🐍 Python Tutorial: Deployment and Distribution

Deploying and distributing your Python application means making it available to others to run or install. This includes creating packages, uploading to PyPI, containerizing with Docker, and deploying to the cloud.

1. Packaging Your Code

Python uses the setuptools package to create installable packages.

# setup.py
from setuptools import setup, find_packages

setup(
    name="myapp",
    version="0.1",
    packages=find_packages(),
    install_requires=["requests"]
)

Then build the package with:

python setup.py sdist bdist_wheel

2. Uploading to PyPI

Use twine to securely upload your package to the Python Package Index:

pip install twine
twine upload dist/*

3. Creating Executables

You can create standalone executables using pyinstaller:

pip install pyinstaller
pyinstaller my_script.py

This will create a dist/ folder containing the executable.

4. Docker for Distribution

Use Docker to containerize your application, making it easy to deploy anywhere.

# Dockerfile
FROM python:3.11
WORKDIR /app
COPY . .
RUN pip install -r requirements.txt
CMD ["python", "app.py"]

Then build and run your image:

docker build -t myapp .
docker run -p 5000:5000 myapp

5. Cloud Deployment

Common platforms for Python app deployment:

• Heroku: Easy deployment from Git, integrates with Flask and Django
• Render: Simpler alternative to Heroku
• AWS: For scalable apps using EC2, Lambda, or Elastic Beanstalk
• Google Cloud: Includes App Engine for Python apps

Additional Resources & References