🐍 pyCage

The fastest Python package manager extension for Visual Studio Code, powered by uv by Astral.

✨ Features

🚀 Lightning Fast Package Installation

• Powered by uv - the blazingly fast Python package installer and resolver
• Up to 10x faster than traditional pip installations
• Automatic fallback to pip if uv is not available

🎯 Smart Package Management

• Access to 8,000+ most popular Python packages from PyPI
• Intelligent search with fuzzy matching
• Support for both virtual environment and global installations

🔧 Automatic Environment Setup

• Automatic virtual environment creation using uv
• Smart detection of existing virtual environments
• Cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux)
• Automatic uv installation if not present

🎨 Developer-Friendly Interface

• Integrated command palette commands
• Visual feedback and status notifications
• Debug tools for Python interpreter setup
• Terminal integration for package management

📦 Available Commands

Access these commands through the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P):

Command	Description
pyCage: Add Python Packages to venv (recommended)	Install packages to virtual environment using uv
pyCage: Add Python Packages to global environment (legacy)	Install packages globally using pip
pyCage: Debug Python Interpreter Setup	Debug and troubleshoot Python environment setup
pyCage: Make a requirements.txt	Generate requirements.txt from current environment

🚀 Quick Start

1. Open a Python project in VS Code
2. Open Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P)
3. Run pyCage: Add Python Packages to venv (recommended)
4. Search and select packages from the list
5. Let pyCage handle the rest! 🎉

First Time Setup

pyCage will automatically:

• Install uv if not already present
• Create a virtual environment (.venv) in your project
• Configure the Python interpreter for VS Code

🛠️ Requirements

System Requirements

• Visual Studio Code 1.86.0 or higher
• Python 3.7+ installed and accessible
• Internet connection for package downloads

Automatic Dependencies

pyCage automatically handles these dependencies:

• uv - Installed automatically if not present
• pip - Used as fallback when uv is unavailable

Supported Platforms

• ✅ Windows (10/11)
• ✅ macOS (Intel & Apple Silicon)
• ✅ Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, etc.)

📖 How It Works

Package Installation Process

1. Package Selection: Choose from 8,000+ popular PyPI packages
2. Environment Detection: Automatically detects or creates virtual environment
3. Fast Installation: Uses uv for lightning-fast package resolution and installation
4. VS Code Integration: Configures Python interpreter automatically

Virtual Environment Management

• Automatic Creation: Creates .venv folder in your workspace
• Smart Detection: Recognizes existing virtual environments
• Cross-Platform: Works consistently across Windows, macOS, and Linux
• Terminal Integration: Activates environment in VS Code terminal

🎯 Why pyCage?

Traditional pip vs pyCage (uv)

• Speed: Up to 10x faster package installation
• Reliability: Better dependency resolution
• Simplicity: One-click package management
• Integration: Seamless VS Code experience

Beginner-Friendly Design

• No Command Line Required: GUI-based package selection
• Automatic Setup: Handles virtual environments automatically
• Visual Feedback: Clear notifications and status updates
• Fallback Support: Works even without uv installed

🔧 Configuration

Environment Variables

• Python Path: Ensure Python is in your system PATH
• uv Installation: Automatically handled by the extension

VS Code Settings

The extension automatically configures:

• python.defaultInterpreterPath
• Virtual environment detection
• Terminal environment variables

📊 Package Database

• Source: Hugo's Top PyPI Packages
• Coverage: 8,000+ most popular packages
• Update Frequency: Based on 30-day PyPI download statistics
• Search: Fuzzy matching for easy package discovery

🐛 Known Issues & Limitations

Package Limitations

• Package Count: Limited to 8,000 most popular packages for optimal UX
• Custom Packages: Private/enterprise packages not supported
• Version Selection: Uses latest stable version by default

System Requirements

• Permissions: Requires write permissions for virtual environment creation
• Internet: Requires internet connection for package downloads
• Disk Space: Virtual environments require additional disk space

Workarounds

• For packages not in the list, use the integrated terminal with uv/pip commands
• For version-specific installations, use terminal commands directly

🔄 Release Notes

Version 0.1.1 (Current)

• ✅ Fixed virtual environment creation persistence
• ✅ Added application icon
• ✅ Improved cross-platform compatibility
• ✅ Enhanced error handling and user feedback

Version 0.0.2

• ✅ Added extension icon
• ✅ Fixed duplicate virtual environment creation
• ✅ Improved activation logic

Version 0.0.1 (Alpha)

• 🎉 Initial release
• ✅ Basic package installation functionality
• ✅ uv integration
• ✅ Virtual environment support

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see our GitHub repository for:

• 🐛 Bug reports
• 💡 Feature requests
• 🔧 Pull requests
• 📖 Documentation improvements

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Icon: Python icons by Freepik - Flaticon
• Package Database: Hugo's Top PyPI Packages
• Core Technology: uv by Astral

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Made with ❤️ for the Python community

Happy coding! 🐍✨