Related
Okay, the scenario is very simple. I have this file structure:
.
├── interface.py
├── pkg
│ ├── __init__.py
│ ├── mod1.py
│ ├── mod2.py
Now, these are my conditions:
mod2 needs to import mod1.
both interface.py and mod2 needs to be run independently as a main script. If you want, think interface as the actual program and mod2 as an internal tester of the package.
So, in Python 2 I would simply do import mod1 inside mod2.py and both python2 mod2.py and python2 interface.py would work as expected.
However, and this is the part I less understand, using Python 3.5.2, if I do import mod1; then I can do python3 mod2.py, but python3 interface.py throws: ImportError: No module named 'mod1' :(
So, apparently, python 3 proposes to use import pkg.mod1 to avoid collisions against built-in modules. Ok, If I use that I can do python3 interface.py; but then I can't python3 mod2.py because: ImportError: No module named 'pkg'
Similarly, If I use relative import:
from . import mod1 then python3 interface.py works; but mod2.py says SystemError: Parent module '' not loaded, cannot perform relative import :( :(
The only "solution", I've found is to go up one folder and do python -m pkg.mod2 and then it works. But do we have to be adding the package prefix pkg to every import to other modules within that package? Even more, to run any scripts inside the package, do I have to remember to go one folder up and use the -m switch? That's the only way to go??
I'm confused. This scenario was pretty straightforward with python 2, but looks awkward in python 3.
UPDATE: I have upload those files with the (referred as "solution" above) working source code here: https://gitlab.com/Akronix/test_python3_packages. Note that I still don't like it, and looks much uglier than the python2 solution.
Related SO questions I've already read:
Python -- import the package in a module that is inside the same package
How to do relative imports in Python?
Absolute import module in same package
Related links:
https://docs.python.org/3.5/tutorial/modules.html
https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0328/
https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0366/
TLDR:
Run your code with python -m pkg.mod2.
Import your code with from . import mod1.
The only "solution", I've found is to go up one folder and do python -m pkg.mod2 and then it works.
Using the -m switch is indeed the "only" solution - it was already the only solution before. The old behaviour simply only ever worked out of sheer luck; it could be broken without even modifying your code.
Going "one folder up" merely adds your package to the search path. Installing your package or modifying the search path works as well. See below for details.
But do we have to be adding the package prefix pkg to every import to other modules within that package?
You must have a reference to your package - otherwise it is ambiguous which module you want. The package reference can be either absolute or relative.
A relative import is usually what you want. It saves writing pkg explicitly, making it easier to refactor and move modules.
# inside mod1.py
# import mod2 - this is wrong! It can pull in an arbitrary mod2 module
# these are correct, they uniquely identify the module
import pkg.mod2
from pkg import mod2
from . import mod2
from .mod2 import foo # if pkg.mod2.foo exists
Note that you can always use <import> as <name> to bind your import to a different name. For example, import pkg.mod2 as mod2 lets you work with just the module name.
Even more, to run any scripts inside the package, do I have to remember to go one folder up and use the -m switch? That's the only way to go??
If your package is properly installed, you can use the -m switch from anywhere. For example, you can always use python3 -m json.tool.
echo '{"json":"obj"}' | python -m json.tool
If your package is not installed (yet), you can set PYTHONPATH to its base directory. This includes your package in the search path, and allows the -m switch to find it properly.
If you are in the executable's directory, you can execute export PYTHONPATH="$(pwd)/.." to quickly mount the package for import.
I'm confused. This scenario was pretty straightforward with python 2, but looks awkward in python 3.
This scenario was basically broken in python 2. While it was straightforward in many cases, it was difficult or outright impossible to fix in any other cases.
The new behaviour is more awkward in the straightforward case, but robust and reliable in any case.
I had similar problem.
I solved it adding
import sys
sys.path.insert(0,".package_name")
into the __init__.py file in the package folder.
I am trying to improve the project structure while adding to a code base. I found a sample structure here which looks like this:
README.rst
LICENSE
setup.py
requirements.txt
sample/__init__.py
sample/core.py
sample/helpers.py
docs/conf.py
docs/index.rst
tests/test_basic.py
tests/test_advanced.py
I notice in particular that requirements.txt and setup.py are on a higher level than tests/ and sample/
If I add sample/classes.py you need only write from classes import MyClass in sample/core.py to get it in there. It cannot however so easily be imported into tests/test_basic.py, does not seem like python 'looks around the corner' like that when importing.
In my case, there is also a MANIFEST.in on the same level with requirements.txt and some files which are not really python but just set things up for the platform on which this runs.
If classes.py were on the same level as requirements.txt I think it would be easily importable by everything in tests/ and in sample/ and their subdirectories, but it may need a __init__.py That doesn't feel right somehow.
So where should it go if both tests/ and sample/ need to be able to use it?
Let's make it easy.
If I understand correctly, the problem is How to import simple module in test. Which means you want to use something like from simple.classes import MyClass.
That's easy, just add your root path to PYTHONPATH before executing python test/test_basic.py.
That's also what an IDE does for you when you execute tests through it.
Assuming you use a Python >= 3.3, you can simply turn the test folder in a package by adding a __init__.py module in it. Then in that __init__.py (and only there) you add the path of the parent package to sys.path. That if enough for unittest discover to use it for all the modules in tests.
My one is just:
import os
import sys
sys.path.append(os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '..')))
Then if you need to access classes.py from one of the test modules, you can just use:
from sample import classes
or to directly import MyClass:
from sample.classes import MyClass
It just works because sample is already a package, and its parent folder has been added to sys.path when python unittest has loaded the test package.
Of course, this only works in you can have your tests in a package. If for any reason it is not an option, for example because you need to run individually the test modules, then you should put the sys.path modification directly in all the test files.
Write a path_helper.py file in the tests folder:
import os
import sys
core_path = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '..'))
if core_path not in sys.path: # don't add it if it is already here
sys.path.append(core_path)
You can then import it in all test files:
import path_helper
...
Imagine this directory structure:
app/
__init__.py
sub1/
__init__.py
mod1.py
sub2/
__init__.py
mod2.py
I'm coding mod1, and I need to import something from mod2. How should I do it?
I tried from ..sub2 import mod2 but I'm getting an "Attempted relative import in non-package".
I googled around but found only "sys.path manipulation" hacks. Isn't there a clean way?
Edit: all my __init__.py's are currently empty
Edit2: I'm trying to do this because sub2 contains classes that are shared across sub packages (sub1, subX, etc.).
Edit3: The behaviour I'm looking for is the same as described in PEP 366 (thanks John B)
Everyone seems to want to tell you what you should be doing rather than just answering the question.
The problem is that you're running the module as '__main__' by passing the mod1.py as an argument to the interpreter.
From PEP 328:
Relative imports use a module's __name__ attribute to determine that module's position in the package hierarchy. If the module's name does not contain any package information (e.g. it is set to '__main__') then relative imports are resolved as if the module were a top level module, regardless of where the module is actually located on the file system.
In Python 2.6, they're adding the ability to reference modules relative to the main module. PEP 366 describes the change.
Update: According to Nick Coghlan, the recommended alternative is to run the module inside the package using the -m switch.
Here is the solution which works for me:
I do the relative imports as from ..sub2 import mod2
and then, if I want to run mod1.py then I go to the parent directory of app and run the module using the python -m switch as python -m app.sub1.mod1.
The real reason why this problem occurs with relative imports, is that relative imports works by taking the __name__ property of the module. If the module is being directly run, then __name__ is set to __main__ and it doesn't contain any information about package structure. And, thats why python complains about the relative import in non-package error.
So, by using the -m switch you provide the package structure information to python, through which it can resolve the relative imports successfully.
I have encountered this problem many times while doing relative imports. And, after reading all the previous answers, I was still not able to figure out how to solve it, in a clean way, without needing to put boilerplate code in all files. (Though some of the comments were really helpful, thanks to #ncoghlan and #XiongChiamiov)
Hope this helps someone who is fighting with relative imports problem, because going through PEP is really not fun.
main.py
setup.py
app/ ->
__init__.py
package_a/ ->
__init__.py
module_a.py
package_b/ ->
__init__.py
module_b.py
You run python main.py.
main.py does: import app.package_a.module_a
module_a.py does import app.package_b.module_b
Alternatively 2 or 3 could use: from app.package_a import module_a
That will work as long as you have app in your PYTHONPATH. main.py could be anywhere then.
So you write a setup.py to copy (install) the whole app package and subpackages to the target system's python folders, and main.py to target system's script folders.
"Guido views running scripts within a package as an anti-pattern" (rejected
PEP-3122)
I have spent so much time trying to find a solution, reading related posts here on Stack Overflow and saying to myself "there must be a better way!". Looks like there is not.
This is solved 100%:
app/
main.py
settings/
local_setings.py
Import settings/local_setting.py in app/main.py:
main.py:
import sys
sys.path.insert(0, "../settings")
try:
from local_settings import *
except ImportError:
print('No Import')
explanation of nosklo's answer with examples
note: all __init__.py files are empty.
main.py
app/ ->
__init__.py
package_a/ ->
__init__.py
fun_a.py
package_b/ ->
__init__.py
fun_b.py
app/package_a/fun_a.py
def print_a():
print 'This is a function in dir package_a'
app/package_b/fun_b.py
from app.package_a.fun_a import print_a
def print_b():
print 'This is a function in dir package_b'
print 'going to call a function in dir package_a'
print '-'*30
print_a()
main.py
from app.package_b import fun_b
fun_b.print_b()
if you run $ python main.py it returns:
This is a function in dir package_b
going to call a function in dir package_a
------------------------------
This is a function in dir package_a
main.py does: from app.package_b import fun_b
fun_b.py does from app.package_a.fun_a import print_a
so file in folder package_b used file in folder package_a, which is what you want. Right??
def import_path(fullpath):
"""
Import a file with full path specification. Allows one to
import from anywhere, something __import__ does not do.
"""
path, filename = os.path.split(fullpath)
filename, ext = os.path.splitext(filename)
sys.path.append(path)
module = __import__(filename)
reload(module) # Might be out of date
del sys.path[-1]
return module
I'm using this snippet to import modules from paths, hope that helps
This is unfortunately a sys.path hack, but it works quite well.
I encountered this problem with another layer: I already had a module of the specified name, but it was the wrong module.
what I wanted to do was the following (the module I was working from was module3):
mymodule\
__init__.py
mymodule1\
__init__.py
mymodule1_1
mymodule2\
__init__.py
mymodule2_1
import mymodule.mymodule1.mymodule1_1
Note that I have already installed mymodule, but in my installation I do not have "mymodule1"
and I would get an ImportError because it was trying to import from my installed modules.
I tried to do a sys.path.append, and that didn't work. What did work was a sys.path.insert
if __name__ == '__main__':
sys.path.insert(0, '../..')
So kind of a hack, but got it all to work!
So keep in mind, if you want your decision to override other paths then you need to use sys.path.insert(0, pathname) to get it to work! This was a very frustrating sticking point for me, allot of people say to use the "append" function to sys.path, but that doesn't work if you already have a module defined (I find it very strange behavior)
Let me just put this here for my own reference. I know that it is not good Python code, but I needed a script for a project I was working on and I wanted to put the script in a scripts directory.
import os.path
import sys
sys.path.append(os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "..")))
As #EvgeniSergeev says in the comments to the OP, you can import code from a .py file at an arbitrary location with:
import imp
foo = imp.load_source('module.name', '/path/to/file.py')
foo.MyClass()
This is taken from this SO answer.
Take a look at http://docs.python.org/whatsnew/2.5.html#pep-328-absolute-and-relative-imports. You could do
from .mod1 import stuff
From Python doc,
In Python 2.5, you can switch import‘s behaviour to absolute imports using a from __future__ import absolute_import directive. This absolute- import behaviour will become the default in a future version (probably Python 2.7). Once absolute imports are the default, import string will always find the standard library’s version. It’s suggested that users should begin using absolute imports as much as possible, so it’s preferable to begin writing from pkg import string in your code
I found it's more easy to set "PYTHONPATH" enviroment variable to the top folder:
bash$ export PYTHONPATH=/PATH/TO/APP
then:
import sub1.func1
#...more import
of course, PYTHONPATH is "global", but it didn't raise trouble for me yet.
On top of what John B said, it seems like setting the __package__ variable should help, instead of changing __main__ which could screw up other things. But as far as I could test, it doesn't completely work as it should.
I have the same problem and neither PEP 328 or 366 solve the problem completely, as both, by the end of the day, need the head of the package to be included in sys.path, as far as I could understand.
I should also mention that I did not find how to format the string that should go into those variables. Is it "package_head.subfolder.module_name" or what?
You have to append the module’s path to PYTHONPATH:
export PYTHONPATH="${PYTHONPATH}:/path/to/your/module/"
A hacky way to do it is to append the current directory to the PATH at runtime as follows:
import pathlib
import sys
sys.path.append(pathlib.Path(__file__).parent.resolve())
import file_to_import # the actual intended import
In contrast to another solution for this question this uses pathlib instead of os.path.
This method queries and auto populates the path:
import os
import inspect
currentdir = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(inspect.getfile(inspect.currentframe())))
parentdir = os.path.dirname(currentdir)
os.sys.path.insert(1, parentdir)
# print("currentdir = ", currentdir)
# print("parentdir=", parentdir)
What a debate!
Relative newcomer to python (but years of programming experience, and dislike of perl). Relative lay-person when it comes to the dark art of Apache setup, but I know what I (think I) need to get my little experimental projects working at home.
Here is my summary of what the situ seems to be.
If I use the -m 'module' approach, I need to:-
dot it all together;
run it from a parent folder;
lose the '.py';
create an empty (!) __init__.py file in every sub-folder.
How does that work in a cgi environment, where I have aliased my scripts directory, and want to run a script directly as /dirAlias/cgi_script.py??
Why is amending sys.path a hack? The python docs page states: "A program is free to modify this list for its own purposes." If it works, it works, right? The bean counters in Accounts don't care how it works.
I just want to go up one level and down into a 'modules' dir:-
.../py
/cgi
/build
/modules
so my 'modules' can be imported from either the cgi world or the server world.
I've tried the -m/modules approach but I think I prefer the following (and am not confused how to run it in cgi-space):-
Create XX_pathsetup.py in the /path/to/python/Lib dir (or any other dir in the default sys.path list). 'XX' is some identifier that declares an intent to setup my path according to the rules in the file.
In any script that wants to be able to import from the 'modules' dir in above directory config, simply import XX_pathsetup.py.
And here's my really simple XX_pathsetup.py:
import sys, os
pypath = sys.path[0].rsplit(os.sep,1)[0]
sys.path.insert( 0, pypath+os.sep+'modules' )
Not a 'hack', IMHO. 1 small file to put in the python 'Lib' dir, one import statement which declares intent to modify the path search order.
I know there are A LOT of similar or the same questions, but i still cannot understand / find the right way for me to work with modules. Python is my favorite language, and i like everything in it except working with imports: recursive imports (when you try to reference a name that is not yet there), import paths, etc.
So, I have this kind of a project structure:
my_project/
package1/
__init__.py
module1
module2
package2/
__init__.py
module1
module2
Package1 may be used a standalone unit, but is also expected to be imported by package2.
What am i doing now, is that, for example, in package1.module1 i write from package1 import module2, i.e. using full path to imported module. I do this because if i use import module2 -- this will not work when the module will be imported from another package (package2). I also cannot use from . import module2 -- this will not work when running module1 directly.
OK, so for from package1 import module2 in package1.module1 to work in both cases (when running directly package1.module1 and when importing it from package2) i add these lines at the beginning of package1.module1:
import os, sys
currDir = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))
rootDir = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(currDir, '..'))
if rootDir not in sys.path: # add parent dir to paths
sys.path.append(rootDir)
For me this works, but i feel this is not pythonic. Am i doing something wrong?
Should i, instead, always run package1.module1 from project root? If so, this makes inconvenient to run it from an IDE -- i need somehow to set paths in it.
UPDATE: I tried to add a file root.pth to package1 dir with contents of ... But it didn't work -- i guess it's intended for something else.
CONCLUSIONS:
Always use absolute imports: import package1.module1
Add a bootstrapper to the root folder to start some of the modules as a standalone script. This solves running the script form an IDE and is a pythonic approach.
On 4/22/07, Brett Cannon wrote:
This PEP is to change the if __name__ == "__main__": ... idiom to
if __name__ == sys.main: ... so that you at least have a chance
to execute module in a package that use relative imports.
Ran this PEP past python-ideas. Stopped the discussion there when too
many new ideas were being proposed. =) I have listed all of them in
the Rejected Ideas section, although if overwhelming support for one
comes forward the PEP can shift to one of them.
I'm -1 on this and on any other proposed twiddlings of the __main__
machinery. The only use case seems to be running scripts that happen
to be living inside a module's directory, which I've always seen as an
antipattern. To make me change my mind you'd have to convince me that
it isn't.
--Guido van Rossum
What is the entry point for your program? Usually the entry point for a program will be at the root of the project. Since it is at the root, all the modules within the root will be importable, provided there is an __init__.py file in them.
So, using your example:
my_project/
main.py
package1/
__init__.py
module1
module2
package2/
__init__.py
module1
module2
main.py would be the entry point for your program. Because the file that is executed as main is automatically put on the PYTHONPATH, both package1 and package2 are available from the top level import.
# in main.py
from package1.module1 import *
from package1.module2 import *
# in package1.module1
import module2
from package2.module1 import *
# in package2.module1 import *
import module2
from package1.module1 import *
Note that in the above, package1 and package2 depend on each other. That should never be the case. But this is just an example of being able to import from anywhere.
main.py doesn't have to be anything fancy either. It can be very simple:
# main.py
if __name__ == '__main__':
from package1.module1 import SomeClass
SomeClass().start()
The point I'm trying to make, is that if a module needs to be accessible by other modules, that module should be available as a top level import. A module should not attempt to put itself as a top level import (directly on the PYTHONPATH).
It should be the responsibility of the project for ensuring that all imports can be satisfied if the module is included directly in the project. There are two ways to do this. The first is by creating a bootstrapper file such as main.py in the project folder. The other, is by creating a file that adds all relevant paths to PYTHONPATH, that is loaded by any entry points that may exist.
For example:
# setup.py
import sys
def load():
paths = ['/path1/','/path2/','/path3/']
for p in path:
sys.path.insert(0, p)
# entrypoint.py
from setup import load
load()
# continue with program
The main thing to take away, is that a module is not supposed to put itself on the path. The path should be determined automatically by the entry point into the program, or defined explicitly by a setup script that knows where all the relevant modules are.
I generally create each package as an installable package (ie, create a setup.py file), and then install them into a virtualenv just for this project, using pip.
You can even install the using pip -e if they are still under development.
I'm 5 years late here.. but just do export PYTHONPATH=/path1:/path2: (notice trailing ":") - this way your working directory (from which you run python) will be in the path.
Imagine this directory structure:
app/
__init__.py
sub1/
__init__.py
mod1.py
sub2/
__init__.py
mod2.py
I'm coding mod1, and I need to import something from mod2. How should I do it?
I tried from ..sub2 import mod2 but I'm getting an "Attempted relative import in non-package".
I googled around but found only "sys.path manipulation" hacks. Isn't there a clean way?
Edit: all my __init__.py's are currently empty
Edit2: I'm trying to do this because sub2 contains classes that are shared across sub packages (sub1, subX, etc.).
Edit3: The behaviour I'm looking for is the same as described in PEP 366 (thanks John B)
Everyone seems to want to tell you what you should be doing rather than just answering the question.
The problem is that you're running the module as '__main__' by passing the mod1.py as an argument to the interpreter.
From PEP 328:
Relative imports use a module's __name__ attribute to determine that module's position in the package hierarchy. If the module's name does not contain any package information (e.g. it is set to '__main__') then relative imports are resolved as if the module were a top level module, regardless of where the module is actually located on the file system.
In Python 2.6, they're adding the ability to reference modules relative to the main module. PEP 366 describes the change.
Update: According to Nick Coghlan, the recommended alternative is to run the module inside the package using the -m switch.
Here is the solution which works for me:
I do the relative imports as from ..sub2 import mod2
and then, if I want to run mod1.py then I go to the parent directory of app and run the module using the python -m switch as python -m app.sub1.mod1.
The real reason why this problem occurs with relative imports, is that relative imports works by taking the __name__ property of the module. If the module is being directly run, then __name__ is set to __main__ and it doesn't contain any information about package structure. And, thats why python complains about the relative import in non-package error.
So, by using the -m switch you provide the package structure information to python, through which it can resolve the relative imports successfully.
I have encountered this problem many times while doing relative imports. And, after reading all the previous answers, I was still not able to figure out how to solve it, in a clean way, without needing to put boilerplate code in all files. (Though some of the comments were really helpful, thanks to #ncoghlan and #XiongChiamiov)
Hope this helps someone who is fighting with relative imports problem, because going through PEP is really not fun.
main.py
setup.py
app/ ->
__init__.py
package_a/ ->
__init__.py
module_a.py
package_b/ ->
__init__.py
module_b.py
You run python main.py.
main.py does: import app.package_a.module_a
module_a.py does import app.package_b.module_b
Alternatively 2 or 3 could use: from app.package_a import module_a
That will work as long as you have app in your PYTHONPATH. main.py could be anywhere then.
So you write a setup.py to copy (install) the whole app package and subpackages to the target system's python folders, and main.py to target system's script folders.
"Guido views running scripts within a package as an anti-pattern" (rejected
PEP-3122)
I have spent so much time trying to find a solution, reading related posts here on Stack Overflow and saying to myself "there must be a better way!". Looks like there is not.
This is solved 100%:
app/
main.py
settings/
local_setings.py
Import settings/local_setting.py in app/main.py:
main.py:
import sys
sys.path.insert(0, "../settings")
try:
from local_settings import *
except ImportError:
print('No Import')
explanation of nosklo's answer with examples
note: all __init__.py files are empty.
main.py
app/ ->
__init__.py
package_a/ ->
__init__.py
fun_a.py
package_b/ ->
__init__.py
fun_b.py
app/package_a/fun_a.py
def print_a():
print 'This is a function in dir package_a'
app/package_b/fun_b.py
from app.package_a.fun_a import print_a
def print_b():
print 'This is a function in dir package_b'
print 'going to call a function in dir package_a'
print '-'*30
print_a()
main.py
from app.package_b import fun_b
fun_b.print_b()
if you run $ python main.py it returns:
This is a function in dir package_b
going to call a function in dir package_a
------------------------------
This is a function in dir package_a
main.py does: from app.package_b import fun_b
fun_b.py does from app.package_a.fun_a import print_a
so file in folder package_b used file in folder package_a, which is what you want. Right??
def import_path(fullpath):
"""
Import a file with full path specification. Allows one to
import from anywhere, something __import__ does not do.
"""
path, filename = os.path.split(fullpath)
filename, ext = os.path.splitext(filename)
sys.path.append(path)
module = __import__(filename)
reload(module) # Might be out of date
del sys.path[-1]
return module
I'm using this snippet to import modules from paths, hope that helps
This is unfortunately a sys.path hack, but it works quite well.
I encountered this problem with another layer: I already had a module of the specified name, but it was the wrong module.
what I wanted to do was the following (the module I was working from was module3):
mymodule\
__init__.py
mymodule1\
__init__.py
mymodule1_1
mymodule2\
__init__.py
mymodule2_1
import mymodule.mymodule1.mymodule1_1
Note that I have already installed mymodule, but in my installation I do not have "mymodule1"
and I would get an ImportError because it was trying to import from my installed modules.
I tried to do a sys.path.append, and that didn't work. What did work was a sys.path.insert
if __name__ == '__main__':
sys.path.insert(0, '../..')
So kind of a hack, but got it all to work!
So keep in mind, if you want your decision to override other paths then you need to use sys.path.insert(0, pathname) to get it to work! This was a very frustrating sticking point for me, allot of people say to use the "append" function to sys.path, but that doesn't work if you already have a module defined (I find it very strange behavior)
Let me just put this here for my own reference. I know that it is not good Python code, but I needed a script for a project I was working on and I wanted to put the script in a scripts directory.
import os.path
import sys
sys.path.append(os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "..")))
As #EvgeniSergeev says in the comments to the OP, you can import code from a .py file at an arbitrary location with:
import imp
foo = imp.load_source('module.name', '/path/to/file.py')
foo.MyClass()
This is taken from this SO answer.
Take a look at http://docs.python.org/whatsnew/2.5.html#pep-328-absolute-and-relative-imports. You could do
from .mod1 import stuff
From Python doc,
In Python 2.5, you can switch import‘s behaviour to absolute imports using a from __future__ import absolute_import directive. This absolute- import behaviour will become the default in a future version (probably Python 2.7). Once absolute imports are the default, import string will always find the standard library’s version. It’s suggested that users should begin using absolute imports as much as possible, so it’s preferable to begin writing from pkg import string in your code
I found it's more easy to set "PYTHONPATH" enviroment variable to the top folder:
bash$ export PYTHONPATH=/PATH/TO/APP
then:
import sub1.func1
#...more import
of course, PYTHONPATH is "global", but it didn't raise trouble for me yet.
On top of what John B said, it seems like setting the __package__ variable should help, instead of changing __main__ which could screw up other things. But as far as I could test, it doesn't completely work as it should.
I have the same problem and neither PEP 328 or 366 solve the problem completely, as both, by the end of the day, need the head of the package to be included in sys.path, as far as I could understand.
I should also mention that I did not find how to format the string that should go into those variables. Is it "package_head.subfolder.module_name" or what?
You have to append the module’s path to PYTHONPATH:
export PYTHONPATH="${PYTHONPATH}:/path/to/your/module/"
A hacky way to do it is to append the current directory to the PATH at runtime as follows:
import pathlib
import sys
sys.path.append(pathlib.Path(__file__).parent.resolve())
import file_to_import # the actual intended import
In contrast to another solution for this question this uses pathlib instead of os.path.
This method queries and auto populates the path:
import os
import inspect
currentdir = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(inspect.getfile(inspect.currentframe())))
parentdir = os.path.dirname(currentdir)
os.sys.path.insert(1, parentdir)
# print("currentdir = ", currentdir)
# print("parentdir=", parentdir)
What a debate!
Relative newcomer to python (but years of programming experience, and dislike of perl). Relative lay-person when it comes to the dark art of Apache setup, but I know what I (think I) need to get my little experimental projects working at home.
Here is my summary of what the situ seems to be.
If I use the -m 'module' approach, I need to:-
dot it all together;
run it from a parent folder;
lose the '.py';
create an empty (!) __init__.py file in every sub-folder.
How does that work in a cgi environment, where I have aliased my scripts directory, and want to run a script directly as /dirAlias/cgi_script.py??
Why is amending sys.path a hack? The python docs page states: "A program is free to modify this list for its own purposes." If it works, it works, right? The bean counters in Accounts don't care how it works.
I just want to go up one level and down into a 'modules' dir:-
.../py
/cgi
/build
/modules
so my 'modules' can be imported from either the cgi world or the server world.
I've tried the -m/modules approach but I think I prefer the following (and am not confused how to run it in cgi-space):-
Create XX_pathsetup.py in the /path/to/python/Lib dir (or any other dir in the default sys.path list). 'XX' is some identifier that declares an intent to setup my path according to the rules in the file.
In any script that wants to be able to import from the 'modules' dir in above directory config, simply import XX_pathsetup.py.
And here's my really simple XX_pathsetup.py:
import sys, os
pypath = sys.path[0].rsplit(os.sep,1)[0]
sys.path.insert( 0, pypath+os.sep+'modules' )
Not a 'hack', IMHO. 1 small file to put in the python 'Lib' dir, one import statement which declares intent to modify the path search order.