Interpreter Management#
Which Python?#
There is no single “Python”. Obviously there’s the programming language called Python, meaning the syntax and instructions the code is written in. Then there’s the Python executable that interprets and runs the code. In most cases this refers to the CPython reference implementation. Together with the Python language it comes in different versions, like the obsolete 2.7.18 or the current 3.11.x release. To add yet another layer of complexity, there are various alternative Python implementations that can execute Python code.
Even when only considering CPython, the same computer can have several Python versions installed, and possibly multiple interpreter executables in different locations for exactly the same version.
It’s crucial to understand which Python you are using and to know how to manage different interpreters and versions.