How do I import a file that is in another directory?

Question

-Booking
    -components
        -db.py
    -scripts
        -insert_data.py

How do I import db.py in insert_data.py? (I'm using python 3)

Where is your current working directory? Where are you trying to import the script to? — C.Nivs, Dec 09 '19 at 21:55
`components` needs an [`__init__.py`](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/448271/what-is-init-py-for). — 0x5453, Dec 09 '19 at 22:00

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Dec 09 '19 at 22:03

0

from components import db

Should work as long as components has a (potentially empty) __init__.py in it

answered Dec 09 '19 at 22:03

samfr

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1
6
19

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 09 '19 at 22:09

0

Put __init__.py inside components folder
Access it from scripts folder using from ..components import db

answered Dec 09 '19 at 22:09

Oleksandr Vetoshkin

309
2
10

sammy · Answer 3 · 2019-12-10T00:04:35.160

There are several options, and it helps to know how Python's modules and packages work (which is not always completely straightforward and intuitive):

What's the difference between a Python module and a Python package?
What is __init__.py for?
Importing files from different folder
Relative imports for the billionth time
How to import a module given the full path?
https://docs.python.org/3/reference/import.html (even the official documentation can be helpful at times :)

One way is to explicitly modify the module search path in the beginning of your script:

import sys, os
sys.path.append(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)), '..', 'components'))
import db

A less hacky way uses relative import, as described in Importing from a relative path in Python and Execution of Python code with -m option or not.

How do I import a file that is in another directory?

3 Answers3

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