Python Interpreter Favorites

DISCLAIMER

This is almost entirely coded by AI and created for my personal needs.

Quickly switch between your favorite Python interpreters with a simple dropdown menu. No more hunting through the full list of discovered interpreters!

Features

• ⚡ Quick Switching: Use the command palette to instantly switch between your favorite Python interpreters
• 🌍 Global & Workspace Settings: Configure favorites at both user (global) and workspace level
• 🔀 Smart Merging: Workspace favorites are combined with user favorites for maximum flexibility
• 📁 Variable Substitution: Use ${workspaceFolder}, ${userHome}, and environment variables in paths
• ✅ Path Validation: Visual warnings for interpreters with invalid paths
• 🎯 Immediate Activation: Selected interpreters are activated instantly without manual confirmation

Usage

1. Configure your favorites in VS Code settings:

   • Press Ctrl+, (or Cmd+, on Mac) to open Settings
   • Search for "Python Interpreter Favorites"
   • Add your favorite interpreters

2. Switch interpreters:

   • Press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on Mac)
   • Type "Python: Select Favorite Interpreter"
   • Select your desired interpreter from the dropdown

Configuration

User (Global) Settings

Configure interpreters that should be available in all workspaces:

{
  "pythonInterpreterFavorites.interpreters": [
    {
      "label": "Python 3.11 System",
      "path": "/usr/bin/python3.11"
    },
    {
      "label": "Python 3.12 System",
      "path": "C:\\Python312\\python.exe"
    }
  ]
}

Workspace Settings

Configure project-specific interpreters in .vscode/settings.json:

{
  "pythonInterpreterFavorites.interpreters": [
    {
      "label": "Project Virtual Environment",
      "path": "${workspaceFolder}/.venv/bin/python"
    },
    {
      "label": "Project Conda Environment",
      "path": "${userHome}/anaconda3/envs/myproject/bin/python"
    }
  ]
}

Variable Substitution

Supported variables:

• ${workspaceFolder} - The path of the workspace folder
• ${userHome} - The user's home directory
• ${env:VARIABLE} - Environment variables (e.g., ${env:HOME})

Requirements

• Visual Studio Code 1.85.0 or higher
• Python Extension by Microsoft

Extension Settings

This extension contributes the following settings:

• pythonInterpreterFavorites.interpreters: Array of favorite Python interpreter configurations. Each entry requires:
  • label: Display name for the interpreter
  • path: Full path to the Python executable

Tips

• Workspace-level favorites appear first in the dropdown, followed by user-level favorites
• Duplicate paths (same interpreter in both workspace and user settings) are automatically deduplicated, with workspace taking precedence
• Invalid paths are marked with a ⚠️ warning but can still be set if needed

Release Notes

0.1.1

• Don't set the python.defaultInterpreterPath setting

0.1.0

Initial release of Python Interpreter Favorites

• Quick switching between favorite interpreters
• User and workspace-level configuration
• Variable substitution in paths
• Path validation
• Immediate interpreter activation

License

MIT

Contributing

Found a bug or have a feature request? Please open an issue on GitHub.

Enjoy! 🐍