python module importing error

Question

I have the following structure:

AXBot:
    __init__.py
    bot.py
    util.py
    settings.py
    creator
        __init__.py
        xbot.py

The problem is that I cannot import the 'util' module in 'xbot.py' because python ends with 'ImportError: No module named util'... how can I solve?

PS: I am using the following code to import:

import util
import settings

Thank you.

From which directory are you running the code and how do you start it? — Simeon Visser, Jul 14 '12 at 20:22
There is no *util* module to import. Python does only look in the modules directory and in all directories in `sys.path` for modules to import, and there simply is no module *util* in the *AXBot.creator* package. Use `import AXBot.settings as settings` or `from AXBot import settings` — Niklas R, Jul 14 '12 at 20:36

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 14 '12 at 21:45

It seems you're trying to run xbot.py from within the creator folder.

This is the output I get with xbot.py containing import util:

C:\Users\Luke\Python stuff\AXBot\creator>xbot.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\Luke\Python stuff\AXBot\creator\xbot.py", line 4, in <module>
    import util
ImportError: No module named util

This is the output I get with xbot.py containing from . import util

C:\Users\Luke\Python stuff\AXBot\creator>xbot.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\Luke\Python stuff\AXBot\creator\xbot.py", line 3, in <module>
    from . import util
ValueError: Attempted relative import in non-package

I also get this latter error with from .. import util instead of from . import util.

If you're running xbot.py from the directory containing it, Python can't tell that it's being run inside a package hierarchy. It thinks xbot.py isn't inside a package.

I replaced the line that attempted to import util with from AXBot import util, moved up a couple of directories and ran xbot.py using Python's -m command-line switch, which tells Python to run a module specified by module name instead of filename. Note that when you use -m, you pass in the fully-qualified name of the module, including the package hierarchy, but you don't include the file extension .py, because that's not part of the name of the module:

C:\Users\Luke\Python stuff\AXBot\creator>cd ..\..

C:\Users\Luke\Python stuff>python -m AXBot.creator.xbot
1232

I got the same output if I used import AXBot.util as util instead of from AXBot import util.

(I don't have your code to run, so instead I put a variable in util.py and attempted to print its value from within xbot.py. The value of this variable was 1232.)

Thanks a lot! it works! I ran the script using -m option and passing the __init__ module name. It worked. — goodolddays, Jul 14 '12 at 22:45
Just a little problem: If I reference to files using only the file's name, the script cannot find that file because the working directory is not the same as script's location. How can I reference to files in script's directory? — goodolddays, Jul 14 '12 at 22:52
@hkproj: in a Python script, `__file__` contains the filename of the script running. Use `os.path.dirname` on that to get the directory your script running out of, and use `os.path.join` to append the names of your files to this directory. See http://docs.python.org/library/os.path.html. — Luke Woodward, Jul 15 '12 at 07:55

score 2 · Answer 2 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:16

2

Use relative importing

from . import util
from . import settings

I would recomment changing your folder hierarchy though, that looks cleaner to me. Also check your PYTHONPATH, it should normally work the way you did it.

References:

Try to stay away from sys.path hacks.

edited May 23 '17 at 12:16

Community

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answered Jul 14 '12 at 20:29

tehmisvh

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tried relative importing. Python throws 'ValueError: Attempted relative import in non-package' – goodolddays Jul 14 '12 at 20:43
I'm guessing you are running this from the AXBot/creator directory- that is, `python xbot.py`. Instead, use it as a package is meant to be used: run it on a script outside the AXBot directory, and do `from AXBot.creator import xbot`. Also, @tehmisvh: don't you mean `from .. import utils`? – David Robinson Jul 14 '12 at 21:25
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@DavidRobinson: using `..` doesn't work either. It gives the same error as in hkproj's comment. – Luke Woodward Jul 14 '12 at 21:27
Read the first part of my comment: You have to use a script outside the directory, and use xbot like `from AXBot.creator import xbot`. Running `python xbot.py` will always cause that problem. – David Robinson Jul 14 '12 at 21:38

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Jul 14 '12 at 20:23

1

I think the namespacing is incorrect. From xbot.py, try using this import command

from AXBot import util
from AXBot import settings

answered Jul 14 '12 at 20:23

Wulfram

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Are you getting an import error? Or is it just not working when you are calling functions. I need to see how you are calling the objects inside of util and settings. You might try import AXBot.util and import AXBot.settings – Wulfram Jul 14 '12 at 21:55

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Jul 14 '12 at 20:25

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where you are is the most important question! according to that, you use the import. please update your question

answered Jul 14 '12 at 20:25

doniyor

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python module importing error

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