editables

0.5 verified Tue May 12 auth: no python install: stale quickstart: stale

A Python library for creating "editable wheels". Current version: 0.5. Supports building wheels that expose packages in a local directory on `sys.path` in "editable mode", allowing changes to the package source to be reflected in the package visible to Python without reinstalling. Release cadence: Regular updates with active development.

pip install editables

Common errors

error ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'editables' ↓

cause The 'editables' package, which is often a build dependency for projects using editable installs (PEP 660), is not installed in the active Python environment. This can also appear as 'ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'editables.redirector''.

fix

Install the 'editables' package using pip: pip install editables or ensure it's listed in your project's build dependencies (e.g., build-system.requires in pyproject.toml).

error ERROR: Project file:///... has a 'pyproject.toml' and its build backend is missing the 'build_editable' hook. Since it does not have a 'setup.py' nor a 'setup.cfg', it cannot be installed in editable mode. Consider using a build backend that supports PEP 660. ↓

cause This error occurs when the project's specified build backend (e.g., an older version of setuptools) does not fully support PEP 660 for editable installations via `pyproject.toml`, or the build tools are outdated.

fix

Upgrade your build tools, especially pip and setuptools, to their latest versions: pip install --upgrade pip setuptools. Ensure your project's pyproject.toml uses a build backend that supports PEP 660 (e.g., modern setuptools or poetry).

error ModuleNotFoundError: No module named '<your_package_name>' (after pip install -e .) ↓

cause Even after successfully running `pip install -e .`, the installed package cannot be imported. This can be due to an incorrect project structure, missing `__init__.py` files, an issue with how the `setup.py` or `pyproject.toml` defines the package, or problems with the Python environment not correctly picking up the editable install (e.g., IDEs or virtual environment activation).

fix

Verify that your package structure is correct (e.g., src/your_package/__init__.py), ensure all necessary __init__.py files exist to define a Python package, and that your setup.py or pyproject.toml correctly specifies the package to be installed. Try reactivating your virtual environment or restarting your IDE. If using pdm, ensure editables is a dependency.

error Failed building editable for <your_package_name> ERROR: Could not build wheels for <your_package_name>, which is required to install pyproject.toml-based projects. ↓

cause This is a general failure during the editable installation process, often indicating an underlying issue with build dependencies, a misconfigured `setup.py` or `pyproject.toml`, or conflicts within the Python environment that prevent the wheel from being built successfully.

fix

Inspect the full error log for more specific messages that pinpoint the root cause. Ensure all build-time dependencies (specified in pyproject.toml or setup.py) are installed. You might also try cleaning your build cache (pip cache purge) or updating your build backend as described in the previous entry.

Warnings

breaking Ensure that the package path provided to EditableWheel is correct to avoid build errors. ↓

fix Double-check the path to your package before building the editable wheel.

breaking The 'EditableWheel' class cannot be imported directly from the 'editables' package. This indicates an API change where the class might have been removed, moved to a different module, or renamed. ↓

fix Consult the `editables` library's changelog or documentation for the installed version to identify the correct way to access or replace `EditableWheel` functionality. Update your import statements and code to match the new API.

breaking ImportError: cannot import name 'EditableWheel' from 'editables'. This typically indicates that the installed 'editables' package does not expose 'EditableWheel' at its top level, likely due to an API change where 'EditableWheel' was removed or renamed. ↓

fix Review the installed version of the 'editables' library. If 'editables' version 2.0.0 or higher is installed, the 'EditableWheel' class has been removed. Update your code to use the new API, such as 'EditableProject' or other build functions provided by the 'editables' library, or downgrade 'editables' to a version less than 2.0.0 (e.g., `pip install "editables<2.0.0"`).

Install compatibility stale last tested: 2026-05-12

python os / libc status wheel install import disk

3.10 alpine (musl) - - - -

3.10 slim (glibc) - - - -

3.11 alpine (musl) - - - -

3.11 slim (glibc) - - - -

3.12 alpine (musl) - - - -

3.12 slim (glibc) - - - -

3.13 alpine (musl) - - - -

3.13 slim (glibc) - - - -

3.9 alpine (musl) - - - -

3.9 slim (glibc) - - - -

Imports

EditableWheel
```
from editables import EditableWheel
```
Ensure correct import path to access EditableWheel class.

Quickstart stale last tested: 2026-04-23

Quickstart guide to create and install an editable wheel using the editables library.

from editables import EditableWheel

# Create an editable wheel for your package
editable_wheel = EditableWheel('path_to_your_package')

# Build the editable wheel
editable_wheel.build()

# Install the editable wheel
editable_wheel.install()