Installation of dependent packages into virtual environment with PDM

Folders package_a and package_b represent two individual Python packages from which we want to create a distribution down the line.

Package B is dependent on Package A as it imports one module. Both packages also share one namespace example_project.

Building with PDM

1. Change WORKDIR to python_pdm_example

2. Create a new virtual environment: python3 -m venv venv

3. Patch files package_a/.pdm.toml and package_a/.pdm.toml to the right path of python executable in venv created in step 1.

4. Build Package A pipx run pdm build -p ./package_a

5. Build Package B pipx run pdm build -p ./package_b

6. Install Package A pipx run pdm install -p ./package_a

7. Install Package B pipx run pdm install -p ./package_b

Installation of Package A will happen without issue. During installation of package B, there will be an error:

[CandidateNotFound]: Unable to find candidates for does-not-exist-on-pypi-project-a. There may exist some issues with the package index or network condition.
Add '-v' to see the detailed traceback

pdm.exceptions.CandidateNotFound: Unable to find candidates for does-not-exist-on-pypi-project-a. There may exist some issues with the package index or network condition.

There is clearly a problem with dependency resolution.

However, were we install the Package B as a wheel using the pip command, the dependency resolution issue will disappear:

1. Activate the virtual environment in shell source venv/bin/activate

2. Install the Package B pip install package_b/dist/does_not_exist_on_pypi_project_b-0.1.1-py3-none-any.whl

Now it is possible to run both project_a_cli and project_b_cli scripts.

Interest

What I am interested in is if I can somehow install the Package B in editable mode via pipx run pdm install -p ./package_b the same way as Package A. So both will be just links from the virtual environment to the code.