CODEWITHSUNDEEP
python
Doug
Doug

Reputation: 35136

How do a get a clean import namespace for a package in python?

I'm sure this is trivial to do, but I can't figure it out.

Directory structure:

mylib/__init__.py
mylib/MyClass.py

init.py reads:

import MyClass
__all__ = [MyClass]

MyClass.py:

class MyClass(object): 
    def __init__(self):
        pass

I have to create instances of MyClass using mylib.MyClass.MyClass(), when I want it to be mylib.MyClass()

I thought that to get this to work I have to put all = [MyClass.MyClass], but that didn't work.

How do you get this to work?

NB. I understand what is happening here; the file itself is a namespace and you could for example say, have multiple classes in a single file. However, I only have one class in each .py file, so I don't want that level of detail.

ie. I have this:

>>> import mylib
>>> tmp = mylib.MyClass.MyClass()

I want this:

>>> import mylib
>>> tmp = mylib.MyClass()

Upvotes: 3

Views: 335

Answers (1)

kindall
kindall

Reputation: 184191

In your __init__.py, nstead of import MyClass try from MyClass import MyClass.

The former command imports the module's name into your namespace; the second imports a symbol from the module (in this case, the name of a class) into your namespace.

Also, __all__ should be a list of names, i.e., strings, not references.

Generally, there is not any advantage in Python to dividing up your classes one to a file, and some mild disadvantages to doing so. Usually all your classes would be in a single file, and users would already be able to access your class as mylib.MyClass.

Upvotes: 8

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