Python 2 script in Django 3

Question

I have a script that uses a library that is not available in python 3. I used the answer (execnet) to this question to call the python 2 script X from a python 3 script Y. This works fine without any problem. I added both scripts to the directory of the Django app I want to use script X in. Testing script Y still works. Importing script Y to be called from views.py works. Calling the function in Y form views.py works. But now script Y does not find script X anymore.

The Django error says ImportError: No module named X

If I add the script n the settings.py script to INSTALLED_APPS I get

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'X'.

Is there an easier way to run a python2 script from django 3?

FlipperPA · Answer 1 · 2020-03-08T02:23:43.667

I don't recommend doing this, but if you're really up the creek:

create a Python 2 virtualenv for your Python 2 script called something like py_env
install the package you need into py2_env

Then, in the view (which is running Python 3+ and Django 2+):

from subprocess import check_output
from django.views.generic import TemplateView

class MyView(TemplateView):
    template_name = "my_app/my_template.html"

    def get_context_data(self, **kwargs):
        context = super().get_context_data(**kwargs)
        context["program_output"] = check_output(
            "source /path/to/py2_env/bin/activate && /path/to/py2_script.py",
            shell=True,
        ).decode("utf-8")
        return context

This example will run the Python 2 script from the view and put the output of the program into the context as program_output. Good luck!

Python 2 script in Django 3

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