Python to .exe How to convert .py to .exe? Step by step guide.

Auto PY to EXE

The only tool that we are gonna be using is Auto PY to EXE!

Auto PY to EXE is an amazing application for making .exe file out of your project whether it is one .py file or any number of them.
The application has a nice gui and looks like this:

How to start

Step 1. Installation

Installing using PyPI:

To install the application run this line in cmd:

pip install auto-py-to-exe

To open the application run this line in cmd:

auto-py-to-exe

Note: if you have any problems installing this way or you want to install it from GitHub go to the main page or watch this instructional video by the developer of "Auto PY to EXE" himself.

For more additional information use this

"Issues When Using auto-py-to-exe"

Step 2. Converting

There are few main options you need to choose:

1. Pick your .py file
2. Pick "One Directory" or "One File" option
3. Pick additional files

1. Pick your .py file

If you have multiple files choose one that starts the program.

2.1. "One Directory" option

Pretty simple. When choosing "One Directory" option "Auto PY to EXE" will put all dependencies in one folder. You can choose Output directory in "Advanced" menu. If you have media files like icons and backgrounds you shouldn't have any problems using them inside your .exe if you place media files/folders in the Output directory.
Something like this:

2.2. "One File" option

When choosing "One File" option "Auto PY to EXE" will create one .exe file containing all dependencies but NOT MEDIA FILES. If your program has only default Windows gui with no icons, backgrounds, media files or you are OK with placing media folder near .exe file feel free to skip the following explanation. For those who want to pack media files into .exe file itself read paragraph 3.

3. Pick additional files

There is a menu in "Auto PY to EXE" called "Additional Files" that lets you add files of your choice. There is a catch though. "Auto PY to EXE" uses pyinstaller which unpacks the data into a temporary folder and stores this directory path in the _MEIPASS environment variable. Your project won't find necessary files because the path changed and it won't see the new path either. In other words, if option "One File" is chosen picked files in the "Additional Files" menu will not be added to .exe file. To work around this you should use this code provided by developer of Auto PY to EXE here

def resource_path(relative_path):
    """ Get absolute path to resource, works for dev and for PyInstaller """
try:
    # PyInstaller creates a temp folder and stores path in _MEIPASS
    base_path = sys._MEIPASS
except Exception:
    base_path = os.path.abspath(".")

return os.path.join(base_path, relative_path)

To use this code in your project replace the link to the media file you have now
For example:

setWindowIcon(QIcon('media\icons\logo.png'))

with

setWindowIcon(QIcon(resource_path('logo.png'))

Now the link will be referenced correctly and chosen files successfully packed into .exe file.

For comparison:
Possible link before

"C:\Users\User\PycharmProjects\media\icons\logo.png"

Possible link after

"C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\\_MEI34121\logo.png"

Press CONVERT .PY TO .EXE

Wait

Step 3. Run your program!

Now everything is done!

Run it. Test it. See what`s up.

Make sure everything works well.

You made One Directory

Every file you need should be in the single directory.

You made One File

This way you should have single .exe file. If you had a need and if done correctly your .exe file will be packed with all media inside it. You will not need any media files/folders present with .exe file for it to display them properly.

---

P.S.

If you have any feedback or suggestions on what important information should be added feel free to let me know!
This guide is not a description of every possible option done every possible way.
I hope you found that information useful!
Good luck with your projects!

Comments

[Joe Hobot]

mv somefile.py somefile.exe

😛

[Eshleron]

😛

[Palash Bauri 👻]

GUI Wrapper for PyInstaller! Gonna try

[Muhammed H. Alkan]

It's not good to do this. The performance will stay same (even decreased) and it will lose the cross-platform ability.

[Vincent Guarnaccia]

I think a common use case is sharing a Python program with someone who might not have the interpreter installed.

[Fernando Costa]

Nice!! How does this handle zipfile?

[Eshleron]

If I understood your quiestion correctly then that's what I found pythonhosted.org/PyInstaller/advan...

[Caleb Winston]

This looks great! I do want to give a quick shout-out to Nim

If you're looking to build performant executables and Python is what you're really comfortable, I think you'll find Nim's syntax pleasingly similar; and the performance improvements are real 😀

[Celiasty]

I can't install it :
Command ""c:\program files (x86)\python37-32\python.exe" -u -c "import setuptools, tokenize;file='C:\Users\NATHAN~1\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-install-d_n5yima\future\setup.py';f=getattr(tokenize, 'open', open)(file);code=f.read().replace('\r\n', '\n');f.close();exec(compile(code, file, 'exec'))" install --record C:\Users\NATHAN~1\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-record-oaye_ir1\install-record.txt --single-version-externally-managed --compile" failed with error code 1 in C:\Users\NATHAN~1\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-install-d_n5yima\future\
You are using pip version 18.1, however version 19.1.1 is available.
You should consider upgrading via the 'python -m pip install --upgrade pip' command.

I've try to upgrade pip but i can't uninstall my last version

[Eshleron]

It's not pip version problem I think. I would reinstall pip or python(if nothing helps) if googling doesn't help. Couple months passed since you asked, probably you already have a solution.

[biswarup1290dass]

I am facing the below issue while converting py to exe. It if failing at Analysis due to log formatting syntax.

[biswarup1290dass]

I am facing the below issue while converting py to exe. It if failing at Analysis due to log formatting syntax.

[thepracticaldev.s3.amazonaws.com/i...]

[Eshleron]

Hi!
1.If you still have the problem I would look and the string itself with
log.error(f""). Dont think that you can do what I think you are trying to do.

2.If second error is present after you delt with the first one, then simple recomendation is to reinstall pyinstaller. I had multiple problems with converting and they mostly got solved by restarting converting process.

[𝕛𝕒𝕪 🇪🇸]

Hey buddy, thanks for creating this. I have a problem though: in my python script I call several files that are in the current working directory, based on relative paths to simplify it. Once it's compiled to the exe, it seems that the program goes to the root folder of the computer as an absolute route. This kind of defeats the object since my program has to run in a folder with other files being added and removed.

What can I do to force the .exe to work on relative paths exactly the same way I have my script?

thanks

[Eshleron]

Hi!
1.What I usually do is get an absolute path so the script\scripts always know where they are

import os
dir = os.path.dirname(__file__)
abs_path = os.path.join(dir, DB_DOCS_NAME)
variable = open(abs_path)

2.If the main script is looking in the wrong place for other scripts then probably your imports are not correct.
Try to use this resource
realpython.com/absolute-vs-relativ...

Hope that I helped in some way

[leandadearaujo]

hey when I add the dll files using add files drop down and create the exe , when i try to open the exe it says "failed to compile the exe file_name" , can you please help out with this it urgent as well Thank you so much in advance

[Eshleron]

Hi! Can you please send some screenshots?