Importing a Python File by Name

January 25th, 2024
python, tech
Let's say you have a python script:
2024-01-24--evaluate-chimeras.py
And you want to pull a section of it out into a separate file:
2024-01-25--strand-split-artifacts.py
You would hope you could just do something like:
import "/path/to/2024-01-25--strand-split-artifacts.py"
But this doesn't work: import wants a module name, not a filename. The simplest way I know to import a python file from a path is:
import sys
import importlib

sys.path.append("/path/to/")
ssa = importlib.import_module("2024-01-25--strand-split-artifacts")
There are a lot of complicated ways to do this, some of which avoid needing to add something to sys.path, but for quick one-off research code better to keep it simple.

Comment via: facebook, lesswrong, mastodon

Recent posts on blogs I like:

Book Review: Why They Do It

my quest to get my readers not to commit fraud

via Thing of Things March 3, 2025

Breakfast Over February Break

Over February break I made breakfast for me and Nora three days in a row. Normally, my dad makes me, Nora, and Lily breakfast, but my dad and Lily were on a trip and my mom wasn't up yet so I was basically the only one in the house who was awake and cou…

via Anna Wise's Blog Posts March 1, 2025

2024-25 New Year review

This is an annual post reviewing the last year and setting intentions for next year. I look over different life areas (work, health, parenting, effectiveness, travel, etc) and analyze my life tracking data. Overall this was a pretty good year. Highlights …

via Victoria Krakovna January 15, 2025

more     (via openring)