Use 'import module' or 'from module import'?

Question

I\'ve tried to find a comprehensive guide on whether it is best to use import module or from module import. I\'ve just started with Python and I\'m

Answer 1

As Jan Wrobel mentions, one aspect of the different imports is in which way the imports are disclosed.

Module mymath

from math import gcd
...

Use of mymath:

import mymath
mymath.gcd(30, 42)  # will work though maybe not expected

If I imported gcd only for internal use, not to disclose it to users of mymath, this can be inconvenient. I have this pretty often, and in most cases I want to "keep my modules clean".

Apart from the proposal of Jan Wrobel to obscure this a bit more by using import math instead, I have started to hide imports from disclosure by using a leading underscore:

# for instance...
from math import gcd as _gcd
# or...
import math as _math

In larger projects this "best practice" allows my to exactly control what is disclosed to subsequent imports and what isn't. This keeps my modules clean and pays back at a certain size of project.