PipPal - Intelligent Python Package Management for VS Code

PipPal is a comprehensive VS Code extension that transforms Python package management from a terminal-heavy workflow into an intuitive, visual interface. Manage pip packages, virtual environments, and dependencies without ever leaving your editor.

Key Features

Smart Package Management

Install packages directly from the Command Palette with version control
Uninstall intelligently with automatic orphan dependency detection
Search PyPI to discover and install packages
Visual package tree showing all installed packages with version info

Auto-Install Missing Imports

Scan your Python files and Jupyter notebooks for imports, then automatically install missing packages with a single click. Works with:

Python files (.py)
Jupyter notebooks (.ipynb)
Standard library detection to avoid false positives
Custom import-to-package mapping for cases like PIL → Pillow

Virtual Environment Management

Create venvs from the command palette
Auto-detect workspace virtual environments
Switch between Python environments seamlessly
Delete venvs safely with confirmation
Environment isolation - see packages per environment

Requirements.txt Generation

Generate requirements.txt in three formats:

Simple - Basic package==version format
User packages only - Track only explicitly installed packages
With dependency comments - See what each package requires

Dependency Visualization

Interactive dependency graph showing package relationships
Color-coded packages - Green for user-installed, gray for dependencies
Zoom and pan to explore large dependency trees
Physics-based layout for intuitive visualization
Click to focus on specific packages and their connections

Intelligent Features

User-installed tracking - Distinguish between your packages and auto-installed deps
Recursive orphan detection - Safe removal of unused dependencies
Requirements.txt parsing - Install from existing requirements files
Python path auto-detection - Works with multiple venvs and system Python

Quick Start

Install PipPal from the VS Code Extensions Marketplace
Open the PipPal sidebar - Click the package icon in the Activity Bar
Create a venv - Click the + button in Python Environments
Install packages - Search, browse, or auto-install from imports

Use Cases

Web Development: Install Flask, Django, or FastAPI and manage dependencies seamlessly

# Instead of: pip install flask
# Just use: PipPal: Install Package → "flask"

Data Science: Auto-detect missing numpy, pandas, matplotlib imports

import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
# Run: PipPal: Install Missing Imports
# Automatically installs numpy and pandas!

Clean Projects: Generate clean requirements.txt for deployment

# Only includes packages YOU installed, not their transitive dependencies
# Smaller, more maintainable requirements files

Commands Reference

Command	Description
PipPal: Create Virtual Environment	Create a new venv in your workspace
PipPal: Install Package	Install a package with optional version
PipPal: Uninstall Package	Remove a package and orphaned dependencies
PipPal: Search PyPI	Search and install from PyPI database
PipPal: Install Missing Imports	Auto-install missing packages from imports
PipPal: Install from requirements.txt	Batch install from requirements file
PipPal: Generate requirements.txt	Create requirements file in multiple formats
PipPal: Switch Python Environment	Switch between Python installations
PipPal: Show Dependencies	View package dependencies and dependents
PipPal: Show Dependency Graph	Interactive visualization of all dependencies
PipPal: Refresh Package List	Manually refresh package cache
PipPal: Delete Virtual Environment	Safely remove a virtual environment

Why PipPal?

vs. Terminal Commands

Visual package browser instead of pip list output
One-click operations instead of remembering command syntax
Graphical dependency visualization
Never leave your IDE

vs. Other Extensions

Orphan detection - Automatically removes unused dependencies
User intent tracking - Knows which packages you explicitly installed
Jupyter support - Works with .ipynb files, not just .py
Interactive graphs - Explore complex dependency trees visually
Smart import scanning - Detects missing packages automatically

Configuration

Configure PipPal in your VS Code settings:

{
  "pippal.pythonPath": "python3",           // Path to Python executable
  "pippal.autoDetectVenv": true             // Auto-detect virtual environments
}

What PipPal Detects

Automatically finds virtual environments in your workspace:

.venv (conventional name)
venv (common name)
env (short name)
virtualenv (legacy)

Troubleshooting

"Failed to list packages"

Ensure Python is installed and accessible
Check pippal.pythonPath setting
Try running python -m pip list in terminal to verify pip works

"No packages found"

Create a virtual environment first with PipPal: Create Virtual Environment
Or activate an existing venv

"Import not detected"

Check that the file is saved (scanner runs on saved files)
Verify imports are at module level (not in strings)
Check for typos in import statements

License

MIT - Feel free to use, modify, and distribute

Built with <3 for ICHack 2026

PipPal

HypoMarkup