We have already learned how to install new packages in PTVS using the GUI tools that it provides. Now, we will learn more about the criteria for choosing one package index over another; in other words, when to choose easy_install over pip.
Generally speaking, using pip is much better than using easy_install, and there are major reasons for this. As Ian Bicking, the creator of pip, wrote in his own introduction to pip, the advantages are as follows:
All packages are downloaded before installation. As a result, partially completed installation doesn't occur.
Care is taken when presenting useful output on the console.
The reasons for actions are being tracked. For instance, if a package is being installed,
pipkeeps track of why that package was required.Error messages should be useful.
The code is relatively concise and cohesive, making it easier to use programmatically.
Packages don't have to be installed as egg archives; they can be installed flat (while keeping the egg metadata...