Python Version Checking Code Examples and Scripts

These ready-to-use code snippets help you programmatically determine what Python version do I have in your scripts and applications. Perfect for version compatibility checks and system diagnostics.

Basic Version Display #

Simple Version Print #

Formatted Version Output #

Version Comparison Functions #

Check Minimum Version Requirement #

import sys

def check_python_version(min_major=3, min_minor=8):
    """
    Check if current Python version meets minimum requirements.
    Returns True if version is sufficient, False otherwise.
    """
    current = sys.version_info
    required = (min_major, min_minor)
    
    if (current.major, current.minor) >= required:
        return True
    else:
        print(f"Python {min_major}.{min_minor}+ required. Current: {current.major}.{current.minor}")
        return False

# Usage examples
if check_python_version(3, 8):
    print("✓ Python version is compatible")
else:
    print("✗ Please upgrade Python")

Version Range Checker #

Advanced Version Information #

Complete System Information #

import sys
import platform
import os

def get_python_environment_info():
    """
    Gather comprehensive Python environment information.
    Returns dictionary with version and system details.
    """
    info = {
        'python_version': sys.version.split()[0],
        'version_info': {
            'major': sys.version_info.major,
            'minor': sys.version_info.minor,
            'micro': sys.version_info.micro,
            'releaselevel': sys.version_info.releaselevel,
            'serial': sys.version_info.serial
        },
        'executable': sys.executable,
        'platform': platform.platform(),
        'system': platform.system(),
        'processor': platform.processor(),
        'python_implementation': platform.python_implementation(),
        'python_compiler': platform.python_compiler()
    }
    return info

# Usage
env_info = get_python_environment_info()
for key, value in env_info.items():
    print(f"{key}: {value}")

Version Compatibility Checker #

Command Line Integration #

Version Check Script #

#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""
Command line script to check Python version with options.
Save as check_version.py and run with: python check_version.py
"""
import sys
import argparse

def main():
    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Check Python version')
    parser.add_argument('--simple', action='store_true', 
                       help='Show simple version number only')
    parser.add_argument('--check', nargs=2, metavar=('MAJOR', 'MINOR'),
                       help='Check if version is at least MAJOR.MINOR')
    
    args = parser.parse_args()
    
    if args.simple:
        print(f"{sys.version_info.major}.{sys.version_info.minor}.{sys.version_info.micro}")
    elif args.check:
        major, minor = int(args.check[0]), int(args.check[1])
        current = (sys.version_info.major, sys.version_info.minor)
        required = (major, minor)
        
        if current >= required:
            print(f"✓ Python {major}.{minor}+ requirement met")
            sys.exit(0)
        else:
            print(f"✗ Python {major}.{minor}+ required, found {current[0]}.{current[1]}")
            sys.exit(1)
    else:
        print(f"Python {sys.version}")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

One-Liner Utilities #

Quick Version Checks #

# One-liner version checks for different scenarios

# Basic version string
version = f"{sys.version_info.major}.{sys.version_info.minor}"

# Version with micro number
full_version = f"{sys.version_info[:3]}"[1:-1].replace(', ', '.')

# Check if Python 3.8+
is_modern = sys.version_info >= (3, 8)

# Get major version only
major = sys.version_info.major

Environment Variable Style #

Usage Tips #

In Applications #

Use these snippets to:

• Startup checks: Verify compatibility before running main application
• Error reporting: Include version info in bug reports
• Feature flags: Enable/disable features based on Python version
• Installation scripts: Check requirements during setup

Common Patterns #

# Early exit pattern for version requirements
if sys.version_info < (3, 8):
    print("Python 3.8+ required")
    sys.exit(1)

# Conditional imports based on version
if sys.version_info >= (3, 9):
    from collections.abc import Mapping
else:
    from typing import Mapping

Summary #

These code snippets provide comprehensive methods to programmatically determine what Python version do I have:

• Basic checks: Simple version display and comparison
• Advanced info: Complete environment details
• Compatibility: Feature support verification
• Integration: Command line and application usage

Choose the appropriate snippet based on your specific needs for version checking and compatibility validation.