Create a Python project

Pure Python projects are intended for Python programming. A project helps you organize your source code, tests, libraries that you use, and your personal settings in a single unit.

In case you don't need a project, you can edit your file in LightEdit mode.

To create a project, do one of the following:
- From the main menu, choose File | New Project
- On the Welcome screen, click New Project
In the New Project dialog, specify the project name and its location. The dialog may differ depending on the PyCharm edition.
Next, choose whether you want to create a new environment or use an existing interpreter, by clicking the corresponding radio-button.
To use a remote Python interpreter, select Previously configured interpreter.
The following steps depend on your choice:
Specify the location of the new conda environment in the Location field, or click and browse for the desired location in your file system. The directory for the new conda environment should be empty.
Select the Python version from the list.
Normally, PyCharm will detect conda installation.
Otherwise, specify the location of the conda executable, or click to browse for it.
Select the Make available to all projects checkbox if you want to reuse this environment when creating Python interpreters in PyCharm.
Specify the location of the new virtual environment in the Location field, or click and browse for the desired location in your file system. The directory for the new virtual environment should be empty.
Choose the base interpreter from the list, or click and find the desired Python executable in your file system.
Select the Inherit global site-packages checkbox if you want all packages installed in the global Python on your machine to be added to the virtual environment you're going to create. This checkbox corresponds to the --system-site-packages option of the virtualenv tool.
Select the Make available to all projects checkbox if you want to reuse this environment when creating Python interpreters in PyCharm.
Choose the base interpreter from the list, or click and find the desired Python executable in your file system.
If you have added the base binary directory to your PATH environmental variable, you don't need to set any additional options: the path to the pipenv executable will be autodetected.
If the pipenv executable is not found, follow the pipenv installation procedure to discover the executable path, and then paste it in the Pipenv executable field.
Choose the base interpreter from the list, or click and find the desired Python executable in your file system.
If PyCharm doesn't detect the poetry executable, specify the following path in the Poetry executable field, replacing jetbrains with your username:
/Users/jetbrains/Library/Application Support/pypoetry/venv/bin/poetry
C:\Users\jetbrains\AppData\Roaming\pypoetry\venv\Scripts\poetry.exe
/home/jetbrains/.local/bin/poetry
Choose the desired interpreter from the list, or (if the desired interpreter is not found), click Add Interpreter and configure an existing interpreter as described on the following pages:
Create a main.py welcome script: keep this option selected if you want PyCharm to add the main.py file to your project. This file contains a very simple Python code sample and can be a starting point of your project.

Once you created a project, you can proceed with configuring the project structure.

See more details on creating projects in PyCharm in the video tutorial:

Last modified: 28 March 2023