How to do relative imports in Python?

Question

Imagine this directory structure:

app/
   __init__.py
   sub1/
      __init__.py
      mod1.py
   sub2/
      __init__.py
      mod2.py

I\'

Answer 1

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.

Answer 2

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.

Answer 3

You have to append the module’s path to PYTHONPATH:

export PYTHONPATH="${PYTHONPATH}:/path/to/your/module/"

Answer 4

"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.

Answer 5

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    reload(module) # Might be out of date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

Answer 6

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')