What is setuptools and how do I use it?

What is setuptools and how do I use it for my Python project?

Setuptools is a Python package development and distribution tool. It helps you package your Python projects easily.

Can you explain how to create a setup.py file using setuptools?

Sure! A basic setup.py file includes metadata about your package, like name, version, and packages to include. Here's a simple example:

from setuptools import setup

setup(
    name='your_package_name',
    version='0.1',
    packages=['your_package'],
    install_requires=[],
)

What are the common commands I can use with setuptools?

Common commands include python setup.py install to install your package, python setup.py sdist to create a source distribution, and python setup.py bdist_wheel to create a wheel distribution.

How do I include dependencies in my setup.py?

You can include dependencies in the install_requires list in your setup.py. For example:

install_requires=['numpy', 'requests'],