Python with virtual evironment not working with my own package

Question

My project looks like this:

src
 |--annotation_correction
 |--|--suggestion.py
 |--|--error.py
 |--|--...
venv
 |--...

I installed my package, using pip install -e . while in the main folder. When I type pip freeze, my package "annotation" is in the list and VSCode also seems to recognize it as an installed package.

The problem is that when I run suggestion.py while trying to import e.g. from error.py with from annotation_correction.error import Error, ErrorType, I still get the error:
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'annotation_correction.error'; 'annotation_correction' is not a package

All this while using the interpreter that is running in the venv.

My setup.py just calls setup() and my setup.cfg looks like this:

...
packages = 
    annotation_correction
...
package_dir =
    =src

Please show a mcve of shell commands that show the venv and install — Mad Physicist, Feb 20 '22 at 15:38
@MadPhysicist what exactly do you want to see from the venv? Install looked like this: `Collecting [package]` for all required packages and in the end: `Running setup.py develop for annotation-correction Successfully installed annotation-correction [other packages]` — Timmel, Feb 20 '22 at 15:43
Good point. I really just needed to know the folder you ran install in, and the output — Mad Physicist, Feb 20 '22 at 15:44
In the `setup.cfg` I specified the package directory to be the src folder. — Timmel, Feb 20 '22 at 15:44
@MadPhysicist No, that's not a typo. [That specifies the src layout.](https://setuptools.pypa.io/en/latest/userguide/declarative_config.html#using-a-src-layout) Also, install does _not_ need to be run from the src folder. — AKX, Feb 20 '22 at 15:50
Anyway: how do you "run suggestion.py"? You need to use the `-m` flag (e.g. `python -m annotation_correction.suggestion`) to have paths set up correctly. — AKX, Feb 20 '22 at 15:51
Yeah I just tested it, it doesn't work with out the `=`. I run the .py via F5 and then using the interpreter that uses venv. Running it from the console yielded the same results. — Timmel, Feb 20 '22 at 15:54
@AKX wow, this was acutally the solution. Using `-m` in the console works. Do you know a way to make VSCode use it? Otherwise I'm gonna look for it now. Thanks a lot to you two!! — Timmel, Feb 20 '22 at 15:55

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 20 '22 at 16:00

To make my comment an answer:

If you have a module in a package that imports other modules from the same package with from package import module or from . import module or similar, then you will need to use the -m switch:

Search sys.path for the named module and execute its contents as the __main__ module.

Otherwise, Python will have set up sys.path so the directory of the script that is run is in it, which will naturally wreak havoc with imports (since the package is "invisible").

This stands whether or not you've installed a package (and indeed you don't necessarily need to pip install -e the same package you're working on) or not.

The other option is to have a standalone script outside the package that acts as the entry point and does e.g. from annotation_correction.suggestion import main (since from that script's point of view, the package is there and all is fine -- and if the package is installed, -e or no -e, the script doesn't even need to be next to the package directory, since the package has been installed and as such on the search path), but that's unnecessary.

Visual Studio Code apparently supports the same thing with a "module" run configuration.

Python with virtual evironment not working with my own package

1 Answers1