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gh-124113: Clarify venv target directory reuse #151419

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gh-124113: Clarify venv target directory reuse
harjothkhara Jun 12, 2026
c25ebb3
gh-124113: Refine venv reuse wording
harjothkhara Jun 12, 2026
de5f11a
gh-124113: State that --clear also deletes non-venv files
harjothkhara Jun 12, 2026
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7 changes: 6 additions & 1 deletion Doc/library/venv.rst
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Expand Up @@ -77,6 +77,9 @@ containing a copy or symlink of the Python executable
It also creates a :file:`lib/pythonX.Y/site-packages` subdirectory
(on Windows, this is :file:`Lib\\site-packages`).
If an existing directory is specified, it will be re-used.
Reusing an existing directory does not leave it unchanged: ``venv`` may create,
update, or replace files in the target directory. Use a dedicated directory for
the virtual environment, and avoid placing project files directly inside it.

.. versionchanged:: 3.5
The use of ``venv`` is now recommended for creating virtual environments.
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -126,7 +129,9 @@ The command, if run with ``-h``, will show the available options::

.. option:: --clear

Delete the contents of the environment directory if it already exists, before environment creation.
Delete all contents of the environment directory if it already exists,
including files that were not created by ``venv``,
before environment creation.

.. option:: --upgrade

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