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docs: add example documenting pip install --target #13766

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docs: add example for pip install --target
neevets Jan 24, 2026
d675720
docs: clarify --target example for embedding use case
neevets Jan 24, 2026
79355e8
docs: clarify --target usage and add warning
neevets Jan 24, 2026
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18 changes: 18 additions & 0 deletions docs/html/cli/pip_install.rst
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Expand Up @@ -291,6 +291,24 @@ Examples
py -m pip install "SomePackage==1.0.4" # specific version
py -m pip install "SomePackage>=1.0.4" # minimum version

#. Install packages into a custom target directory.

This is useful when working with embedded or custom Python distributions
where virtual environments are not practical.
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@pfmoore pfmoore Jan 24, 2026

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IMO, this is a bad example. It suggests that --target is suited for installing packages into an existing Python installation, and that isn't the case. The intended use for --target is in embedding scenarios, where you create a brand new, empty directory, and use pip install --target to install requirements into that directory. Your embedded application can then add the directory to the Python interpreter's path.

Using --target to install into an existing site-packages directory may work, but it's very much a "use at your own risk" scenario, and not one that we want to encourage.

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@neevets neevets Jan 24, 2026

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Thanks for the clarification. I've updated the example to use an initially empty
directory and clarified that the intended use case is embedding scenarios.

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@pfmoore pfmoore Jan 24, 2026

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Thanks, that's a lot better.

I'm still not sure we even want to make the --target option "more discoverable", to be honest. So I'll leave it up to the other maintainers to comment, and decide whether to merge this.

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@henryiii henryiii Jan 25, 2026 •
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What I've used --target for is creating zipapp's: https://github.com/scikit-hep/particle/blob/8ffe2da9151aedf8f15d49a07ccf3401b7815aef/noxfile.py#L55-L91 creates particle.pyz.

Basically you create a dir, install pure Python dependencies with --target, then zip it with python -m zippapp.


.. tab:: Unix/macOS

.. code-block:: shell

python -m pip install requests numpy \
--target ./extern/python_deps

.. tab:: Windows

.. code-block:: shell

py -m pip install requests numpy ^
--target .\extern\python_deps

#. Install a list of requirements specified in a file. See the :ref:`Requirements files <Requirements Files>`.

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