Installing dmtools

In this section, we will install the dmtools Python package. But first, what is a Python package? A Python package is essentially pre-bundled Python code that provides some functionality. For example, NumPy is a Python package (one you will get more familiar with in Working with Images in NumPy) that allows for easy manipulation of arrays. Python packages are your friend! They allow you to easily use other people’s code so you never have to re-invent the wheel and can spend more time being creative.

In installing anaconda, you should now have a program called pip which stands for Pip Installs Packages. It is a Python package manager and it is the tool we will use to install dmtools. Just run the following line.

pip install dmtools

To the verify the installation worked correctly, open a Python prompt by typing python and then type from dmtools import netpbm. If you don’t get any error messages, the installation was a success!

python
Python 3.8.8 (default, Apr 13 2021, 12:59:45)
[Clang 10.0.0 ] :: Anaconda, Inc. on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> from dmtools import netpbm
>>> quit()

Alternatively, you can use git to maintain the most up-to-date version of dmtools rather than waiting for each release. Open up a terminal and navigate to the directory where you want to store your local version of dmtools. For instructions on navigating directories in the terminal, see Introduction to Python. Then, type the commands

git clone https://github.com/henryrobbins/dmtools.git
cd dmtools
pip install -e .

This will clone the dmtools repository and then download it as a python package you can use like any other. Any time you wish to pull the latest changes, navigate to your dmtools directory and run

git pull origin master