python3 module's internal file main() entry point

Question

I created a module named myutils. This is the file structure I use:

./mypackages
./mypackages/myutils
./mypackages/myutils/util1.py
./mypackages/myutils/util2.py
./myexecs
./myexecs/user_executable1.py

I correctly set PYTHONPATH=./

in ./myexecs/user_executable1.py I can easily use the utils:

from my_packages import myutils
myutils.util1.func1()

In util1.py I can use util2.py:

from . import util2
util2.func2() 

The problem arises when I wish to use util1.py directly as a main entrypoint. It has a

if __name__ == "__main__": main()

entry point, but if I just execute it directly, it fails to import util2 (from . import util1 fails).

It does succeed if I execute it using python -m mypackages.myutils.util1

Any idea how can I make util1 import its' sibilings using from . import ... and yet being able to execute it directly from the cmd without executing it as a module?

Answer 1

Just use abolute import everywhere in your code (from . import util2 will be from mypackages.myutils import util2) and run your exec with python -m myexecs.user_executable1 and you will be good

• user972014: I think that either solution by itself will work. But both are illogical. The first makes the package unmovable. It works only in this current directory. The second is just annoying and makes uncomfortable to work with a script. Do you think differently?
• Arount: I feel like using absolute imports everywhere and run modules with python -m is the more logical. When you make a script /tmp/foo.py you need to import your package, sometimes from another folder, but that's pure Python - the only thing to fix is "how to import this module in a clean way" (I would say: setup.py + venv + pip install). For me you are trying to fix something on the wrong level, this should not be fixed in your code, but in your setup. (well i think..)