Install Tabalyst

Tabalyst needs Python 3.11, 3.12, 3.13 or 3.14. The same command installs it from PyPI, or updates it when it is already installed:

pip install --upgrade tabalyst
tabalyst --version

The second command prints the installed version, for example 0.6.1.

Update before each test. Tabalyst is in beta and new versions are released often, with fixes and new options. Run pip install --upgrade tabalyst before testing, before following a tutorial and before reporting a problem. See Keep Tabalyst up to date.

The sections below give the recommended steps for each system.

Windows

1. Install Python 3.11 or later from python.org or the Microsoft Store. Then open a new PowerShell window and check the version:

   py --version

2. Create a virtual environment in your working folder. It keeps Tabalyst separate from other Python projects:

   py -m venv .venv

3. Install Tabalyst into this environment. The same command updates it later:

   .venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pip install --upgrade tabalyst

4. Check the installation:

   .venv\Scripts\python.exe -m tabalyst --version

To type tabalyst directly, activate the environment first in each new PowerShell window:

.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
tabalyst --version

If PowerShell refuses to run Activate.ps1 because script execution is disabled, keep using .venv\Scripts\python.exe -m tabalyst instead: it accepts exactly the same commands.

macOS and Linux

python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
python -m pip install --upgrade tabalyst
tabalyst --version

To install the tabalyst command once for your user account instead, use pipx:

pipx install tabalyst

With pipx, update with pipx upgrade tabalyst.

Keep Tabalyst up to date

Tabalyst changes often during its beta. Update it before each test session, before following this documentation and before reporting a problem: the documentation describes the latest release, and older versions may lack commands or options.

python -m pip install --upgrade tabalyst
tabalyst --version

On Windows without an activated environment:

.venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pip install --upgrade tabalyst
.venv\Scripts\python.exe -m tabalyst --version

Compare the printed version with the latest release on PyPI. Updating keeps your reports and configuration files: it only replaces the installed package.

Troubleshooting

• tabalyst is not recognized: the environment is not activated, or the Python scripts folder is not on your PATH. Use python -m tabalyst (or .venv\Scripts\python.exe -m tabalyst on Windows): python -m tabalyst accepts the same commands as tabalyst.
• py is not recognized on Windows: Python is not installed, or was installed without the launcher. Reinstall it from python.org.
• A command or option from this documentation is missing: your version is older than the documented one. Update Tabalyst, then check tabalyst --version.
• Unsupported Python version: pip refuses to install Tabalyst on Python 3.10 or earlier. Install a supported version and recreate the environment.

Next step

Create your first report.