Import arbitrary python source file. (Python 3.3+)

Question

How can I import an arbitrary python source file (whose filename could contain any characters, and does not always ends with .py) in Python 3.3+?

I used imp.load_module as follows:

>>> import imp
>>> path = '/tmp/a-b.txt'
>>> with open(path, 'U') as f:
...     mod = imp.load_module('a_b', f, path, ('.py', 'U', imp.PY_SOURCE))
...
>>> mod
<module 'a_b' from '/tmp/a-b.txt'>

It still works in Python 3.3, but according to imp.load_module documentation, it is deprecated:

Deprecated since version 3.3: Unneeded as loaders should be used to load modules and find_module() is deprecated.

and imp module documentation recommends to use importlib:

Note New programs should use importlib rather than this module.

What is the proper way to load an arbitrary python source file in Python 3.3+ without using the deprecated imp.load_module function?

Answer 1

importlib helper function tested on Python 3.10

Here is a convenient, ready-to-use helper to replace imp, with an example. The technique is the same as that of https://stackoverflow.com/a/19011259/895245 , this is just providing a more convenient function.

main.py

#!/usr/bin/env python3

import os
from importlib import util, machinery

def import_path(path):
    module_name = os.path.basename(path).replace('-', '_')
    spec = util.spec_from_loader(
        module_name,
        importlib.machinery.SourceFileLoader(module_name, path)
    )
    module = util.module_from_spec(spec)
    spec.loader.exec_module(module)
    sys.modules[module_name] = module
    return module

notmain = import_path('not-main')
print(notmain)
print(notmain.x)

not-main

x = 1

Run:

python3 main.py

Output:

<module 'not_main' from 'not-main'>
1

I replace - with _ because my importable Python executables without extension have hyphens as in my-cmd. This is not mandatory, but produces better module names like my_cmd.

Related:

• How can I import a module dynamically given the full path?

Python 3.7

In that version I was instead using the following invocations for the helper, but they do not seem to work on Python 3.10

import importlib    
    spec = importlib.util.spec_from_loader(
    module = importlib.util.module_from_spec(

This pattern is also mentioned in the docs at: https://docs.python.org/3.7/library/importlib.html#importing-a-source-file-directly

I ended up moving to it because after updating to Python 3.7, import imp prints:

DeprecationWarning: the imp module is deprecated in favour of importlib; see the module's documentation for alternative uses

and I don't know how to turn that off, this was asked at:

• The imp module is deprecated
• How to ignore deprecation warnings in Python

Answer 2

after many failure solutions this one works for me

def _import(func,*args):
    import os
    from importlib import util
    module_name = "my_module"
    BASE_DIR = "wanted module directory path"
    path =  os.path.join(BASE_DIR,module_name)
    spec = util.spec_from_file_location(func, path)
    mod = util.module_from_spec(spec)
    spec.loader.exec_module(mod)
    return getattr(mod,func)(*args)

and to call it just write the function name and it's parameters _import("function",*args)

Answer 3

Updated for Python >= 3.8:

Short version:

>>> # https://docs.python.org/3/library/importlib.html#importing-a-source-file-directly
>>> import importlib.util, sys
>>> spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location(modname, fname)
>>> module = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
>>> sys.modules[modname] = module
>>> spec.loader.exec_module(module)

Full version:

>>> import importlib.util
>>> import sys
>>> from pathlib import Path
>>> from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
>>> 
>>> 
>>> if TYPE_CHECKING:
...     import types
...
...
>>> def import_source_file(fname: str | Path, modname: str) -> "types.ModuleType":
...     """
...     Import a Python source file and return the loaded module.

...     Args:
...         fname: The full path to the source file.  It may container characters like `.`
...             or `-`.
...         modname: The name for the loaded module.  It may contain `.` and even characters
...             that would normally not be allowed (e.g., `-`).
...     Return:
...         The imported module

...     Raises:
...         ImportError: If the file cannot be imported (e.g, if it's not a `.py` file or if
...             it does not exist).
...         Exception: Any exception that is raised while executing the module (e.g.,
...             :exc:`SyntaxError).  These are errors made by the author of the module!
...     """
...     # https://docs.python.org/3/library/importlib.html#importing-a-source-file-directly
...     spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location(modname, fname)
...     if spec is None:
...         raise ImportError(f"Could not load spec for module '{modname}' at: {fname}")
...     module = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
...     sys.modules[modname] = module
...     try:
...         spec.loader.exec_module(module)
...     except FileNotFoundError as e:
...         raise ImportError(f"{e.strerror}: {fname}") from e
...     return module
...
>>> import_source_file(Path("/tmp/my_mod.py"), "my_mod")
<module 'my_mod' from '/tmp/my_mod.py'>

Original answer for Python 3.5 and 3.6

Shorter version of @falsetru 's solution:

>>> import importlib.util
>>> spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location('a_b', '/tmp/a-b.py')
>>> mod = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
>>> spec.loader.exec_module(mod)
>>> mod
<module 'a_b' from '/tmp/a-b.txt'>

I tested it with Python 3.5 and 3.6.

According to the comments, it does not work with arbitrary file extensions.

Answer 4

Found a solution from importlib test code.

Using importlib.machinery.SourceFileLoader:

>>> import importlib.machinery
>>> loader = importlib.machinery.SourceFileLoader('a_b', '/tmp/a-b.txt')
>>> mod = loader.load_module()
>>> mod
<module 'a_b' from '/tmp/a-b.txt'>

NOTE: only works in Python 3.3+.

UPDATE Loader.load_module is deprecated since Python 3.4. Use Loader.exec_module instead:

>>> import types
>>> import importlib.machinery
>>> loader = importlib.machinery.SourceFileLoader('a_b', '/tmp/a-b.txt')
>>> mod = types.ModuleType(loader.name)
>>> loader.exec_module(mod)
>>> mod
<module 'a_b'>

---

>>> import importlib.machinery
>>> import importlib.util
>>> loader = importlib.machinery.SourceFileLoader('a_b', '/tmp/a-b.txt')
>>> spec = importlib.util.spec_from_loader(loader.name, loader)
>>> mod = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
>>> loader.exec_module(mod)
>>> mod
<module 'a_b' from '/tmp/a-b.txt'>

Answer 5

Similar to @falsetru but for Python 3.5+ and accounting for what the importlib doc states on using importlib.util.module_from_spec over types.ModuleType:

This function [importlib.util.module_from_spec] is preferred over using types.ModuleType to create a new module as spec is used to set as many import-controlled attributes on the module as possible.

We are able to import any file with importlib alone by modifying the importlib.machinery.SOURCE_SUFFIXES list.

import importlib

importlib.machinery.SOURCE_SUFFIXES.append('') # empty string to allow any file
spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location(module_name, file_path)
module = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
spec.loader.exec_module(module)
# if desired: importlib.machinery.SOURCE_SUFFIXES.pop()