Doesn't build on windows

pandas cannot be installed on Windows, neither with pip or easy_install:

$ pip install pandas
...
...
running build_ext
building 'pandas._tseries' extension
creating build\temp.win-amd64-2.7
creating build\temp.win-amd64-2.7\Release
creating build\temp.win-amd64-2.7\Release\pandas
creating build\temp.win-amd64-2.7\Release\pandas\src
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\BIN\cl.exe /c /nologo /Ox /MD /W3 /GS- /DNDEBUG -IC:\Python27\lib\site-packages\numpy\core\include -IC:\Python27\include -IC:\Python27\PC /Tcpandas\src\tseries.c /Fobuild\temp.win-amd64-2.7\Release\pandas\src\tseries.obj
tseries.c
c:\python27\include\pyconfig.h(68) : fatal error C1083: Cannot open include file: 'io.h': No such file or directory
error: command '"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\BIN\cl.exe"' failed with exit status 2

[Jeroen-R]

Leaving this here for other users who use the Visual Studio, Python, Windows combination.

When getting build errors during pip installs (io.h, rc.exe not found etc), in my case with netifaces / pychromecast (but the issue is the same for all), make the following changes / to your environment variables:

INCLUDE (create if needed) C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\SDK\ScopeCppSDK\SDK\include\ucrt;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\SDK\ScopeCppSDK\SDK\include\shared;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\SDK\ScopeCppSDK\SDK\include\um

LIB (create if needed) C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\SDK\ScopeCppSDK\SDK\lib

Add to PATH C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\SDK\ScopeCppSDK\SDK\bin

[jgwinner]

I stumbled on here also with the same error. I found that adding to the Path and LIB environment variables is actually somewhat dangerous. It’s actually best to install the MSVC Build tools, THEN execute the batch files that come from those tools. Depending on the environment installed, those directories will vary (and will create subtle bugs due to invalid linking, etc.)

Install Build Tools for Visual Studio 2019 (https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/#build-tools-for-visual-studio-2019) THEN execute:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Enterprise\Common7\Tools\VsDevCmd.bat" -arch=amd64

The VsDevCmd will setup the correct environment. Note the -arch=amd64; if you don’t do that, you’ll get some undefined PY symbols. The default without the -arch=amd64 line will be a 32 bit compile. Python is 64.