Python importing a module from a parallel directory

Question

How would I organize my python imports so that I can have a directory like this.

project
|      \\
|      __init__.py
|     
src
|   \\
|    __init__.py
|            


        

Answer 1

Python adds the folder containing the script you launch to the PYTHONPATH, so if you run

python test/tests.py

Only the folder test is added to the path (not the base dir that you're executing the command in).

Instead run your tests like so:

python -m test.tests

This will add the base dir to the python path, and then classes will be accessible via a non-relative import:

from src.classes import etc

If you really want to use the relative import style, then your 3 dirs need to be added to a package directory

package
* __init__.py
* project
* src
* test

And you execute it from above the package dir with

python -m package.test.tests

See also:

• https://docs.python.org/2/using/cmdline.html
• http://www.stereoplex.com/blog/understanding-imports-and-pythonpath