Shell script wrapper for easily starting/populating a virtual env

create_virtualenv.sh

#!/bin/sh

# This is a function so that we can use 'workon' to switch since it will
# refresh the environment and pass it onto the caller.  Thus, no reason to run
# another shell after this command or calling workon manually, etc.
start_virtualenv_main() {
    # Assume your working in the directory of the project name
    curr=`pwd`
    proj=`basename $curr`

    # Assume curr directory has requirements.pip
    requirements="$curr/requirements.pip"

    # Default base virtualenv dir to environment variable, but allow argument
    # override
    env | grep -q VIRTUALENV_DIR
    [ $? -eq 0 ] && virtualenv_base=$VIRTUALENV_DIR

    while getopts "p:b:r:" opt; do
        case $opt in
            p)
                proj=$OPTARG ;;
            b)
                virtualenv_base=$OPTARG ;;
            r)
                requirements=$OPTARG ;;
            \?)
                echo "Invalid option: -$OPTARG" >&2
                echo "Usage: start_virtualenv [-p <project name>] [-b <virtualenv base directory>] [-r <requirements file>]"
                return
                ;;
        esac
    done

    python="/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/Resources/Python.app/Contents/MacOS/Python"
    virtualenv_dir="$virtualenv_base/$proj/"

    echo "Creating virtual environment for $proj in $virtualenv_dir with $requirements"

    mkdir -p $virtualenv_dir

    virtualenv --no-site-packages -v -p $python $virtualenv_dir
    workon $proj

    if [ -e $requirements ]; then
        pip install -E $virtualenv_dir -v -r $requirements
    else
        pip install -E $virtualenv_dir -v
    fi
}

# Pass all arguments to function (necessary to use getopts)
start_virtualenv_main "$@"

Pretty simple, but I really had remembering the arguments, etc. to virtualenv and pip.
This assumes you have virtualenvwrapper installed (no excuse for you if you don't).

TODO:

• Need for figure out a way to make 'workon' carry it's environment into the calling shell. Currently after running the script everything works well, but you need to type 'workon ' again to start using the virtualenv at your prompt.