How to Convert Python Scripts to EXE: A Step-by-Step Guide with PyInstaller

✅ Project Structure:

Let’s say you have a simple Python script like this:

🔹 hello.py

def greet():
    print("Hello from EXE!")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    greet()

---

⚙️ Step-by-Step Instructions to Build .exe

✅ 1. Install PyInstaller

Make sure it's installed in your environment:

pip install pyinstaller

---

✅ 2. Use This Command to Generate a Single .exe

From the terminal (inside the folder where hello.py is located, run:

pyinstaller --onefile hello.py

---

✅ 3. Output Directory Structure:

After running the above command, you’ll get:

your-folder/
│
├── hello.py
├── build/              ← intermediate build files
├── dist/
│   └── hello.exe       ← ✅ Your final `.exe` file
├── hello.spec          ← config file (optional to edit later)

---

✅ Optional: Hide Console (for GUI apps)

If you're building a GUI app (e.g., Tkinter or PyQt), use:

pyinstaller --onefile --noconsole hello.py

This hides the black terminal window that usually appears when you run .exe.

---

✅ Optional: Add a Custom Icon

Place your .ico file in the same folder (e.g., myicon.ico) and run:

pyinstaller --onefile --icon=myicon.ico hello.py

---

🧪 Testing the .exe

Go to the dist/ folder:

cd dist
./hello.exe

You should see:

Hello from EXE!

---

🧠 Bonus: Tips for Bigger Projects

If your script uses:

• External files (like images, .csv, etc.)
• A GUI library like tkinter

...you might need to:

• Use a .spec file to include assets
• Add a --add-data flag (ask me if needed!)

---

🧾 Why This Matters?

When you run a .py script normally:

• Files like "data.csv" or "image.png" are read from the file system.

But when PyInstaller builds a .exe, it bundles everything — and the paths change.

So you need explicitly tell PyInstaller:

"Hey, I’m using these extra files. Include them too!"

---

✅ 1: --add-data Flag (Recommended for Simple Use)

Syntax:

bashCopyEditpyinstaller --onefile --add-data "source_path;destination_folder" script.py

Note: Use ; on Windows, but : on Mac/Linux.

---

🧪 Example

Suppose this is your project:

kotlinCopyEditmyapp/
├── app.py
├── data.csv
├── logo.png

You read files like this:

pythonCopyEditimport pandas as pd
from tkinter import PhotoImage

df = pd.read_csv("data.csv")  # CSV read
logo = PhotoImage(file="logo.png")  # Tkinter GUI image

Now, build .exe with:

bashCopyEditpyinstaller --onefile --add-data "data.csv;." --add-data "logo.png;." app.py

✅ What this does:

• It bundles data.csv and logo.png into the .exe.
• Inside the executable, they are copied to the current working directory (.).