Python package managers and Node.js

Question

I am trying to compile python scripts using Node.js. The python scripts include some modules I have installed. My package manager for python is Anaconda, so I tried to suppl

Answer 1

I don't think you want to call the Anaconda prompt.

Just call python: python print('hello').

What happens on the command line if you call: Anaconda Prompt (Anaconda3) print('hello')?

(This should be a comment, but I cannot comment.)

Answer 2

I suspect that this is because the Anaconda Prompt is just some weird shortcut that sets up some variables for cmd.exe

Yes, that's pretty much it. So, no I don't think you can call it as proposed. There is probably a way to manipulate the cmd.exe manually to get it running like an Anaconda Prompt session, but instead I'd propose to try...

conda run

Not sure if this will work in Windows, but it might be possible to use conda run to execute within the Conda environment. This was introduced (and still remains) as an experimental feature in Conda v4.6, with the express purpose of enabling one to run something inside a Conda environment without interactively having to activate it.

Prerequisite

First, you should probably test that conda run works on Windows. Let's assume your conda.exe is located at

C:\Users\dream\Anaconda3\Scripts\conda.exe

Start a clean cmd.exe session, where conda is undefined (i.e., not Anaconda Prompt). Then try things like

C:\Users\dream\Anaconda3\Scripts\conda.exe run where python

or, if you have another env, say my_env you can also do

C:\Users\dream\Anaconda3\Scripts\conda.exe run -n my_env where python

to verify that the Python interpreter that gets run is the one specified.

(Possible) Solution

If the above works, then you should be able to do something like

var exec = require('child_process').exec;
exec('C:\Users\dream\Anaconda3\Scripts\conda.exe run python hello.py', ..callback)

Not sure if you'll need the shell specified in this case.