Building Prism Validator on Windows

This guide explains how to build the Prism Validator Windows application from source.

Prerequisites

  1. Python 3.8 or higher installed on your system

    • Download from: https://www.python.org/downloads/

    • Make sure to check “Add Python to PATH” during installation

  2. Git (if cloning the repository)

    • Download from: https://git-scm.com/download/win

Quick Start

Option 2: Using Command Prompt

Open Command Prompt in the project directory and run:

build_windows.bat

Option 3: Manual Build

If the automated scripts don’t work, follow these steps:

  1. Create virtual environment:

    python -m venv .venv

  2. Activate virtual environment:

    .venv\Scripts\activate.bat

  3. Install dependencies:

    python -m pip install --upgrade pip
pip install -r requirements.txt
pip install -r requirements-build.txt

  4. Create survey_library folder (optional but recommended):

    mkdir survey_library

  5. Build the application:

    python scripts\build\build_app.py

Output

After a successful build, you’ll find the application in:

dist\PrismValidator\PrismValidator.exe

You can:

  • Run it directly: dist\PrismValidator\PrismValidator.exe

  • Double-click PrismValidator.exe in Windows Explorer

  • Copy the entire dist\PrismValidator\ folder to another location

Troubleshooting

“Python not found”

  • Make sure Python is installed and added to your PATH

  • Try using py instead of python: py -3 -m venv .venv

“Failed to create virtual environment”

  • Make sure you have write permissions in the project directory

  • Try running PowerShell or Command Prompt as Administrator

“PyInstaller build fails”

  • Make sure all dependencies are installed: pip install -r requirements-build.txt

  • Check if antivirus software is blocking PyInstaller

  • Try running with --debug flag: python scripts\\build\\build_app.py --debug

Missing icon

  • The build script will automatically use the PNG logo from static/img/MRI_Lab_Logo.png

  • If the file is missing, the build will continue without an icon

survey_library warnings

  • The survey_library folder is optional

  • If you see a warning, the build will continue normally

  • The folder is only needed if you use the survey management features

Building for Distribution

The built application in dist\PrismValidator\ includes:

  • PrismValidator.exe - Main executable

  • _internal\ - Required libraries and data files

  • All templates, static files, and schemas

To distribute:

  1. Compress the entire dist\PrismValidator\ folder to a ZIP file

  2. Share the ZIP file with end users

  3. Users can extract and run PrismValidator.exe without installing Python

Platform-Specific Notes

  • The Windows build uses a folder-based distribution (--onedir)

  • All dependencies are packaged in the _internal folder

  • The application runs without a console window (--windowed)

  • Icon support requires a PNG or ICO file (automatically handled)

Next Steps

After building:

  • Test the application: cd dist\PrismValidator && .\PrismValidator.exe

  • The web interface will start on http://localhost:5001

  • Check the logs if the application doesn’t start

See Also