
However, up until now, Poetry has had one major limitation: it did not have a default repository for downloading packages. This meant that users had to manually add repositories to their pyproject.toml file or use external tools like pipenv to manage their dependencies. But all of that is about to change with the introduction of the Poetry Set Default Repository feature.
With this new feature, Poetry will include an official default repository that users can use out-of-the-box. This repository will contain thousands of packages sourced directly from PyPI (Python Package Index) and will be automatically prioritized over any other repositories listed in the pyproject.toml file. This means that users can simply specify their project’s dependencies in pyproject.toml and let Poetry handle the rest.
The set default repository feature is not only convenient for users but also helps ensure package security. With an official default repository, there are fewer chances of unwittingly installing malicious or outdated packages from external sources. Additionally, by sourcing packages directly from PyPI, developers can be sure they are getting reliable and trustworthy code.
To start using the set default repository feature, first make sure you have updated your Poetry installation to version 1.2 or higher. Then add your project’s dependencies to your pyproject.toml file as usual:
[tool.poetry.dependencies]
requests = “^2.26.0”
numpy = “^1.21.2”
Next, run the following command:
poetry config repositories.testpypi https://test.pypi.org/simple/
This command adds a test PyPI repository as an example but you can replace it with any other custom repository of your choice. But, once you have set up the default repository for your projects, you can skip this step and let Poetry handle it automatically.
With the default repository set up, you can now install your project’s dependencies by running:
poetry install
Poetry will automatically fetch the required packages from the default repository and install them into your project’s virtual environment.
In conclusion, the Poetry Set Default Repository feature is a great addition to an already powerful tool for Python developers. It makes managing dependencies more convenient and secure while reducing complexity. By removing manual steps and external tools from the process, developers can focus on writing great code instead of worrying about dependency management.