Package Management for the Spotfire Service for Python
Spotfire Service for Python programmers in your organization can develop their own packages or take advantage of some of the thousands of compatible packages developed by other Python programmers, and then share the analyses that use those functions with Spotfire users in your organization.
The largest and most commonly-used curated repository for Python packages is the Python Package Index (PyPI). Administrators should check with authors to make sure they know the location for needed packages.
Spotfire analysts can create data functions that use these packages, and then share them with either other analysts using the installed Spotfire client, or with Spotfire web client users.
- To share a collection of
Python packages and data functions that use them with Spotfire Analyst
installations connected to your Spotfire Server, create the Spotfire package
(SPK) containing the Python packages, and use the
--analyst
flag. For more information, see the instructions in the guide Python Data Functions in Spotfire®, provided with the Spotfire Analyst documentation. Packages deployed in this manner are distributed to all Spotfire Analyst installations in your organization when they connect to the Spotfire Server where the packages are deployed. - To enable data functions that use the code in the Python packages for web client users, see Distribute Python Packages. Packages deployed in this manner are available on the Spotfire Server node manager where the Spotfire Service for Python is installed.
- If your node manager is running on a Windows server, then you can create the SPK either from a Windows computer running Spotfire Analyst, or you can create the SPK from the computer running the node manager where the Spotfire Service for Python is installed.
- If your node manager is running on a Linux server, then you can create the SPK using the provided Docker containers from your desktop computer, or you can create the SPK from the computer running the node manager where the Spotfire Service for Python is installed.
The following image shows the workflow for creating an SPK to share Python packages with other analysts, or to enable data functions for Spotfire web client users (Spotfire Business Author and Consumer).
- Find help
Spotfire includes many avenues to help with packages, whether they are Python language packages to use with the Spotfire Service for Python or Spotfire packages (SPKs). - Using an Alternative Python Package Repository
If your company keeps an internal repository for approved Python packages, you can set a preference using the Spotfire Administration Manager to point to the URL for the internal repository. - Included Packages
Your installation of Spotfire includes version 3.11.9 of the Python interpreter and several packages it needs to run under Spotfire. - Overview of Spotfire Packages
A Spotfire SPK is usually created and tested by developers to package and deploy third-party extensions to the Spotfire Server, which can then be distributed to the Spotfire Server node for use by another service (and in some cases, distributed to Spotfire clients). - Distribute Python Packages
You can distribute Python packages by using the Spotfire package (SPK) mechanism for either a Spotfire Server installation with a node manager running on Windows OS, or for a Spotfire Server installation running a node manager on a supported Linux OS. - Use an Alternative Python Interpreter
You can use a Python interpreter that is different from the one provided with your Spotfire installation by uploading it in a Spotfire package.