Installing Development Version on Windows

Installing Development Version on Windows

This guide helps you install the development (beta) version of Library Manager on Windows. The develop branch contains the latest fixes and features before they're released to the main branch.

Prerequisites

1. Git - Download Git for Windows
2. Python 3.10+ - Download Python (check "Add to PATH" during install)

Installation Steps

1. Clone the Repository

Open Command Prompt or PowerShell and run:

git clone https://github.com/deucebucket/library-manager.git
cd library-manager

2. Switch to Development Branch

git checkout develop

3. Create Virtual Environment (Recommended)

python -m venv venv
venv\Scripts\activate

4. Install Dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

5. Run Library Manager

python app.py

Open your browser to http://localhost:5757

Staying Updated

To get the latest development changes:

cd library-manager
git pull origin develop

If you have a virtual environment, make sure it's activated first:

venv\Scripts\activate
git pull origin develop
pip install -r requirements.txt

Switching Between Versions

To switch to stable (main):

git checkout main
git pull origin main

To switch back to development:

git checkout develop
git pull origin develop

Troubleshooting

"python is not recognized"

• Reinstall Python and check "Add Python to PATH"
• Or use the full path: C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\python.exe

"git is not recognized"

• Restart your terminal after installing Git
• Or add Git to your PATH manually

Port 5757 already in use

• Another app is using the port
• Kill it with Task Manager, or change the port in app.py

Dependencies fail to install

• Try upgrading pip first: python -m pip install --upgrade pip
• If a specific package fails, install it manually

Getting Help

• GitHub Issues - Report bugs or ask questions
• Development discussion happens in issue threads