Real Python: Executing Python Scripts With a Shebang

A shebang is a special comment at the top of a script that specifies the path to the interpreter that should execute the file. It allows direct execution of the script without typing "python" before the script name. The shebang is essential for Unix-like systems but is ignored on Windows unless using compatibility layers like WSL. A shebang should be included when a script needs direct execution, but not in import-only modules. Best practices for shebangs include using /usr/bin/env for portability and ensuring the script is executable. The shebang has limitations, such as being ignored on Windows without compatibility layers. A shebang must appear on the first line of a script and start with a hash sign followed by an exclamation mark. After the exclamation mark, an absolute path to the relevant code interpreter, such as Python, should be specified. The shebang is only recognized by shells running on Unix-like operating systems, including macOS and Linux distributions. It is not necessary to include a shebang in a Python module that only contains function and class definitions meant for importing from other modules.