Python No module named

Question

I have a custom module that I am trying to read from a folder under a hierarchy:

> project-source
        /tests
            /provider
             my_provider.py
         settings_mock.py
         __init__.py

I am trying to call, from my_provider.py

import tests.settings_mock as settings

Example from command line:

project-source> python tests/provider/my_provider.py

Error:

... ImportError: No module named settings_mock

I keep getting No module named settings_mock as error. I have already exported project_source path to PYTHONPATH. I have made tests into a package by creating a __init__.py file in its root, but no change in the error then.

I can print the settings_mock.py attributes when cd'ing project source

>>> import tests.settings_mock as settings
>>> print settings.storage_provider
correct storage provider value

Is anyone able to point out my mistake here? Thanks!

You can use relative imports, if your subfolders are packages (i.e. they contain an __init__.py): from .. import settings_mock — jbndlr
– jbndlr, Commented Jul 6, 2016 at 15:08
I have already added __init__py in the folder tests. I now updated the question for clarity. — Jenninha
– Jenninha, Commented Jul 6, 2016 at 15:11
where is the main script (the one you're executing) located? It could have something to do with the path. — Ben Schwabe
– Ben Schwabe, Commented Jul 6, 2016 at 15:19

Ben Schwabe · Accepted Answer · 2016-07-06 15:37:14Z

1

You only have one small mistake. To use subfolders, you need __init__.py, not init.py as you stated in the question. The difference is that __init__ is a builtin function of python, whereas init is not. Having this file in each subfolder tells the pyhon interpreter that the folder is a "package" that needs to be initialized.

UPDATED: It should be noted that python usually runs from the current directory that the script is located. If your executable main script is my_provider.py, then it's not going to know what to import, since the main script is located in a lower directory than the object it is trying to import. Think of it as a hierarchy. Scripts can only import things that are beneath them. Try separating out the executable from everything else in that file, if there are things that settings_mock needs to import.

edited Jul 6, 2016 at 15:37

answered Jul 6, 2016 at 15:11

Ben Schwabe

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9 Comments

Jenninha Over a year ago

Sorry, the formatting of the SO question didn't show but I had written __init__.py (edited the question to show this), so it isn't the problem.

Ben Schwabe Over a year ago

Thanks for the update. I'll see if I can reproduce your problem again.

Ben Schwabe Over a year ago

I was unable to reproduce the issue with your setup, while running a main.py in the project-source directory that imports the settings_mock.py. Where are you running the main.py file from?

Jenninha Over a year ago

my working directory is project-source but the script being run is project-source/tests/provider/my_provider.py

Ben Schwabe Over a year ago

How are you changing the working directory to project-source? Traditionally, the working directory is set to wherever the script is located.

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