"import translate" in a way that works with Python 2 and 3

Question

I'm trying to make my script cross-Python (Python 2 and 3 compatible), and to solve an import problem I did this:

__init__.py file

import sys
if (sys.version_info[0] < 3):
 from core import translate
else:
 from .core import translate

Is it the good way to do it?

Answer 1

No that's not the best way to import in both Python2 and Python3, if you have to support Python 2.5.0a1 and above. This is as you can use:

from __future__ import absolute_import
from .core import translate

As documented in the __future__ module.

• SylvainD: Not sure if the question does belong here but this answer definitly taught me something! Thanks :)
• mou: this will work for any python version >2.5?
• Peilonrayz: @mou no >=2.5, but you shouldn't be running Python2.5
• user2357112: You can also use explicit relative imports without from __future__ import absolute_import, or import the module by its fully-qualified name with from whatever.core import translate. The future statement just turns off implicit relative imports.