Structure configuration files like tox.ini to maximize maintainability and efficiency. Use factor prefixes (e.g., “test-opentelemetry:”, “lint:”) to install packages only for specific environments, avoiding unnecessary dependencies. When naming environments, avoid characters that have special meaning in the tool (e.g., use “precommit” instead of “pre-commit” since tox treats hyphens as factor separators).
Example:
[testenv]
deps =
-c dev-requirements.txt
# Install specific packages only for lint environments
lint: -r lint-requirements.txt
# Install specific packages only for test environments
test-opentelemetry: pytest
test-opentelemetry: pytest-benchmark
This approach reduces test environment setup time and makes dependencies explicit for each environment type. Consider using tools like pip-sync to keep environments in sync with requirements.txt changes. For complex projects, evaluate whether specialized requirements files for different virtual environments improve clarity or add unnecessary complexity.
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