pipenv creates empty Pipfile in some folders

[charlax]

Issue description

Empty Pipfile are created from time to time in some folders of my app. They always appear in the same folders, and it seems that they appear when I have opened a file in the same directory in Vim. They can appear in 9 different locations at time of writing.

Expected result

pipenv should not create those empty files.

Actual result

Example paths:

api/repo/column/Pipfile
api/lib/sqs_task/Pipfile
api/tests/factory/Pipfile

The only thing they seem to have in common is that they are 3 layers deep.

Steps to replicate

Actually, I really don't know how to replicate this and would appreciate some guidance. Since it seems to happen only when I'm working on the files, could it be related to my editing setup? I'm using:

• vim (dotfiles: https://github.com/charlax/dotvim)
• black

---

$ pipenv --support

NOTE: I have redacted the areas I assume are irrelevant.

Pipenv version: '2018.11.26'

Pipenv location: '/Users/ca/Library/Python/3.7/lib/python/site-packages/pipenv'

Python location: '/usr/local/opt/python/bin/python3.7'

Python installations found:

• 3.7.4: /usr/local/bin/python3
• 3.7.4: /usr/local/bin/python3.7m
• 2.7.16: /usr/local/bin/python
• 2.7.16: /usr/local/bin/pythonw
• 2.7.10: /usr/bin/python
• 2.7.10: /usr/bin/pythonw
• 2.7.10: /usr/bin/python2.7

PEP 508 Information:

{'implementation_name': 'cpython',
 'implementation_version': '3.7.4',
 'os_name': 'posix',
 'platform_machine': 'x86_64',
 'platform_python_implementation': 'CPython',
 'platform_release': '18.7.0',
 'platform_system': 'Darwin',
 'platform_version': 'Darwin Kernel Version 18.7.0: Thu Jun 20 18:42:21 PDT '
                     '2019; root:xnu-4903.270.47~4/RELEASE_X86_64',
 'python_full_version': '3.7.4',
 'python_version': '3.7',
 'sys_platform': 'darwin'}

System environment variables:

• TERM_SESSION_ID
• LC_TERMINAL_VERSION
• COLORFGBG
• XPC_FLAGS
• PWD
• SHELL
• LC_CTYPE
• TERM_PROGRAM_VERSION
• TERM_PROGRAM
• PATH
• LC_TERMINAL
• COLORTERM
• TERM
• HOME
• TMPDIR
• USER
• LOGNAME
• SHLVL
• OLDPWD
• ZSH
• EDITOR
• EDITOR_GUI
• CODE_PATH
• FORK_PATH
• GOPATH
• VIM_DOTFILES
• PYENV_ROOT
• MANPATH
• DOTFILES
• VIRTUAL_ENV_DISABLE_PROMPT
• PROMPT
• PIP_DISABLE_PIP_VERSION_CHECK
• PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE
• PIP_SHIMS_BASE_MODULE
• PIP_PYTHON_PATH
• PYTHONFINDER_IGNORE_UNSUPPORTED

Pipenv–specific environment variables:

Debug–specific environment variables:

• PATH: /Users/ca/.pyenv/bin:/usr/local/opt/gettext/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/Users/ca/.dotfiles/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/Library/TeX/texbin:/Users/ca/bin:/Users/ca/Library/Python/3.7/bin:/Users/ca/.local/bin
• SHELL: /usr/local/bin/zsh
• EDITOR: nvim
• LANG: en_US.UTF-8
• PWD: [redacted]/api

---

Contents of Pipfile ('[redacted]/api/Pipfile'):

[[source]]
url = "https://pypi.python.org/simple"
verify_ssl = true
name = "pypi"

[packages]
[redacted]

[dev-packages]
[redacted]

[requires]
python_version = "3.6"

Contents of Pipfile.lock ('[redacted]/api/Pipfile.lock'):

{
    "_meta": {
        "hash": {
            "sha256": "558646c3fe87a703b88b2e80732264a2e1c4b93854d79f2cd969b26f88dc180e"
        },
        "pipfile-spec": 6,
        "requires": {
            "python_version": "3.6"
        },
        "sources": [
            {
                "name": "pypi",
                "url": "https://pypi.python.org/simple",
                "verify_ssl": true
            }
        ]
    },
   [redacted]
}

[ionling]

Same with Emacs pipenv.el

[frostming]

It is likely due to some auto-execution of pipenv commands.

Pipenv looks for Pipfile up to 3 layers deep by default. And if not found, one Pipfile will be created in the current directory. The max searching depth is controlled by PIPENV_MAX_DEPTH.

[charlax]

Indeed, I have verified that I can reproduce the issue consistently with vim and my plugins. I just need to edit a file that is 3 subfolders deep to see an extra Pipfile created alongside it.

Why would Pipfile create an empty file though?

[frostming]

@charlax Yes, it is the current design, Pipenv needs Pipfile to locate its project root. Does PIPENV_MAX_DEPTH work for your case?

[frostming]

Plus, I recommend filing an issue to ale or pipenv.el to see what the project author says.

[charlax]

Indeed, it looks like ALE executes pipenv, :ALEInfo yields:

(finished - exit code 0) ['/usr/local/bin/zsh', '-c', 'cd ''[redacted]/api/api/task'' && ''pipenv'' run flake8 --format=default --stdin-display-name ''[redacted]/api/api/task/
connection.py'' - < ''/var/folders/ss/2cch6pjs7fqf55xztqstklh40000gn/T/vBtf28V/25/connection.py'''] 

And I have let g:ale_python_auto_pipenv = 1 in my vim config.

I'll open a ticket with ALE. I guess a proper solution would be to use PIPENV_PIPFILE to specify the Pipfile path?

[ghost]

Hi @frostming,

I'm interested what the Use case is for where pipenv by design will create a new Pipfile where depth exceeds PIPENV_MAX_DEPTH?

Perhaps you can have a Pipfile under a Pipfile? something like:

Project/
 Pipfile
 models.py
 tests/
    testproject1/
        tests.py
        settings.py
        Pipfile

thanks

[frostming]

@richyfish Yes, why not?

[ghost]

That's fine. I was trying to understand the design decisions behind why pipenv only searches within 3 depth. thanks.