How can I convert a .py to .exe for Python?

Question

I'm trying to convert a fairly simple Python program to an executable and couldn't find what I was looking for, so I have a few questions (I'm running Python 3.6):

The methods of doing this that I have found so far are as follows

1. downloading an old version of Python and using pyinstaller/py2exe
2. setting up a virtual environment in Python 3.6 that will allow me to do 1.
3. downloading a Python to C++ converter and using that.

Here is what I've tried/what problems I've run into.

• I installed pyinstaller before the required download before it (pypi-something) so it did not work. After downloading the prerequisite file, pyinstaller still does not recognize it.
• If I'm setting up a virtualenv in Python 2.7, do I actually need to have Python 2.7 installed?
• similarly, the only python to C++ converters I see work only up until Python 3.5 - do I need to download and use this version if attempting this?

Answer 1

Steps to convert .py to .exe in Python 3.6

1. Install Python 3.6.
2. Install cx_Freeze, (open your command prompt and type pip install cx_Freeze.
3. Install idna, (open your command prompt and type pip install idna.
4. Write a .py program named myfirstprog.py.
5. Create a new python file named setup.py on the current directory of your script.
6. In the setup.py file, copy the code below and save it.
7. With shift pressed right click on the same directory, so you are able to open a command prompt window.
8. In the prompt, type python setup.py build
9. If your script is error free, then there will be no problem on creating application.
10. Check the newly created folder build. It has another folder in it. Within that folder you can find your application. Run it. Make yourself happy.

See the original script in my blog.

setup.py:

from cx_Freeze import setup, Executable

base = None    

executables = [Executable("myfirstprog.py", base=base)]

packages = ["idna"]
options = {
    'build_exe': {    
        'packages':packages,
    },    
}

setup(
    name = "<any name>",
    options = options,
    version = "<any number>",
    description = '<any description>',
    executables = executables
)

EDIT:

• be sure that instead of myfirstprog.py you should put your .pyextension file name as created in step 4;
• you should include each imported package in your .py into packages list (ex: packages = ["idna", "os","sys"])
• any name, any number, any description in setup.py file should not remain the same, you should change it accordingly (ex:name = "<first_ever>", version = "0.11", description = '' )
• the imported packages must be installed before you start step 8.