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Automatic Activation

If you'd like your shell to automatically activate and deactivate venvs when you switch directories, there are a few tools to make that happen.

Here's how to configure them to do so in a zpy-friendly way. If you notice room for improvement, or your favorite tool is missing, please open an issue or discussion on GitHub.

mise supports automatic venv activation, so we can configure the venv location to match zpy's.

Let's create a self-contained script for venvs_path, so that we can easily call it from Bash.

Assuming ~/.local/bin is in your PATH, run

% zpy mkbin venvs_path ~/.local/bin/

Now you can add the following to your project's mise.local.toml (or .mise.local.toml):

mise.local.toml
[env._.python]
venv = "{{exec(command='venvs_path')}}/venv"

This can also be done with commands:

% touch mise.local.toml
% mise cfg set -E local env._.python.venv "{{exec(command='venvs_path')}}/venv"

Alternatively you can use mise's hooks for more control, with the ability to call any zpy functions in your current shell.

Within your project's mise.local.toml (or .mise.local.toml), add the following:

mise.local.toml
[hooks.enter]
shell = "zsh"
script = "a8 {{config_root}}"                            # Only sync upon venv creation
# script = "cd {{config_root}}; envin; cd - >/dev/null"  # Sync every time
# script = "cd {{config_root}}; envin local-requirements.txt; cd - >/dev/null"  # Sync to specific lockfile

[hooks.leave]
shell = "zsh"
script = "envout"

Yet another possibility is to use both mise's auto-activation and its hooks:

mise.local.toml
[env._.python]
venv = "{{exec(command='venvs_path')}}/venv"

[hooks.enter]
shell = "zsh"
script = "pips {{config_root}}/dev-requirements.txt"

In this example, mise's Python plugin takes care of activating and deactivating the environment, while the hook script calls pips to sync the environment to dev-requirements.txt.

zsh-autoenv sources any Zsh code you want in your current shell, making it the simplest tool to configure for this job.

In any project folder, create the following two files:

.autoenv.zsh
a8 ${0:h}
.autoenv_leave.zsh
if [[ $VIRTUAL_ENV ]]  envout

The zero in ${0:h} is the path of the .autoenv.zsh file, and the :h expansion gets that path's parent. This ensures the proper project folder is used, even if you're activating the script by entering a deeper subdirectory.

direnv runs Bash (not Zsh) and exports variables. We'll create a self-contained script for each of a8 and venvs_path, so that we can easily call them from Bash.

Assuming ~/.local/bin is in your PATH, run

% zpy mkbin a8 ~/.local/bin/
% zpy mkbin venvs_path ~/.local/bin/

Now define a Bash function within the file ~/.config/direnv/direnvrc:

direnvrc
layout_zpy () {
  a8
  export VIRTUAL_ENV="$(venvs_path)/venv"
  PATH_add "$VIRTUAL_ENV/bin"
  export VENV_ACTIVE=1
}

In any project folder, create an .envrc using the new layout:

.envrc
layout zpy