tox4: Executable name, why naming it tox4?

[JulienPalard]

I understand the rewrite has temporarily been renamed tox4 to ease its test "along with tox 3", but as pip uninstalls tox 3 while installing tox4, it's not as helpfull as I expected, or am I missing something?

[gaborbernat]

The idea is that you install tox 4 into a dedicated virtual environment, not into a global python environment. In which case, things work as expected. Otherwise, we'd have to rename all source files and publish under different names, which is a heavier lift.

[gaborbernat]

I'm installing both in their dedicated virtual environments. When I mean side by side I mean executable side by side. So you can invoke either one by just typing tox or tox4.

[gaborbernat]

Think of it has linking the virtual environment executable to /usr/bin/local/tox and /usr/bin/local/tox4 and then being able to call either tox or tox4. On Windows I don't do the linking, just put both script folders on the PATH.

[JulienPalard]

Ooooh ok the idea is to add multiple venv's bin folders to your PATH? A bit like having multiple venvs activated at once... If I understand correctly you're having a 3rd venv "activated" in front of them all with no tox installed in them, so the "3rd venv" (let's call it the "project venv"?) gets pip, python, ...?

[gaborbernat]

I personally never activate my virtual environments. IMHO it's a bad idea 🤷🏻 and makes you question yourself where things will execute. I prefer to type out the relative paths, which IMHO is the sane way. You're explicit about where the command will get executed. E.g. venv/bin/pip install whatever or venv/bin/python. You know that mantra from the zen of python: Explicit is better than implicit.. Tools, such as tox/black/pre-commit, are the exception to typing out the full/relative path because the fact they are written in Python is an implementation detail. But I do make sure the only thing you get onto the path out of their virtual environment is the console entry point of them, https://pipxproject.github.io/pipx/installation/ makes this really easy.

[JulienPalard]

OK it starts to make sense, thanks for clarifying, really appreciated!