findpython

0.7.1 · active · verified Sat Mar 28

findpython is a Python utility library designed to locate various Python versions installed on your system. It is a modern rewrite of the `pythonfinder` project, simplifying the codebase while retaining core functionality. The current version is 0.7.1, and the project maintains an active release cadence with frequent bug fixes and feature enhancements.

Warnings

breaking Version 0.5.0 dropped official support for Python 3.7. Users on Python 3.7 should either upgrade their Python environment or pin findpython to a version older than 0.5.0.
Fix: Upgrade Python to 3.8 or newer, or pin `findpython<0.5.0`.
gotcha As of version 0.6.3, `findpython` prefers 64-bit Python interpreters over 32-bit ones when both are available and meet other criteria. This might alter the expected result if your system has mixed architectures and you rely on a specific 32-bit interpreter.
Fix: Explicitly filter the results from `find_pythons()` based on the `is_64bit` attribute if you require a 32-bit Python, or ensure the desired interpreter is prioritized in your PATH/environment.
gotcha Version 0.7.0 introduced a feature to separate free-threaded Python versions from normal ones. While not strictly 'breaking', this change means that the `PythonVersion` objects returned might now include an indication of whether an interpreter is free-threaded, which could affect how you filter or interpret the results if you have such environments.
Fix: Review your code if it makes assumptions about Python interpreter types or if you are specifically looking for/excluding free-threaded interpreters. The `PythonVersion` object's properties should be checked for free-threaded status.
gotcha The library searches for Python in various locations including PATH, pyenv, asdf, rye, uv, macOS Frameworks, and Windows registry. The order of preference can be complex, and `findpython` might not always return the exact Python you expect if multiple versions are present and configured differently across these sources.
Fix: Inspect the `executable` path of the `PythonVersion` objects returned by `find_pythons()` to confirm it's the desired interpreter. For specific environments, ensure that the preferred Python is correctly configured in your system's PATH or environment variables.

Install

pip install findpython Install stable version

Imports

findpython
```
import findpython
```
The primary module to import for accessing utility functions.
PythonVersion
```
from findpython.python_version import PythonVersion
```
The named tuple representing a found Python version, often returned by functions like `find_pythons()`.

Quickstart

This example demonstrates how to find all installed Python versions and how to search for a specific major and minor version using the `findpython` library.

import findpython

# Find all Python versions on the system
pythons = findpython.find_pythons()
for p in pythons:
    print(f"Found Python: {p.executable} (Version: {p.major}.{p.minor}.{p.patch}, 64bit: {p.is_64bit})")

# Find a specific Python version (e.g., Python 3.9)
py39 = findpython.find_python(3, 9)
if py39:
    print(f"Found Python 3.9: {py39.executable}")
else:
    print("Python 3.9 not found.")

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