Projects

Spyder allows users to associate a given directory with a Project, which offers several main advantages:

  • Opening, closing or switching to a Project automatically saves and restores your Editor panes and open files to exactly how you left off. This allows you to easily switch between many different development tasks without having to manually re-create your session for each one.

  • Your project’s root directory is automatically added to the PYTHONPATH, so you can easily import and work with any modules and packages you create with zero setup.

  • The project path is also used to automatically set your working directory, and can be used as an automatic preset for several modules, such as the Find in Files search location.

  • You can browse all your Project files from the Project Explorer, regardless of your current working directory or File Explorer location.

  • Projects are integrated with the git version control system, allowing you to commit files and open them or your repository in the gitk GUI right from within Spyder.

Note

Projects are completely optional and not imposed on users. All of Spyder’ functionality (session saving, File Explorer, working directory, etc) is available without creating a Project, just on a global rather than Project-specific basis.

Creating a Project

To create a Project, click the New Project entry in the Projects menu, choose whether you’d like to associate a Project with an existing directory or make a new one, and enter the Project ‘s name and path:

Closeup of Spyder's Projects menu, containing project-related commands New project dialog, with options to set the name, type and location


Using the Project Explorer

Once a Project is opened, the Project Explorer pane is shown, presenting a tree view of the current Project ‘s files and directories. This pane allows you to perform all the same operations as a normal Spyder File Explorer.

Spyder Project Explorer, displaying a directory tree of project files Inset of the context-menu for a directory in project explorer


Working with version control

Spyder has basic integration with the Git distributed version control system. You can commit or browse (in the gitk GUI) a file, directory or the entire repository via the commands in the context menu for the relevant object (right-click).

To use this functionality, the Project must be located in a git repository and the git and gitk commands must be on the system path. For Windows systems, the Git for Windows package provides a convenient installer and the option to place common git commands on the system path without creating conflicts with Windows system tools. The second option in the dialog below is generally a safe approach.

Git for Windows installer on the PATH options page; 2nd option chosen

Profiler File Explorer