How to call a function stored in another file from a Python program?

Question

If I have a text file that contains a python function definition, how can I make the function call from another Python program. Ps: The function will be defined in the Pytho

Answer 1

A way like Reflection in Java? If so, Python has a module named imp to provide it.

foo.py

def foo():
  return "return from function foo in file foo.py"

some code anywhere

modes = imp.get_suffixes() #got modes Explained in link below
mode = modes[-2] # because I want load a py file
with open("foo.py") as file:
  m = imp.load_module("name", file, "foo.py", mode)
print(m.foo())

above mode = modes[-2] because my imp.get_suffixes() is:

>>> imp.get_suffixes()
[('.cpython-32m.so', 'rb', 3), ('module.cpython-32m.so', 'rb', 3), ('.abi3.so', 'rb', 3), ('module.abi3.so', 'rb', 3), ('.so', 'rb', 3), ('module.so', 'rb', 3), ('.py', 'U', 1), ('.pyc', 'rb', 2)]

here is my output:

Python 3.2.1 (default, Aug 11 2011, 01:27:29) 
[GCC 4.2.1 (Based on Apple Inc. build 5658) (LLVM build 2335.15.00)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import imp
>>> with open("foo.py") as file:
...   m = imp.load_module("foo", file, "foo.py", ('.py', 'U', 1))
... 
>>> m.foo()
'return from function foo in file foo.py'

Check it here: http://docs.python.org/py3k/library/imp.html Both python 2.7 and python 3 works:

Python 2.7.1 (r271:86832, Jun 16 2011, 16:59:05) 
[GCC 4.2.1 (Based on Apple Inc. build 5658) (LLVM build 2335.15.00)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import imp
>>> imp.get_suffixes()
[('.so', 'rb', 3), ('module.so', 'rb', 3), ('.py', 'U', 1), ('.pyc', 'rb', 2)]
>>> with open("foo.py") as file:
...   m = imp.load_module("foo", file, "foo.py", ('.py', 'U', 1))
... 
>>> m.foo()
'return from function foo in file foo.py'