Question about import

Re: Question about import

On 5 Aug 2003 09:28:54 -0700, kjmacken@yorku. ca (Kevin MacKenzie)
wrote:
[color=blue]
>I'm a complete newbie to using Python. I have a small question about
>importing modules.
>
>Is there any difference between the two following statements, and what
>(if any) are they?
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>>>> from Module import *[/color][/color]
>
>
>and
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>>>> import Module[/color][/color][/color]

Yes. As I said to someone else hereabouts not all /that/ long ago
(!),[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
>>>> import Module[/color][/color][/color]
is the computing equivalent to getting your toolkit out of the
cupboard and putting it on your workbench.
[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
>>>> from Module import *[/color][/color][/color]
is the computing equivalent of getting your toolkit out of the
cupboard, tipping the contents onto the workbench, and putting the box
back into the cupboard.

If "Module" contains "foo()",[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
>>>> import Module[/color][/color][/color]
means that you can call Module.foo()
[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
>>>> from Module import *[/color][/color][/color]
means that you can use foo(). But if your code or any other module
contains something called "foo()" then you get a name clash. That can
be nasty, because you can get everything working fine, and somebody
using a library that's supposed to be compatable with the one you've
tested finds it doesn't work.

For all but the very simplest of code, use[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
>>>> import Module[/color][/color][/color]