python - install beautiful soup using pip

76
votes

I am trying to install BeautifulSoup using pip in Python 2.7. I keep getting an error message, and can't understand why.

I followed the instructions to install pip, which was installed to the following directory: c:\Python27\Scripts\pip.exe, then I tried adding it to the path, and running the pip install package command.

tried it two different ways:

import sys
sys.path.append('C:\\Python27\\Scripts\\pip.exe')
pip install beautifulsoup4

import sys
sys.path.append('C:\\Python27\\Scripts')
pip install beautifulsoup4

both give me this error message:

>>> pip install beautifulsoup4
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

the shell is highlighting the word "install" and saying that it's invalid syntax.

I have no idea what's going on, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

4
pythonpython-2.7beautifulsouppip

4 Answers

148
votes

pip is a command line tool, not Python syntax.

In other words, run the command in your console, not in the Python interpreter:

pip install beautifulsoup4

You may have to use the full path:

C:\Python27\Scripts\pip install beautifulsoup4

or even

C:\Python27\Scripts\pip.exe install beautifulsoup4

Windows will then execute the pip program and that will use Python to install the package.

Another option is to use the Python -m command-line switch to run the pip module, which then operates exactly like the pip command:

python -m pip install beautifulsoup4

or

python.exe -m pip install beautifulsoup4
4
votes

The easy method that will work even in corrupted setup environment is :

To download ez_setup.py and run it using command line

python ez_setup.py

output

Extracting in c:\uu\uu\appdata\local\temp\tmpjxvil3 Now working in c:\u\u\appdata\local\temp\tmpjxvil3\setuptools-5.6 Installing Setuptools

run

pip install beautifulsoup4

output

Downloading/unpacking beautifulsoup4 Running setup.py ... egg_info for package Installing collected packages: beautifulsoup4 Running setup.py install for beautifulsoup4 Successfully installed beautifulsoup4 Cleaning up...

Bam ! |Done¬

3
votes
import os

os.system("pip install beautifulsoup4")

or

import subprocess

exe = subprocess.Popen("pip install beautifulsoup4")

exe_out = exe.communicate()

print(exe_out)
1
votes

If you have more than one version of python installed, run the respective pip command.

For example for python3.6 run the following

pip3.6 install beautifulsoup4

To check the available command/version of pip and python on Mac run

ls /usr/local/bin