How to make your wheel

TL;DR: This guide explains how to create a Python package and build it into a .whl (Wheel) file, which is a binary distribution format for Python packages. It includes steps for setting up the package structure, writing the setup.py file, and building the wheel.

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install --upgrade pip
pip install setuptools wheel
pip install twine
python setup.py sdist bdist_wheel

To wrap your Python package into a .whl (Wheel) file, follow these steps:

Step 1: Prepare your package structure

Ensure that your package has the following structure:

your_package/
├── setup.py
├── your_package/
│   ├── __init__.py
│   └── (other module files)
├── MANIFEST.in (optional, but recommended)
└── README.md

Step 2: Install setuptools and wheel

You need setuptools and wheel to build the package. Install them using:

pip install setuptools wheel

Step 3: Create setup.py

The setup.py file is essential for building your package. Here is an example:

from setuptools import setup, find_packages

setup(
    name='your_package_name',
    version='0.1.0',
    packages=find_packages(),
    install_requires=[
        # List of dependencies (if any)
    ],
    classifiers=[
        'Programming Language :: Python :: 3',
        'License :: OSI Approved :: MIT License',
        'Operating System :: OS Independent',
    ],
    python_requires='>=3.6',
)

This is a basic setup. Customize the fields like name, version, install_requires, etc., to suit your project.

Step 4: Add MANIFEST.in (Optional)

If you want to include additional files (like README, LICENSE, etc.) in your package, add a MANIFEST.in file. For example:

include README.md
include LICENSE
recursive-include your_package *

Step 5: Build the Wheel

In the terminal, navigate to the root of your package (where setup.py is located), and run:

python setup.py sdist bdist_wheel

This command will generate two things:

• A source distribution (.tar.gz) in the dist folder.
• A wheel distribution (.whl) in the same folder.

The .whl file is your packaged Python distribution.

Step 6: Install the Wheel File (Optional)

To test your wheel package locally, you can install it using:

pip install dist/your_package_name-0.1.0-py3-none-any.whl

Step 7: Upload to PyPI (Optional)

If you want to upload your package to the Python Package Index (PyPI), you can use twine:

1. Install twine:

   pip install twine
   

2. Upload the wheel:

   twine upload dist/*
   

You’ll need to provide your PyPI credentials.

This process will create a .whl file that can be distributed and installed using pip. You can now share your Python package with others!