Python: import a file from another directory

Question

I am working in a set of directories with the following structure:

Master/
      Subfolder_1/file_1_1.py
                  file_1_2.txt
      Subfolder_2/file_2_1.py

I import file_1_1 in file_2_1 as follows:

import sys
sys.path.append('../file_1_1')

file_1_1 is reading file_1_2.txt which is in the same directory. However, when I call the function that reads file_1_2.txt from file_2_1.py, it says no such file and directory and it gives me the path of file_1_2.txt as:

Master/Subfolder_2/file_1_2.txt

which is a wrong path. It seems like python in this case is using the working directory as a reference. How can I solve this error given that I don't want to include the absolute path for each file I read.

Eevee · Accepted Answer · 2015-05-14 08:15:21Z

1

Don't mess with sys.path, and don't think of imports as working against files and directories. Ultimately everything has to live in a file somewhere, but the module hierarchy is a little more subtle than "replace dot with slash and stick a .py at the end".

You almost certainly want to be in Master and run python -m Subfolder_1.file_1_1. You can use pkg_resources to get the text file:

pkg_resources.resource_string('Subfolder_1', 'file_1_1.txt')

answered May 14, 2015 at 8:15

Eevee

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2 Comments

user1894963 Over a year ago

I actually run file_2_1 which uses file_1_1. So do you mean to run python -m Subfolder_2.file_2_1 ? If this is the case, I get this error: No module named Subfolder_2.

Eevee Over a year ago

put an __init__.py in each "subfolder" so they both become packages.

stovfl · Accepted Answer · 2018-11-01 16:45:14Z

0

info=[]
with open(os.path.realpath('yourtextfile.txt','r') as myfile:
    for line in myfile:
       info.append(line)

edited Nov 1, 2018 at 16:45

stovfl

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answered Nov 1, 2018 at 11:49

ethan

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