How to import submodule from a C# dll in Python

Question

I added a dll using pythonnet to my Python script like this:

import os
import clr
clr.AddReference(os.path.join(os.path.abspath('.'), 'dlls', 'Supplier.Bundle.dll'))
import Supplier.Bundle

It works just fine, I can call methods or instantiate classes right from the Supplier.Bundle namespace, but when I want to call a method from a nested namespace like Supplier.Bundle.Features I got the error:

AttributeError: Features

I also tried the following:

import Supplier.Bundle.Features

Which throws:

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'Supplier.Bundle.Features'; 'Supplier.Bundle' is not a package

Using the same dll in C# works just fine:

using Supplier.Bundle.Features

So my question is: how to access classes and methods of nested namespaces of a C# dll within Python3.x using pythonnet?

Please don't tag-spam, if you want to ask about python, there should not be tag `c#` or `.net` — Markiian Benovskyi, Jul 24 '17 at 09:39
I guess it's closely related to .net and C#. Just like this one: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2077870/how-to-load-a-c-sharp-dll-in-python — Szabolcs, Jul 24 '17 at 09:40
Possible duplicate of [How to load a C# dll in python?](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2077870/how-to-load-a-c-sharp-dll-in-python) — Markiian Benovskyi, Jul 24 '17 at 09:44
I can load the dll, what I want is to get access to classes of nested namespaces within the imported module. — Szabolcs, Jul 24 '17 at 09:48
Have you seen this answer [HERE](https://stackoverflow.com/a/20263498/4697963) ? — Markiian Benovskyi, Jul 24 '17 at 09:54
@MarkBenovsky Yes, I did but that still not answers my question. Thanks by the way. — Szabolcs, Jul 24 '17 at 10:02

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 28 '17 at 10:52

Managed to solve the problem. Actually the Supplier.Bundle.dll had two other dependencies, so after copying the missing dlls to the project root, the import became error free.

Additionally the pythonnet package should've thrown more specific exceptions about the problem. That would've made the troubleshooting even more easier.

More on the issue: https://github.com/pythonnet/pythonnet/issues/516

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 24 '17 at 12:13

1

I think I know a workaround for it. Use from module import. See the following example:

import clr
clr.AddReference('System.Windows.Forms')
#import System.Windows.Forms                # <-- not working
from System.Windows.Forms import MessageBox # <-- working

MessageBox.Show('Hello World')

Hope this helps.

answered Jul 24 '17 at 12:13

Wollmich

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Thanks for the answer, but unfortunately I got an `ImportError: cannot import name '...'` as the result of this approach. – Szabolcs Jul 24 '17 at 12:18
Does it just happen with your `Supplier.Bundle.dll`? And can you use a nested namespace like `import System.Windows.Forms`? – Wollmich Jul 24 '17 at 12:25
Yes, seems like. – Szabolcs Jul 24 '17 at 12:31

How to import submodule from a C# dll in Python

2 Answers2