how to import modules in python

Question

I'm making a lambda function in python. Here is the current structure of my project.

lambda/
|-- package_name/
|   |-- __init__.py
|   |-- lambda_function.py
|   |-- a.py 
|   |-- utils.py
|
|-- tests/
|   |-- __init__.py
|   |-- test_main.py
|-- setup.py
|-- README

I would like to import lambda_function.py and a.py in test_main.py

I tried

from a import *
import a
from package_name import a

and some others, but nothing is working.

Could you explain me what is the right solution, and why what I tried actually deosn't work ?

rdas · Accepted Answer · 2019-04-15 08:35:20Z

2

If your working directory is lambda, try:

from package_name import a

There are some pre-determined places where python will look for packages. Usually the working directory is one of them.

See: https://leemendelowitz.github.io/blog/how-does-python-find-packages.html

edited Apr 15, 2019 at 8:35

answered Apr 15, 2019 at 8:24

rdas

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13 Comments

Matthieu Veron Over a year ago

Sorry I forgot to put it in my first message, vut I already tried this one too. I got this error message : from package_name import a ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'package_name'

rdas Over a year ago

Then you better try adding the lambda directory to sys.path or setting PYTHONPATH

Matthieu Veron Over a year ago

When you said "If you're working directory is lambda", by working directory, what does you mean exactly ?

rdas Over a year ago

Wherever you're running the tests from. If you're running it from an IDE, there would be a setting to specify which directory. Usually it's the project root.

Matthieu Veron Over a year ago

Ok, because I was running the code directly from test_main.py. So I shouldn't do that ?

|

ddor254 · Accepted Answer · 2019-04-15 08:25:11Z

0

I would recommend you to read about import in Python docs :
Python 3: https://docs.python.org/3/reference/import.html Python 2: https://docs.python.org/2/tutorial/modules.html

but you can import it relatively using : import * from ../package_name/a, import * from ../package_name/lambda_function

or you will need to add package_name folder to the sys.path and then just import * from a as you tried .

adding to sys.path could be done with :

import sys
module_path = "the path to your package_name"
sys.path.insert(0, module_path)

answered Apr 15, 2019 at 8:25

ddor254

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Comments

alcantula · Accepted Answer · 2019-04-15 08:27:47Z

0

from ..package_name.lambda_function.a import *

What you try is not working because the file you want to access is in the different directory.

answered Apr 15, 2019 at 8:27

alcantula

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1 Comment

Matthieu Veron Over a year ago

ty for your comment. I got this error message: from ..package_name.lambda_function import * ValueError: attempted relative import beyond top-level package

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