CODEWITHSUNDEEP
python
Barry
Barry

Reputation: 303527

Accessing another module's __all__

I'm writing a Python module and in one of my files I have a fairly complicated expression for __all__:

# foo.py
__all__ = [ ... ]

In the top-level module that I want users to use, I want to expose all of that plus a few others. Do I just explicitly reference __all__?

# the_module.py
import foo

__all__ = foo.__all__ + [ ... ]

or is there some way to do it using:

from foo import *

__all__ = ???

Upvotes: 1

Views: 360

Answers (2)

jonrsharpe
jonrsharpe

Reputation: 122115

Note that __all__ is used to restrict the names that will be imported from a given module. If there is nothing in the_module.py that users shouldn't be able to access, then you don't need to define it at all.

from foo import * will bring in everything defined in foo.__main__, so users that import the_module will be able to access all of those names and anything defined in the_module.py directly.

Upvotes: 1

Farmer Joe
Farmer Joe

Reputation: 6070

You can just try it:

# foo.py
__all__ = [1,2,3]

And then

# bar.py
import foo
print foo.__all__

output:

>>> python bar.py
[1, 2, 3]

Or if you want to import just __all__directly:

# bar.py
from foo import __all__
print __all__

output:

>>> python bar.py
[1, 2, 3]

Python is very friendly to just going for it.

If you want to use the from module import * form:

# foo.py
__all__ = [1,2,3]
__other_thing__ = [4,5,6]

And then

# bar.py
from foo import *
print foo.__all__
print foo.__other_thing__

output:

>>> python bar.py
[1, 2, 3]
[4, 5, 6]

Upvotes: 1

Related Questions