How to import python file from git submodule

I've a project which uses git submodules. In my python file I want to use functions from another python file in the submodule project.

In order to work I had to add the init.py file to all subfolders in the path. My folder tree is the following:

myproj ├── gitmodules │   ├── __init__.py │   ├── __init__.pyc │   └── mygitsubmodule │   ├── __init__.py │   ├── __init__.pyc │   └── file.py └── myfile.py 

Is there any way to make it work without touching mygitsubmodule ?

Thanks

3 Answers

you can add to sys.path in the file you want to be able to access the module, something like:

import sys sys.path.append("/home/me/myproj/gitmodules") import mygitsubmodule 

This example is adding a path as a raw string to make it clear what's happening. You should really use the more sophisticated, system independent methods described below to determine and assemble the path.

Also, I have found it better, when I used this method, to use sys.path.insert(1, .. as some functionality seems to rely of sys.path[0] being the starting directory of the program.

I am used to avoiding modifying sys.path.

The problem is, when using git submodule, submodule is a project directory, not a Python package. There is a "gap" between your module and that package, so you can't import.

Suppose you have created a submodule named foo_project, and there is a foo package inside.

. ├── foo_project │ ├── README.rst │ └── foo │ └── __init__.py └── main.py 

My solution will be creating a soft link to expose that package to your module:

ln -s foo_project/foo foo 

. ├── foo_project │ ├── README.rst │ └── foo │ └── __init__.py ├── foo -> foo_project/foo └── main.py 

Now you can import foo in the main.py.

For reference,

 from submodulefolder.file import func_name 

or

 import submodulefolder.file as lib_name 

where file excludes the extension of file.py, seems to work in relative terms without modifying the subfolder / git submodule with a init.py since python 3.3+, as shown here.

Tested on py3.8.5 linux native and py3.7.8 anaconda Windows, both in Spyder's Ipython-console, as well as natively on linux via terminal.