Python virtual environment error: Module not found error for flask and spacy libraries

Question

I am developing a web application using flask and spacy libraries for which I have created a virtual environment using the following command: conda create -n mylgappflaskenv python=3.6 which gets created and then I activate my virtual environment using the following command activate mylgappflaskenv then to install spacy and flask I execute pip install spacy and pip install flask one after the another and they get installed successfully. then I have created a new file name app.py with the following code

import spacy
nlp = spacy.load("en_core_web_sm")
doc = nlp("Apple is looking at buying U.K. startup for $1 billion")
for token in doc:
    print(token.text)

on running this file I am getting following error:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "app.py", line 16, in <module>
     import spacy
ImportError: cannot import name 'spacy' 

steps

step1: conda create -n mylgapp2 python=3.6
step2: conda activate mylgapp2
step3: conda install -c conda-forge spacy
step4: python -m spacy download en_core_web_sm --> it gives error
step5: conda install -c anaconda flask

step6: write code: 

import spacy

nlp = spacy.load("en_core_web_sm")
doc = nlp("Apple is looking at buying U.K. startup for $1 billion")
for token in doc:
    print(token.text)

step 7: conda run app.py

what am I missing, how can I resolve this issue

Answer 1

Do you have a line in your flask app.py that is attempting to import from spacy import spacy if so I'm not sure that's a valid spacy import.

EDIT : run python app.py instead of conda run app.py

Answer 2

Since you are using conda virtual environment manager, it's recommended to use conda package installation tool, which is conda , to install a library. In your case, it's better to install flask and spacy libraries with conda which are;

    $ conda install -c anaconda flask
    $ conda install -c conda-forge spacy
    $ python -m spacy download en_core_web_sm

These are the references flask-anaconda and spacy usage

Answer 3

The steps I follow to create a conda environment;

• conda create -n myenv python=3.6
• conda activate myenv

This step shows me the environment name in my line also

    $ (myenv)

You can install required libraries after you make sure you are in the correct virtual environment

    $ (myenv) conda install -c anaconda flask
    $ (myenv) conda install -c conda-forge spacy

After you install all these libraries, make sure they are in your package list

    $ (myenv) conda list

If you see libraries in your package list, you are good to go.

Answer 4

Have you checked that the path of your python and pip executable is the one of your conda environment? ie:

$ (myenv) which python
XXXX/XXXXX/anaconda3/envs/myenv/bin/python
$ (myenv) which pip
XXXX/XXXXX/anaconda3/envs/myenv/bin/pip

If that is not the case, it might be a path issue, which can happen if you prepend something to your PATH after activating the environment.