's jump right into it.

python packages

Python: Python is a high-level dynamic programming language. It supports object-oriented programming(OOPS concepts). Python is easy to learn and implement. 

Python is helpful for back-end development, Data Science, Machine Learning, Automation, Artificial Intelligence, and neural networks. All these technologies can be efficiently implemented using Python as it has features, open-source libraries, and packages that support them.

Modules: A module in Python is similar to a file that contains features, classes, and variables used to run or implement a particular code. In other words, modules have python codes used to run python programs. Modules in a program are used after calling them from packages. IMPORT keyword is used for calling a module.

Recommended Topic, Python for Data Science

What is a Python Package?

A package in Python is a type of directory containing multiple functions, modules, and sub-packages to perform a specific task. Packages are beneficial for solving large programs.

At first, a program is divided into modules and sub-modules. If the program is extensive, it may have many of these modules. The modules with similarities are grouped and organized systematically. Packages do the same; they allow us to manage related modules together. Python has a collection of over 200,000 packages. Each python package contains modules. All packages in Python are meant for some specific types of programs. Some packages are widely used some still need to be used. Depending on the need of the programmer, the packages are installed using PIP.

PIP- PIP stands for Preferred installer program. It is a python package manager used to manage and install software packages written in Python.

To install packages using pip

  1. Download get-pip.py and upgrade pip according to the latest python version.
  2. Run the pip install package in the command line/terminal window to install a particular package.
  3. If the package is already installed, the command line /terminal window will return the requirement is already satisfied.

 

Syntax:

pip uninstall package_name

The syntax followed to uninstall the package.

Example:

pip install image

The example shows the command to install the panda's package, which is already installed; thus, it returns the requirement already satisfied.

How to Use a Python Package?

Python packages offer great functionalities to the user. You can use them by using these packages with the following steps:

  • Step 1- Install the Package
    The first step is to install the package into your environment. You can do this using the Python Package manager, pip.
    For example: ‘pip install nump’.
     
  • Step 2- Import the Package
    After you have installed the package, import it into your Python script using the import statement. For example, ‘import numpy’, etc.
     
  • Step 3- Using it
    After successfully installing and importing the package, you can use its functions, classes, and modules. For modules, you have to import them specifically from a package. Read below for more details regarding the importing process of modules from a package.

 

You should also keep your packages updated, as updates fix bugs and add new functionalities, too. You can do this by writing --upgrade in your statement as follows:

pip install --upgrade <package_name>

Importing Module from a Package

We can also import the Python Modules using the below syntax:

import <package_name>.<module_name>

 

OR

from <package_name> import <module_name>

 

For example, let us look at the following example:

from math import pi

 

Here, from the package math, we imported the module pi.

Installing a Python Package Globally

If you install a Python Package globally, it is available for all the Python environments in your system. And, it may lead to some conflicts between packages in some environments. Therefore, it is advised to install packages in your respective Python environments.

For installing a Python Package globally, in the command line, you can add '-g' to the command. Also, you can achieve this by the -H flag with sudo. For example:

sudo -H pip install requests

How to Create Your Own Python Package?

You can also create your own Python Package. This helps you organize your code into a reusable set of modules. You can distribute it to other users to help them. The steps to create your own Python Package are as follows:

  • Step 1: Organize the Code
    Start by organizing your code effectively. Also, choose a name for your package that is unique and not taken by any other package.
     
  • Step 2: setup.py file
    To enable your package to get installed, you need to create a setup.py script in the root directory. It contains metadata about the package.
     
  • Step 3: _ _init_ _.py file
    Create an empty _ _init_ _.py file in each directory in your package. It signals to Python that this directory is to be treated as a package.
     
  • Step 4: Write the Code
    Finally, write your code in the module files in your package directory. Maintain it in functions, classes, and any other structure suitable.
     
  • Step 5: Structure
    Give your package a proper structure.
     
  • Step 6: Build and Install the Package locally
    Now, install the package locally. Navigate to the package's root directory and run the following command:
     
python setup.py install

 

  • Step 7: Testing
    Test your package installed locally and see if it meets your expectations.
     
  • Step 8: Publish
    If you are satisfied with your package, you can make its documentation and publish it for other developers to use it. You have to create a PyPI account, build a distribution package, and use twine to upload it. Also, add a README.md file to explain its working. And finally, share it. And, fix it time to time in case of bugs or errors.

Types of Python Packages

1. Built-in Packages

The packages that are available in the Python Standard Library and are specialized in performing some specific functionalities. There are many highly useful built-in Python packages like numpy, pandas, seipy, six, tensorFlow, Keras, etc.

2. User-defined Packages

A user-defined python package is a directory containing Python modules and a file with the name __init__.py. The __init__.py file can be empty or have code to be executed when the package is imported.

The steps to create a user-defined package in Python are as follows:

  1. Create a directory for the package and give it a name.
  2. Create one or more Python modules with a .py extension that contains the code you want to include in your package.
  3. Create an __init__.py file in the package directory. This file can be empty, or it can contain code that is executed when the package is imported.
  4. To use your package in another Python program, you can use the import statement to import the package or a specific module from the package.

Frequently Asked Questions 

What is a Python package?

A package in Python is a type of directory containing multiple functions, modules, and sub-packages to perform a specific task. Packages are beneficial for solving large programs.

What are common Python packages?

Common Python packages are the ones that most developers use to their aid. Some of the very common Python packages are numpy, pandas, matplotib, seaborn, PyTorch, scipy, Django, Flask, spaCy, SymPy, pickle, etc.

What are the standard Python packages?

Standard Python packages include built-in libraries such as os, sys, and math, offering a diverse range of functionalities for common programming tasks.

What are modules in Python?

Modules in Python are organizational units containing Python code, including functions, variables, and classes. They enhance code modularity and reusability by grouping related functionalities.

Conclusion 

Python packages make it easy to reuse the scripts written in modules to the developers' needs. The same code can be used again and again by multiple developers to achieve the functionality required. it is very important. In this article, we studied Python Packages in detail. We started with its definition, then we looked at how to use them, types of packages, importing modules from them, installing them globally, and creating our own package.

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