A set of automation scripts work with no issue from a local machine, but an experiment needs to take place with a new package found online. How is this new package isolated from the main code base?

Question

Options

• AAdd the new package to your requirements.txt file.
• BCreate a new virtual machine and perform a pip install of the new package.
• CPerform a pip install of the new package when logged into your local machine as root.
• DCreate a new virtual environment and perform a pip install of the new package.

• A
  10% (2)
• B
  5% (1)
• C
  15% (3)
• D
  70% (14)

Explanation

Creating a virtual environment (option D) isolates the new package in its own sandboxed Python environment, keeping its dependencies completely separate from the main codebase - if the experiment breaks or conflicts arise, you simply delete the virtual environment with no impact on the working scripts.

Why the distractors fail:

• A is wrong because adding the package to requirements.txt records it as a dependency but doesn't isolate it - it would be installed into whatever environment is currently active, potentially breaking existing code.
• B is overkill and resource-heavy; a full virtual machine provides OS-level isolation but is far heavier than needed when Python already has a lightweight isolation mechanism built in.
• C is dangerous - installing as root affects the system-wide Python installation, which could destabilize other scripts, system tools, or the OS itself.

Memory tip: Think of a virtual environment as a "clean room" for Python - lightweight, disposable, and scoped to just your project. The key word in the question is isolated, and only a virtual environment (venv/virtualenv) provides isolation within Python without the overhead of a full VM.

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