Add uv and pixi. (#464)

Resolves #419.

Notably not done, is that I've not updated the tutorial.md to use `uv`
instead of Anaconda. I'd need to use a Windows machine to test the
instructions before I'd feel confident changing the tutorial.

---------

Co-authored-by: Patrick J. Roddy <[email protected]>
Co-authored-by: Matt Graham <[email protected]>

Author: 3 people

README.md

@@ -75,14 +75,13 @@ We also have a detailed [tutorial](tutorial.md) that has been given in a couple
 The tutorial goes into much more pedagogical detail, it both describes using the template to create a package
 and how to use the newly created package with some of the tools included.
 
-1. Install [cookiecutter] in a Conda or `venv` environment (commented lines for
-   Conda example).
+1. Install [cookiecutter] in a `uv venv` or `conda` environment (commented lines for
+   `uv venv` example).
 
    ```sh
-   # conda create --channel conda-forge --name new-env-name
-   # conda activate new-env-name
-   # conda install pip
-   pip install cookiecutter
+   # uv venv  # creates a .venv directory wherever you are
+   # source ./.venv/bin/activate
+   uv pip install cookiecutter
    ```
 
 2. Run cookiecutter in the desired directory
@@ -114,36 +113,13 @@ and how to use the newly created package with some of the tools included.
    package_name [python_template]: PACKAGE_NAME
    ```
 
-   we will get a project folder named `PROJECT_SLUG`, structured like this:
-
-   ```sh
-   PROJECT_SLUG
-   ├── ...
-   ├── README.md
-   ├── pyproject.toml
-   ├── src
-   │   └── PACKAGE_NAME
-   │       └── __init__.py
-   └── tests
-       └── test_dummy.py
-   ```
-
-   And the `PROJECT_NAME` will appear in the README.md as the human-readable
-   name of the project.
-
-   ```sh
-   cat PROJECT_SLUG/README.md
-   # PROJECT_NAME
-   ...
-   ```
-
 5. To work on your project, initialise a Git repository and _install_ it in
    editable mode.
 
    ```sh
    cd PROJECT_SLUG
    git init
-   python -m pip install -e ".[dev]"
+   uv pip install -e ".[dev]"
    ```
 
 6. Build your package
@@ -175,10 +151,10 @@ cd python-tooling
 - To create and remove your virtual environment
 
   ```sh
-  conda create -n ptoolingVE pip -c conda-forge
-  conda activate ptoolingVE
-  conda deactivate ptoolingVE
-  conda remove -n ptoolingVE --all
+  uv venv
+  source .venv/bin/activate
+  # do your work
+  deactivate
   ```
 
 - To run template in the same path of this repo. We do a test cookiecut of a
@@ -188,7 +164,7 @@ cd python-tooling
   cookiecutter .
   cd python-template
   git init
-  python -m pip install -e ".[dev]"
+  uv pip install -e ".[dev]"
   ```
 
 - To run cookiecutter using a specific branch of the template:

docs/pages/virtual.md

@@ -5,18 +5,22 @@ layout: default
 
 ## Virtual environments
 
-| Name                    | Short description                                                                                                                                                                                     | 🚦  |
-| ----------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :-: |
-| conda-forge [miniforge] | Installs, runs, and updates packages and their dependencies. Uses `conda`, but with community maintained packages from `conda-forge` channel instead of commercially maintained packages.             | 🟢  |
-| [pipenv]                | Automatically creates and manages a virtualenv for your projects.                                                                                                                                     | 🟠  |
-| [pyenv]                 | Lets you easily switch between multiple versions of Python.                                                                                                                                           | 🟠  |
-| [virtualenv]            | Creates isolated Python environments, and offers more features than venv.                                                                                                                             | 🟠  |
-| [venv]                  | Creates isolated Python environments. Fewer features than other tools, but very widely used and comes built into Python.                                                                              | 🟠  |
-| [anaconda]              | Due to recent [licensing ambiguity][anaconda-problems], we recommend avoiding anaconda and many of the default channels. We recommend installing miniforge and sticking to the `conda-forge` channel. | 🔴  |
+| Name                    | Short description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | 🚦  |
+| ----------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :-: |
+| conda-forge [miniforge] | Installs, runs, and updates packages and their dependencies. Uses `conda`, but with community maintained packages from `conda-forge` channel instead of commercially maintained packages.                                                                            | 🟢  |
+| [uv]                    | Fast dependency (and project) management tool. A drop-in replacement for `venv`. This will probably become our 🟢 tool, but for now we are playing cautious as there are some open bugs and features. If you're comfortable using `venv` syntax we'd recommend this. | 🟠  |
+| [pipenv]                | Automatically creates and manages a virtualenv for your projects.                                                                                                                                                                                                    | 🟠  |
+| [pixi]                  | A fast drop-in replacement for `conda`.                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | 🟠  |
+| [pyenv]                 | Lets you easily switch between multiple versions of Python.                                                                                                                                                                                                          | 🟠  |
+| [virtualenv]            | Creates isolated Python environments, and offers more features than venv.                                                                                                                                                                                            | 🟠  |
+| [venv]                  | Creates isolated Python environments. Fewer features than other tools, but very widely used and comes built into Python.                                                                                                                                             | 🟠  |
+| [anaconda]              | Due to recent [licensing ambiguity][anaconda-problems], we recommend avoiding anaconda and many of the default channels. We recommend installing miniforge and sticking to the `conda-forge` channel.                                                                | 🔴  |
 
 <!-- links here for a more readable table -->
 
 [miniforge]: https://conda-forge.org/download/
+[uv]: https://docs.astral.sh/uv/getting-started/installation/
+[pixi]: https://pixi.sh/latest/#installation
 [pipenv]: https://pipenv.pypa.io/en/latest/
 [pyenv]: https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv
 [virtualenv]: https://virtualenv.pypa.io/en/latest/