Problems importing from python package (local vs on the python path)

Question

I am unable to get the following things to work simultaneously in Python2.7:

import submodules from a local package
import submodules from the package when it is on the PYTHONPATH

I have set up the sample directory structure as in the python docs for packages

 cd tmp
 mkdir sound
 mkdir sound/formats
 mkdir sound/effects
 mkdir sound/filters
 cd sound
 touch __init__.py
 cp !$ formats/
 cp __init__.py formats/
 cp __init__.py effects/
 cp __init__.py filters/
 echo "def echofilter(): return(1) " > effects/echo.py
 cd ../..

So, I end up with:

$ ls tmp/sound
effects/  filters/  formats/  __init__.py

If I make the package local, as it would be if it were acting as a git submodule, for instance, ie by cd tmp, the following is successful:

$ python
Python 2.7.10 (default, Oct 14 2015, 16:09:02) 
[GCC 5.2.1 20151010] on linux2
>>> from sound.effects import echo
>>>

Yet if I am located somewhere else (cd ..), and I put the package on my PYTHONPATH, I cannot import as in the docs:

[~/tmp]$ cd ..
[~]$ python
Python 2.7.10 (default, Oct 14 2015, 16:09:02) 
[GCC 5.2.1 20151010] on linux2
>>> import sys
>>> sys.path.append('/home/meuser/tmp/sound')
>>> from sound.effects import echo
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
ImportError: No module named sound.effects
>>> sys.path.append('/home/meuser/tmp/sound/effects')
>>> from sound.effects import echo
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
ImportError: No module named sound.effects

So how am I supposed to arrange things?

So let me get this straight: you want to be able to import this package you've made from anywhere on the machine? — ArtOfCode
– ArtOfCode, Commented Mar 4, 2016 at 16:35
Yes. I have certain packages that I maintain and use for lots of projects. I put their location in my PYTHONPATH (isn't that what it's for?), set in my bash configuration. In fact, that's how I've done it for many years, but I never used dots to specify submodules (sound.effects). Instead, I just had a bunch of files (modules) at the same level under sound/ , from which I would import explicitly. — CPBL
– CPBL, Commented Mar 4, 2016 at 18:51

CPBL · Accepted Answer · 2016-03-04 21:05:21Z

1

Ah! If it's a package, I need the folder containing the package (ie ~/tmp/) in my path, not the folder of the package itself (~/tmp/sound). Thus, the following works:

>>> import sys
>>> sys.path.append('/home/meuser/tmp/')
>>> from sound.effects import echo

Now I believe this solves all my recent conundrums..

answered Mar 4, 2016 at 21:05

CPBL

4,0604 gold badges37 silver badges47 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Problems importing from python package (local vs on the python path)

1 Answer 1

Comments

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

Comments

Related