[Tut] Python — How to Import Modules From Another Folder?

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[Tut] Python — How to Import Modules From Another Folder? - xSicKxBot - 03-18-2022

Python — How to Import Modules From Another Folder?

The most Pythonic way to import a module from another folder is to place an empty file named

Code:
__init__.py

into that folder and use the relative path with the dot notation. For example, a module in the parent folder would be imported with

Code:
from .. import module

. The

Code:
__init__.py

file signals to Python that the folder should be treated as package.

Problem: How to import a file or a module from another folder or directory in Python?

Example: Say, you’ve given the following folder structure:

Code:
application ├── app │ └── folder │ └── file_1.py └── app2 └── some_folder └── file_2.py

Your goal is to import functions from

Code:
file_1.py

Code:
file_2.py

.

Method 1: sys.path.append()

The first method appends the path of the

Code:
file_1.py

to the system’s path variable.

Code:
# file_2.py
import sys
sys.path.append('/.../application/app/folder') import file_1

Note that you need to replace the first three dots in

Code:
'/…/application/app/folder'

with the concrete path to the

Code:
applications

folder.

Method 2: sys.path.insert()

A similar alternative is to insert the path of

Code:
file_1.py

to position 1 of the system’s path variable. This ensures that it’s loaded with higher priority and avoids some naming conflicts:

Code:
# file_2.py
import sys
sys.path.insert(1, '/.../application/app/folder') import file

Again, replace the first three dots in

Code:
'/…/application/app/folder'

with the concrete path to the

Code:
applications

folder.

Method 3: Dot Notation with __init__.py

You can also do the following trick—creating a new package.

Code:
# file_2.py
from application.app.folder.file_1 import func_name

However, you need to make sure to include an empty

Code:
__init__.py

file in the directory. This file tells Python to treat the directory as a package. It is considered to be the most Pythonic way of solving this problem.

Method 4: Importlib

A not-so Pythonic alternative is to use the

Code:
importlib

module:

Code:
import importlib.util
spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location("file_2", '/.../application/app/folder')
lib = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
spec.loader.exec_module(foo)
lib.function()

References

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