I read that to use a python file as a module for import, I need to put __init__.py in the directory.
I have the following directory structure:
data_load
-- __init__.py
-- rand_data.py
etc
-- __init__.py
-- test.py
In test.py I import a class defined in rand_data and I get the error:
python test.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "test.py", line 8, in <module>
from data_load.rand_data import RandData
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'data_load'
change to the parent directory of etc and data_load and type
python -m etc.test
This should do the job.
Here a small test case (Assuming you're on a linux machine)
## create the test case
mkdir -p import_issue/data_load import_issue/etc
touch import_issue/data_load/__init__.py import_issue/etc/__init__.py
echo 'print("I am", __name__)' > import_issue/etc/test.py
echo 'from data_load.rand_data import RandData' >> import_issue/etc/test.py
echo 'print("Randdata = ", RandData)' >> import_issue/etc/test.py
echo "class RandData:" > import_issue/data_load/rand_data.py
echo ' pass' >> import_issue/data_load/rand_data.py
#
# now perform the test
cd import_issue
python -m etc.test
The reason why things in your initial example didn't work out as expected is, that you present working directory was probably etc
and if you load a python script in etc, then it tries to import load_data relative to the present working directory (etc) and below etc there is no directory named rand_data, that has a file __init__.py in it.
My suggestion to fix is to go up to the common parent directory (This will now be your present working directory) and import etc/test as a module. The reason is, that test.py is in a directory etc with an init.py so you should import it as etc.test and not call it directly. Calling a file, that is a module directly with etc/test.py is not really recommended and can provoke some rare confusing situations.
instead of running command in etc directory python test.py run the python script in parent directory of etc and data_load.
ie what you need to do in terminal is (considering you are still in etc directory in terminal)
1. `cd ..`
2. `python etc/test.py`
this will work.
why are you facing error is because in test.py python is looking in the current directory for data_load module, and since there is no data_load module in etc directory it is giving this error.
how to solve above problem
__init__.pyif not people will just see init.py in bold characters