This module introduces us to imports and how they work.
To verify if the norm is correctly applied in the different files:
flake8If there is an issue, the command will send back said issue. Otherwise, nothing will be sent back in the terminal.
To execute the program, once in the corresponding file, use:
python3 <name of the program>The file __init__.py file enables the user to transform ordinary folders into packages. That way, the folder can be used for imports.
Any Python file is a module, it's defined by the .py found after the file's name. On the other hand, a package will contain every module present in the same file as __init__.py
Imports enable the user to use different functions from different libraries or files created by the user. Different ways to import files exist, such as:
import <file_name>this will import the entire fileAdvantages Disadvantages Access to everything in the module / Readability / from <file_name> import <function1>, <function2>,...this method will import the function from a file one by one, it is needed to write every function name that will be usedAdvantages Disadvantages Access to something specific within the module Readability (Might not realize it's imported) Don't have to prepend with the module's name / import <file_name> as <chosen_name>this will import the entire file under a name chosen by the userAdvantages Disadvantages Access to everything in the module Readability (Other programmers might not know the library unless they are familiar) You can choose the module's name (and make it shorter) / from <file_name> import *(not used here) this will import the entire fileAdvantages Disadvantages Access to everything in the module Readability (Might not realize it's imported) Don't have to prepend with the module's name /
There are two types of imports: absolute and relative.
Absolute imports will write the pathway to the file like so: from package1.module1 import function1
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Are clear and straightforward | Can become lengthy if the pathway is long |
| Remains valid if the current location of the statement changes | / |
Relative imports will specify the resource to be imported relative to the current location like so: from .module1 import function1 or from ..module1 import function1 or even from . import function1 |
|
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| --- | --- |
| Are succinct, it can turn a ridiculously long statement into something simpler | Can be messy for shared projects where directory structure is likely to change |
| / | Readability |
Circular imports occur when two or more modules depend on each other. Late import, dependency injection and shared module are ways to counter circular dependencies.