--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/src/eric7/VirtualEnv/VirtualenvMeta.py	Wed Sep 06 10:28:50 2023 +0200
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+# Copyright (c) 2023 Detlev Offenbach <detlev@die-offenbachs.de>
+#
+
+"""
+Module implementing a dataclass containing the metadata of a virtual environment.
+"""
+
+from dataclasses import asdict, dataclass
+
+
+@dataclass
+class VirtualenvMetaData:
+    """
+    Class implementing a container for the metadata of a virtual environment.
+    """
+
+    name: str  # name of the virtual environment
+    path: str = ""  # directory of the virtual environment (empty for a global one)
+    interpreter: str = ""  # path of the Python interpreter
+    is_global: bool = False  # flag indicating a global environment
+    is_conda: bool = False  # flag indicating an Anaconda environment
+    is_remote: bool = False  # flag indicating a remotely accessed environment
+    exec_path: str = ""  # string to be prefixed to the PATH environment setting
+    description: str = ""  # description of the environment
+
+    def as_dict(self):
+        """
+        Public method to convert the metadata into a dictionary.
+
+        @return dictionary containing the metadata
+        @rtype dict
+        """
+        return asdict(self)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def from_dict(cls, data):
+        """
+        Class method to create a metadata object from the given dictionary.
+
+        @param data dictionary containing the metadata
+        @type dict
+        @return created metadata object
+        @rtype VirtualenvMetaData
+        """
+        return cls(
+            name=data["name"],
+            path=data.get("path", ""),
+            interpreter=data.get("interpreter", ""),
+            is_global=data.get("is_global", False),
+            is_conda=data.get("is_conda", False),
+            is_remote=data.get("is_remote", False),
+            exec_path=data.get("exec_path", ""),
+            description=data.get("description", ""),
+        )