Getting Python Spyder Anaconda IDE To Work Using Virtualenv

If you have some Python scripts which rely on some packages that need a different version other than the version your Python Spyder uses, you can simply use Python Virtualenv to run Spyder IDE .

This will save you a lot of headache and you can simply continue with your development projects.

This tutorial will guide you through how to run Spyder Anaconda IDE from Python’s Virtualenv

1. Install the versions of Python you want to use. In my case, Python 2.7 and Python 3.5 (Python 3.5 is the default my Spyder uses so i will only install 2.7)
2. Set the appropriate environment Variables.
3. Note the User Environment Variables take precedence over the System variables
4. Create Virtualenv environment for Spyder in my case I created it for Python 2.7  by calling from command prompt:
5. Default

   1	conda create -n myenv python=3.4 anaconda

   
    

   This will create virtual environment to virtualenv. To activate it :

   Default

   1	source activate myenv

    

   And now to run Spyder with Python 3.4 just type:

   Default

   1

   spyder

    

6. the above instruction is from stackoverflow here and it is further explained below:
7. Replacing Python 3.4 with Python 2.7  (or the python version you want to install) and give it appropriate name , replacing myenv with the name you want, eg spyderenv
8. Once it is installed , in my case (\Users\adaba\Anaconda3\envs\spydervirenv\Scripts>) navigate to that source , as in the directory path, and activate the virtualenv, by calling activate and then the name of your virtualenv , hence “activate spyderenv”
9. 
10. You can double-check which python was used for the spyder virtual environment by typing python -V at the command prompt (in the activated virtualenv)
11. You can install any modules or packages you want by calling pip install inside of your activated virtualenv (spyderenv)
12. You can finally launch spyder from the virtualevn with the Python version you want by simply typing spyder at the command prompt
13. You can also access it from your windows All Programs in the Start Menu 
14. And if you want to check all available virtualenvs you have created, you can list all discoverable environments with `conda info –envs` at the command prompt 
15. The other option will be to “have to path out to python.exe, but it seems that in Linux/OS X you just path to the folder. Example: Windows:  virtualenv -p <PATH TO PYTHON.EXE> venv
    Default

    1	virtualenv -p venv

     

    Creates a virtual environment in subfolder “venv” in current directory.” 

    This is courtesy of the stackoverflow comment by “Mike Davlantes” here

16. 
17. Hope this helps.