VSCode - Run Python File in Terminal and pythonpath

Question

I'm trying to understand the behaviour of VSCode in relation to running python scripts stored within sub packages of a project. If I have a project structure like the following:

proj/
  util/
  main/hello.py
test/

If hello.py imports from proj.util - and I use 'Run Python File in Terminal' to execute the script it fails with Module not found (proj.util) - because by default the project top level directory is not added to pythonpath. If I create an .env file in the root and add a definition for PYTHONPATH to include my project top level directory this file is equally not used when running via the option above.

If I create a default set of debug launches and use the 'debug-Python current file in terminal' - this will read the .env file and works as expected.

PyCharm automatically adds the top level project directory to sys.paths when running a script in the terminal - shouldn't VSCode provide such an option or am I missing something?

Current version is as follows, although I see the same behaviour under Windows.

Version: 1.30.1
Commit: dea8705087adb1b5e5ae1d9123278e178656186a
Date: 2018-12-18T22:23:23.072Z
Electron: 2.0.16
Chrome: 61.0.3163.100
Node.js: 8.9.3
V8: 6.1.534.41
OS: Linux x64 4.19.12-arch1-1-ARCH

This issue may be related to the following discussions on github and one open issue: - github.com/Microsoft/vscode-python/issues/2206 - github.com/Microsoft/vscode-python/issues/944 — Darren Syzling
– Darren Syzling, Commented Jan 6, 2019 at 16:58

Brett Cannon · Accepted Answer · 2019-01-07 23:41:52Z

1

When you have Python run your hello.py, PVSC is using the terminal to run python proj/main/hello.py. To Python that is the same as running python hello.py from the proj/main directory which means to the interpreter not even seeing the packages that hello.py is contained within (hence why it has no concept of proj.util).

The .env file isn't used because once again the file is just a direct execution in the terminal and neither your terminal or Python reads the .env file. But when you use the debugger we get to specify details like using your .env file and hence why the debugger sets PYTHONPATH as you expect.

answered Jan 7, 2019 at 23:41

Brett Cannon

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2 Comments

Darren Syzling Over a year ago

Brett thanks - so is this expected behaviour and working as designed, or would we expect a way of configuring an option to allow the project directory to be added to the python path - so that it's possible to run scripts in sub packages? I use two other environments - PyCharm and Emacs-LSP (with the MS Python Language Server)/Elpy - both of these allow a script to be run whilst importing packages from the project by default. I know it's possible to use the debug launch - but that just feels unintuitive.

Brett Cannon Over a year ago

It's currently by design as VS Code prefers we use launch.json. You can use the code runner extension as well as open a feature request github.com/microsoft/vscode-python.

yEmreAk.com · Accepted Answer · 2019-04-30 22:09:10Z

0

Just add these lines to the top of the file which you want to execute

if __name__ == "__main__":
    import os
    import sys
    sys.path.append(os.getcwd())

These script add the directory, where file in, to your path when executing directly which __name__ == "__main__" means.

answered Apr 30, 2019 at 22:09

yEmreAk.com

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Comments

Arigion · Accepted Answer · 2020-08-04 19:22:59Z

0

TLDR: Start your VS Code with the correct PYTHONPATH

My setup: Set project specific PYTHONPATH from .env automatically with direnv (https://direnv.net/) when changing into project directory. This also sets the needed virtual environment for the project. Start VS Code from command line, so that it uses the correct environment variables.

Alternative you could create a shell script setting the right environment variables and starting VS Code.

Disclaimer: I use absolute imports in my packages, this is not tested with relative imports.

answered Aug 4, 2020 at 19:22

Arigion

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