Pip install multiple requirements files in Python

# Pip install multiple requirements files in Python

Specify multiple -r options to pip install multiple requirements files, e.g. pip install -r dev.txt -r prod.txt.

The -r option can be used multiple times to install the packages in multiple requirements files.

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# 👇️ Writes the output of pip freeze to the specified file
pip freeze > dev.txt
pip freeze > test.txt
pip freeze > prod.txt

You would use the following command to install the packages in the dev.txt and test.txt files.

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pip install -r dev.txt -r test.txt
pip3 install -r dev.txt -r test.txt

# 👇️ If you don't have PATH environment variable set up correctly
python -m pip install -r dev.txt -r test.txt
python3 -m pip install -r dev.txt -r test.txt

The -r option is a shorthand for --requirement and installs from the given requirements file.

# Using the -r option inside a requirements.txt file

You can also use the -r option inside of a requirements file.

For example, you might have common.txt, dev.txt and prod.txt requirements files, where the common.txt file contains requirements for both dev and prod.

This is the common.txt requirements file.

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package_A=1.1.1
package_B=2.2.2

And here is dev.txt.

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# 👇️ Include packages in common
-r common.txt

package_C=3.3.3

And this is the prod.txt file that also includes the packages in common.txt.

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# 👇️ Include packages in common
-r common.txt

package_D=4.4.4

Now you would be able to pip install -r prod.txt and install the packages in both prod.txt and common.txt in a single command.

However, this makes the management of packages more complicated than it needs to be because you would have to handle the pip freeze command in a way that doesn't override your -r options.

A much simpler solution would be to remove the -r options in the files and simply use multiple -r options directly in the pip install command.

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pip install -r base.txt -r dev.txt

pip3 install -r base.txt -r dev.txt

# Upgrade your version of pip

If you run into issues when specifying multiple -r options, upgrade your version of pip.

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# 👇️ If you have pip already installed
pip install --upgrade pip

# 👇️ Or with pip3
pip3 install --upgrade pip

# 👇️ If you don't have pip in your PATH environment variable
python -m pip install --upgrade pip

python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip

# 👇️ On Windows
py -m pip install --upgrade pip

After you upgrade pip, upgrade setuptools as well.

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pip install --upgrade setuptools
pip3 install --upgrade setuptools

python -m pip install --upgrade setuptools
python3 -m pip install --upgrade setuptools
py -m pip install --upgrade setuptools

# Additional Resources

You can learn more about the related topics by checking out the following tutorials:

• How to pip install a package Globally instead of Locally
• Pip install and uninstall in silent, non-interactive mode
• Pip install a specific version of a Python package
• Pip list all available versions of a Python package
• The purpose of pip's --no-cache-dir option
• The difference between pip freeze and pip list in Python
• Failed building wheel for X when using pip install [Solved]