Install yaml python windows

Last Updated :
25 Apr, 2022

YAML is a data serialization format that enables interaction with scripts. It is generally used to create configuration files, as it prioritizes human readability, and is therefore preferred over JSON. PyYAML is a tool that parses and emits YAML for Python. It has many useful features, like an API for low-level event-based parsing and emitting and full Unicode support, etc. It supports YAML tags and some python specific tags that allow representing Python arbitrary objects. In this article, we will learn how to install PyYAML in Windows.

Prerequisites

A Windows computer with installations of:

• Python 3.5+ 
• PIP

Steps to Install PyYAML

To install PyYAML in Windows follow the following steps:

Step 1: Open Windows Terminal as Administrator.

Картинка с сайта: www.geeksforgeeks.org

Step 2: Now, in the windows terminal write the following command to check if Python 3.5 + is installed or not.

python –version

Картинка с сайта: www.geeksforgeeks.org

The output should be of the form: Python 3.x.y, where x > 5. If you get a different output, the correct version of Python is not installed in your system. So now you can install the latest version of Python in your system.

Step 3: Check if pip is installed or not. PIP is a tool that enables developers to install python packages (like PyYAML). Typically, PIP is automatically installed with Python. To verify if PIP is installed in the system, open the Windows Terminal with the steps mentioned prior, and type the following command:

pip –version

Картинка с сайта: www.geeksforgeeks.org

If the output is not of the following format:

pip x.y.z from <location>

Then, PIP is not installed on your system. So now you can install PIP in your system. 

Step 4: Installing PyYAML. Open the Windows Terminal as outlined before, and type the following command:

pip install PyYAML

Картинка с сайта: www.geeksforgeeks.org

Verifying the installation of PyYAML

Now, open the Windows Terminal again, open the Python Shell, and try importing the PyYAML shell to verify whether the PyYAML is properly installed or not. If you import PyYAML with any error then that means PyYAML is installed properly in your system.

python

>>> import yaml

Картинка с сайта: www.geeksforgeeks.org

>>> import yaml

>>> print yaml.load("""
... name: Vorlin Laruknuzum
... sex: Male
... class: Priest
... title: Acolyte
... hp: [32, 71]
... sp: [1, 13]
... gold: 423
... inventory:
... - a Holy Book of Prayers (Words of Wisdom)
... - an Azure Potion of Cure Light Wounds
... - a Silver Wand of Wonder
... """)

{'name': 'Vorlin Laruknuzum', 'gold': 423, 'title': 'Acolyte', 'hp': [32, 71],
'sp': [1, 13], 'sex': 'Male', 'inventory': ['a Holy Book of Prayers (Words of Wisdom)',
'an Azure Potion of Cure Light Wounds', 'a Siver Wand of Wonder'], 'class': 'Priest'}

>>> print yaml.dump({'name': "The Cloak 'Colluin'", 'depth': 5, 'rarity': 45,
... 'weight': 10, 'cost': 50000, 'flags': ['INT', 'WIS', 'SPEED', 'STEALTH']})

name: The Cloak 'Colluin'
rarity: 45
flags: [INT, WIS, SPEED, STEALTH]
weight: 10
cost: 50000
depth: 5

1. Method 1: Using pip to Install PyYAML

2. Method 2: Installing PyYAML in a Virtual Environment

3. Method 3: Installing PyYAML from Source

4. Conclusion

5. FAQ

Картинка с сайта: www.delftstack.com

YAML, which stands for “YAML Ain’t Markup Language,” is a human-readable data serialization standard that is often used for configuration files and data exchange between languages. In Python, working with YAML files is made easy through the PyYAML library. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just starting your programming journey, knowing how to install and utilize YAML in Python can significantly enhance your productivity.

This tutorial will walk you through the steps to install YAML in Python, ensuring you have all the tools you need to work with this versatile format. Let’s dive right in!

Method 1: Using pip to Install PyYAML

The most straightforward way to install YAML in Python is by using pip, the package installer for Python. If you have Python already set up on your machine, pip will usually be installed alongside it. Here’s how to install the PyYAML library, which allows you to read and write YAML files effortlessly.

First, open your terminal or command prompt. Then, execute the following command:

Output:

Collecting PyYAML
  Downloading PyYAML-5.4.1-cp39-cp39-manylinux1_x86_64.whl (440 kB)
     |████████████████████████████████| 440 kB 2.5 MB/s 
Installing collected packages: PyYAML
Successfully installed PyYAML-5.4.1

After running this command, pip will download and install the PyYAML library. You can confirm the installation by running:

Output:

Name: PyYAML
Version: 5.4.1
Summary: YAML parser and emitter for Python
Home-page: https://pyyaml.org/
Author: Kirill Simonov
Author-email: simonov@inbox.ru
License: MIT
Location: /usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages
Requires: 
Required-by: 

This command will display the version of PyYAML installed, along with some additional information about the package. Now that you have PyYAML installed, you can start working with YAML files in your Python projects.

Method 2: Installing PyYAML in a Virtual Environment

Using a virtual environment is a best practice in Python development. It allows you to create isolated spaces for your projects, ensuring that dependencies do not conflict. If you want to install YAML in Python while keeping your environment clean, follow these steps.

First, create a virtual environment by executing the following command in your terminal:

This command creates a new directory named myenv, where your virtual environment will reside. Next, activate the virtual environment:

• On Windows:

• On macOS/Linux:

source myenv/bin/activate

Once activated, your terminal prompt will change, indicating that you are now working within the virtual environment. Now, you can install PyYAML using pip:

Output:

Collecting PyYAML
  Downloading PyYAML-5.4.1-cp39-cp39-manylinux1_x86_64.whl (440 kB)
     |████████████████████████████████| 440 kB 2.5 MB/s 
Installing collected packages: PyYAML
Successfully installed PyYAML-5.4.1

To verify the installation, run:

Output:

Name: PyYAML
Version: 5.4.1
Summary: YAML parser and emitter for Python
Home-page: https://pyyaml.org/
Author: Kirill Simonov
Author-email: simonov@inbox.ru
License: MIT
Location: /path/to/myenv/lib/python3.9/site-packages
Requires: 
Required-by: 

With PyYAML successfully installed in your virtual environment, you can start working with YAML files without worrying about affecting your global Python installation.

Method 3: Installing PyYAML from Source

If you prefer to install PyYAML directly from its source code, you can do so by cloning the repository from GitHub. This method is useful if you want to work with the latest development version or contribute to the project.

First, ensure you have Git installed on your machine. Then, open your terminal and run the following command to clone the PyYAML repository:

git clone https://github.com/yaml/pyyaml.git

This command will create a local copy of the PyYAML repository. Next, navigate into the cloned directory:

Now, you can install PyYAML using pip:

Output:

Processing /path/to/pyyaml
Building wheels for collected packages: PyYAML
  Building wheel for PyYAML (setup.py) ... done
  Created wheel for PyYAML: filename=PyYAML-5.4.1-cp39-cp39-manylinux1_x86_64.whl size=440000 sha256=abc123...
Successfully built PyYAML
Installing collected packages: PyYAML
Successfully installed PyYAML-5.4.1

To verify the installation, run:

Output:

Name: PyYAML
Version: 5.4.1
Summary: YAML parser and emitter for Python
Home-page: https://pyyaml.org/
Author: Kirill Simonov
Author-email: simonov@inbox.ru
License: MIT
Location: /path/to/your/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages
Requires: 
Required-by: 

This method allows you to get the latest version of PyYAML directly from the source, giving you the opportunity to contribute to the project or customize it for your needs.

Conclusion

Installing YAML in Python is a straightforward process, whether you choose to use pip, set up a virtual environment, or clone the source code from GitHub. Each method offers its own advantages, allowing you to select the one that best fits your development style and project requirements. By following this guide, you’ll be well-equipped to work with YAML files in your Python applications, enhancing your data serialization capabilities. Happy coding!

FAQ

1. What is YAML?
   YAML is a human-readable data serialization standard often used for configuration files and data exchange between languages.

2. Why should I use PyYAML?
   PyYAML simplifies the process of reading and writing YAML files in Python, making it easier to work with structured data.

3. Can I use PyYAML in a virtual environment?
   Yes, using a virtual environment is recommended to keep your projects organized and dependencies isolated.

4. How can I check if PyYAML is installed?
   You can use the command pip show PyYAML to display information about the installed package.

5. Is it necessary to install PyYAML from source?
   No, installing from pip is the most common and easiest method. However, installing from source allows you to work with the latest version.

A common error you may encounter when using Python is modulenotfounderror: no module named ‘yaml’.

This error occurs when the Python interpreter cannot detect the PyYAML library in your current environment.

You can install PyYAML in Python 3 with python3 -m pip install pyyaml.

This tutorial goes through the exact steps to troubleshoot this error for the Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems.

ModuleNotFoundError: no module named ‘yaml’

What is PyYAML?

YAML is a data serialization format designed for human readability and interaction with scripting languages. PyYAML is a YAML parser and emitter for Python.

The simplest way to install PyYAML is to use the package manager for Python called pip. The following installation instructions are for the major Python version 3.

Always Use a Virtual Environment to Install Packages

It is always best to install new libraries within a virtual environment. You should not install anything into your global Python interpreter when you develop locally. You may introduce incompatibilities between packages, or you may break your system if you install an incompatible version of a library that your operating system needs. Using a virtual environment helps compartmentalize your projects and their dependencies. Each project will have its environment with everything the code needs to run. Most ImportErrors and ModuleNotFoundErrors occur due to installing a library for one interpreter and trying to use the library with another interpreter. Using a virtual environment avoids this. In Python, you can use virtual environments and conda environments. We will go through how to install PyYAML with both.

How to Install PyYAML on Windows Operating System

First, you need to download and install Python on your PC. Ensure you select the install launcher for all users and Add Python to PATH checkboxes. The latter ensures the interpreter is in the execution path. Pip is automatically on Windows for Python versions 2.7.9+ and 3.4+.

You can check your Python version with the following command:

python3 --version

You can install pip on Windows by downloading the installation package, opening the command line and launching the installer. You can install pip via the CMD prompt by running the following command.

python get-pip.py

You may need to run the command prompt as administrator. Check whether the installation has been successful by typing.

pip --version

PyYAML installation on Windows Using pip

To install PyYAML, first create the virtual environment. The environment can be any name, in this we choose “env”:

virtualenv env

You can activate the environment by typing the command:

env\Scripts\activate

You will see “env” in parenthesis next to the command line prompt. You can install PyYAML within the environment by running the following command from the command prompt.

python3 -m pip install pyyaml

We use python -m pip to execute pip using the Python interpreter we specify as Python. Doing this helps avoid ImportError when we try to use a package installed with one version of Python interpreter with a different version. You can use the command which python to determine which Python interpreter you are using.

How to Install PyYAML on Mac Operating System using pip

Open a terminal by pressing command (⌘) + Space Bar to open the Spotlight search. Type in terminal and press enter. To get pip, first ensure you have installed Python3:

python3 --version

Python 3.8.8

Download pip by running the following curl command:

curl https://bootstrap.pypa.io/get-pip.py -o get-pip.py

The curl command allows you to specify a direct download link. Using the -o option sets the name of the downloaded file.

Install pip by running:

python3 get-pip.py

To install PyYAML, first create the virtual environment:

python3 -m venv env

Then activate the environment using:

source env/bin/activate 

You will see “env” in parenthesis next to the command line prompt. You can install PyYAML within the environment by running the following command from the command prompt.

python3 -m pip install pyyaml

How to Install PyYAML on Linux Operating Systems

All major Linux distributions have Python installed by default. However, you will need to install pip. You can install pip from the terminal, but the installation instructions depend on the Linux distribution you are using. You will need root privileges to install pip. Open a terminal and use the commands relevant to your Linux distribution to install pip.

Installing pip for Ubuntu, Debian, and Linux Mint

sudo apt install python-pip3

Installing pip for CentOS 8 (and newer), Fedora, and Red Hat

sudo dnf install python-pip3

Installing pip for CentOS 6 and 7, and older versions of Red Hat

sudo yum install epel-release

sudo yum install python-pip3

Installing pip for Arch Linux and Manjaro

sudo pacman -S python-pip

Installing pip for OpenSUSE

sudo zypper python3-pip

PyYAML installation on Linux with Pip

To install PyYAML, first create the virtual environment:

python3 -m venv env

Then activate the environment using:

source env/bin/activate 

You will see “env” in parenthesis next to the command line prompt. You can install PyYAML within the environment by running the following command from the command prompt.

Once you have activated your virtual environment, you can install PyYAML using:

python3 -m pip install pyyaml

Installing PyYAML Using Anaconda

First, to create a conda environment to install PyYAML.

conda create -n project python=3.6 

Then activate the project container. You will see “project” in parentheses next to the command line prompt.

source activate project

Now you’re ready to install PyYAML using conda.

Anaconda is a distribution of Python and R for scientific computing and data science. You can install Anaconda by going to the installation instructions. Once you have installed Anaconda and created your conda environment, you can install PyYAML using the following command:

conda install -c anaconda pyyaml

Check PyYAML Version

Once you have successfully installed PyYAML, you can check its version. If you used pip to install PyYAML, you can use pip show from your terminal.

python3 -m pip show pyyaml

Name: PyYAML
Version: 5.4.1
Summary: YAML parser and emitter for Python

Second, within your python program, you can import PyYAML and then reference the __version__ attribute:

import yaml
print(yaml.__version__)

5.4.1

If you used conda to install PyYAML, you could check the version using the following command:

conda list -f pyyaml

# Name                    Version                   Build  Channel
pyyaml                    5.3.1            py36haf1e3a3_1    anaconda

Summary

Congratulations on reading to the end of this tutorial. The modulenotfounderror occurs if you misspell the module name, incorrectly point to the module path or do not have the module installed in your Python environment. If you do not have the module installed in your Python environment, you can use pip to install the package. However, you must ensure you have pip installed on your system. You can also install Anaconda on your system and use the conda install command to install PyYAML.

Go to the online courses page on Python to learn more about Python for data science and machine learning.

For further reading on missing modules in Python, go to the article:

• How to Solve Python ModuleNotFoundError: no module named ‘urllib2’.
• How to Solve ModuleNotFoundError: no module named ‘plotly’.

Have fun and happy researching!