How do I find the current module name in Python? (2024)

FAQs

How do I find the current module name in Python? ›

A module can find out its own module name by looking at the predefined global variable __name__.

Python looks for modules in “sys.

Python has a simple algorithm for finding a module with a given name, such as a_module . It looks for a file called a_module.py in the directories listed in the variable sys. path .

Python __name__ Explained

In Python, __name__ is a special variable assigned to the name of the Python module by the interpreter. If your module is invoked as a script, then the string '__main__' will automatically be assigned to the special variable __name__ .

getfile() method of inspecting module to get the path. This method will take the module's name as an argument and will return its path. For example, if we want to find the directory of the os module using this method we will write the following code: Python.

Any Python file can be referenced as a module. A file containing Python code, for example: test.py , is called a module, and its name would be test . There are various methods of writing modules, but the simplest way is to create a file with a . py extension which contains functions and variables.

During import, the module name is looked up in sys.modules and if present, the associated value is the module satisfying the import, and the process completes. However, if the value is None , then a ModuleNotFoundError is raised. If the module name is missing, Python will continue searching for the module.

Here are a few reasons why a module may not be found: you do not have the module you tried importing installed on your computer. you spelled a module incorrectly (which still links back to the previous point, that the misspelled module is not installed)...for example, spelling numpy as numpys during import.

The if __name__ == "__main__" idiom is needed only when (a) your script needs to run directly, AND (b) your script needs to be imported as a module. Otherwise, just put top-level code.

The if __name__ == "__main__": statement checks if the script is being run as the main program. If it is, it calls the greet() function with the name "Alice". If this script were imported as a module in another Python script, the greet() function would be available for use, but it would not execute automatically.

Each time a Python module is imported, Python automatically assigns a string name to the dunder name ( __name__ ) variable in that module's namespace; normally this is the name of the module being imported as defined by its source file name (or package hierarchy name).

What is a Python module? ›

In Python, Modules are simply files with the “. py” extension containing Python code that can be imported inside another Python Modules Operations Program. In simple terms, we can consider a module to be the same as a code library or a file that contains a set of functions that you want to include in your application.

__file__ is a built-in constant containing the pathname of the file from which the running Python module was loaded. In some instances, such as when code is executed in an interactive interpreter rather than from a file, this constant may not be set and accessing it will return an exception.

Packages support one more special attribute, __path__ . This is initialized to be a list containing the name of the directory holding the package's __init__.py before the code in that file is executed. This variable can be modified; doing so affects future searches for modules and subpackages contained in the package.

If you're running a different version of Python where the module is installed, you'll get the 'No Module Named' error. To resolve this, you can either install the module for the version of Python you're using or change your Python version to match the one the module is installed for.

Here's a simple example of creating and using a Python module: # mymodule.py def hello(): print('Hello, world! ') # main.py import mymodule mymodule. hello() # Output: # 'Hello, world!

If the source file is executed as the main program, the interpreter sets the __name__ variable to have a value “__main__”. If this file is being imported from another module, __name__ will be set to the module's name. __name__ is a built-in variable which evaluates to the name of the current module.

Locally installed Python and all packages will be installed under a directory similar to ~/. local/bin/ for a Unix-based system, or \Users\Username\AppData\Local\Programs\ for Windows.

In Windows operating systems, we can use the command python --version to check the python version. The steps to check the python version in Windows are very simple: Open the Windows command prompt or Windows Powershell, and enter the following command on the shell : python --version.