I've created a small project called just-pip-tools that combines pip-tools and just to manage Python dependencies in a layered approach. This isn't a magic bullet; it's a set of files you can adapt to your needs.

What it Does:

• Layered Dependencies: Dependencies are organized into 'main', 'dev', and 'local' layers for better management.
• Top Level Dependencies: You only need to specify the top-level, minimally-pinned packages in .in files.
• Lock Files: Generates lock files to ensure that your environment is consistent across different stages.
• Local Requirements: Allows you to add libraries that are specific to your local development environment.

Examples:

• just lock: This command will generate lock files for each layer, ensuring version consistency.
• just add-dependency dev black: This adds the 'black' package to your development dependencies.
• just sync: Running this will align your virtual environment exactly with the lock files.

Happy to hear any ideas or improvements.

Read the full README here