python setup.py build develop vs install

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In this article, we have explained the differences between the two core build commands for Python projects. The two commands are "python setup.py build develop" and "python setup.py install".

The commands are:

python setup.py install

and

python setup.py build develop

The table listing the differences between the two commands is as follows:


Point	python setup.py install	python setup.py build develop
Mode	Production mode	Development mode
APIs built	By default, specific APIs are built. Other APIs may be enabled with an environment variable before the install command.	All APIs are built
Code Changes	To test the code changes, re-install the package.	Test the code changes without any re-building.
Installation	This will install the package.	This will not install the package but just create .egg-link in the directory.
site-packages	Package installed in site-packages	No files copied to site-packages, symbolic link added from .egg-link
Options	No extra options	Options like --user, --uninstall
When to use?	For production environment	For testing or development environment; and when production build has API errors
Where to install?	System-wide or in virtual environment	Only in virtual environment

With this article at OpenGenus, you must have the complete idea of the differences between the two commands python setup.py build develop and install.