Import error in python

Question

In file1.py:

      def test1():
        print "hi"

In file2.py:

      from file1 import test1

      def test2():
        print "hello"

      test1()
      test2()

Output:

      hi
      hello

Now in file 1 if i include test2 i get the following error:

    from file2 import test2

    def test1():
      print "hi"

   Traceback (most recent call last):
   File "file1.py", line 1, in ?
   from file2 import test2
   File "/root/pyt/file2.py", line 1, in ?
   from file1 import test1
   File "/root/pyt/file1.py", line 1, in ?
   from file2 import test2
  ImportError: cannot import name test2

Can some explain why and how to make it work?

Please preview your question before submitting it. It was quite unreadable. — Noufal Ibrahim
– Noufal Ibrahim, Commented Dec 8, 2010 at 12:41

Noufal Ibrahim · Accepted Answer · 2010-12-08 12:44:06Z

4

This is a circular import problem. You are importing file2 from file1 and then at the top level of file2, importing file1 again. This means that 1 cannot load unless you import 2 and 2 cannot load unless you import `1.

As for how to make it work, can you explain what you want to do? Why don't you just put both these functions in the same module and import that in a single go?

answered Dec 8, 2010 at 12:44

Noufal Ibrahim

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1 Comment

Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams Over a year ago

No, not this either. Circular imports are valid in Python. What isn't valid is accessing attributes that don't exist.

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 11:55:27Z

2

The name doesn't exist in the module by the time you try to access it.

edited May 23, 2017 at 11:55

CommunityBot

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answered Dec 8, 2010 at 12:45

Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams

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4 Comments

Noufal Ibrahim Over a year ago

I don't think so. The error is not an AttributeError. It's an ImportError. The module couldn't be imported because of the cyclic dependency.

Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams Over a year ago

@Noufal: It's only an ImportError because the attribute is being specified in an import operation. Any non-existent name will give this.

Rajeev Over a year ago

Vazquez-Abram:If we pass parameters to functions and check whether to import or not,then will it work

Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams Over a year ago

@Rajeev: It will work if the attribute you're accessing exists at that time.

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