try is an easy-to-use cli tool to try out Python packages.

• Install specific package version from PyPI
• Install package from GitHub
• Install in virtualenv using specific version of python
• Specify alternative python package import name
• Keep try environment after interactive session
• Launch interactive python console with already imported package
• Launch editor instead of interpreter
• Launch arbitrary python shell instead of default python shell

try requests
try requests --ipython
try requests --shell ptipython
try requests -p 3.5
try requests -p /usr/bin/python3.4.1
try requests==2.8.1
try kennethreitz/requests --ipython
try click-didyoumean:click_didyoumean  # if python package name is different then pip package name
try requests --editor

Note: most of the following cli options can also be configured in the configuration file!

Try single python package:

try requests
try flask

Try multiple python packages in one session:

try requests flask

Try specific version of a package:

try requests==2.8.1  # tries version 2.8.1 of requests instead of latest

Try package from GitHub repository:

try <user>/<repo>  # syntax example
try kennethreitz/requests  # installs master branch of Kenneth's requests package from GitHub

Try package but import with different name than package name:

try <package_name>:<import_name>  # syntax example
try click-didyoumean:click_didyoumean  # install click-didyoumean but import click_didyoumean

Try package in already existing virtualenv:

try requests --virtualenv ~/.try/sandbox  # use virtualenv at ~/.try/sandbox

⇢ see virtualenv config value in env section in configuration file.

Try package with specific python version:

try requests --python 3.5  # use python3.5 in virtualenv
try requests -p 2.7  # use python2.7 in virtualenv
try requests -p ~/work/cpython/bin/python  # use python binary from specific location

⇢ see python config value in env section in configuration file.

Try package with specific shell/repl:

try requests --shell python  # use python repl (default value)
try requests --shell ipython  # use ipython
try requests --shell ptpython  # use ptpython
try requests --shell ptipython  # use ptipython
try requests --shell bpython  # use bpython
try requests --ipython  # use ipython - an alias for --shell ipython

⇢ see shell config value in env section in configuration file.

Try package writing a little script instead of opening shell:

try requests --editor  # opens $EDITOR or editor instead of shell

⇢ see always_use_editor config value in env section in configuration file.

Keep virtualenv files after try run:

try requests --keep

⇢ see keep config value in env section in configuration file.

Use a specific location for the virtualenv files:

try requests --tmpdir ~/.try

⇢ see tmpdir config value in env section in configuration file.

try can be configured to your preferences - like always use ipython as a shell or always use python3.5. The configuration file is located in your users application configuration directory in a file called config.ini. This location is OS dependent and is specified here: http://click.pocoo.org/5/api/#click.get_app_dir

The following config.ini file shows all available configuration options:

[env]
virtualenv=~/.try/sandbox
python=3.5
shell=ipython
keep=false
always_use_editor=false
tmpdir=~/.try

Use pip to install try:

pip3 install trypackage

try comes with an awesome CLI interface thanks to click.

Usage: try [OPTIONS] [PACKAGES]...

  Easily try out python packages.

Options:
  --virtualenv TEXT  Use already existing virtualenv.
  -p, --python TEXT  The python version to use.
  --ipython          Use ipython instead of python.
  --shell TEXT       Specify the python shell to use. (This will override
                     --ipython
  -k, --keep         Keep try environment files.
  -e, --editor       Try with editor instead of interpreter.
  --tmpdir TEXT      Specify location for temporary directory.
  --version          Show the version and exit.
  --help             Show this message and exit.

try was inspired by https://github.com/VictorBjelkholm/trymodule.