如何将文件导入Python Shell？

Question

I made a sample file that uses a class called Names . It has its initialization function and a few methods. When I create an instance of the class it retrieves the instance's first name and last name. The other methods greet the instance and say a departure message. My question is: how do I import this file into the Python shell without having to run the module itself?

The name of my file is classNames.py and the location is C:\\Users\\Darian\\Desktop\\Python_Programs\\Experimenting

Here is what my code looks like:

 class Names(object):
     #first function called when creating an instance of the class
     def __init__(self, first_name, last_name):
         self.first_name = first_name
         self.last_name = last_name

      #class method that greets the instance of the class.
      def intro(self):
          print "Hello {} {}!".format(self.first_name, self.last_name)

      def departure(self):
          print "Goodbye {} {}!".format(self.first_name, self.last_name)

But I get the error:

Traceback (most recent call last): 
  File "<pyshell#0>", line 1, in <module> 
    import classNames.py 
ImportError: No module named classNames.py

Answer 1

I am not clear about what you expect and what you see instead, but the handling of your module works exactly like the math and any other modules:

You just import them. If this happens for the first time, the file is taken and executed. Everything what is left in its namespace after running it is available to you from outside.

If your code only contains just def , class statements and assignments, wou won't notice that anything happens, because, well, nothing "really" happens at this time. But you have the classes, functions and other names available for use.

However, if you have print statements at top level, you'll see that it is indeed executed.

If you have this file anywhere in your Python path (be it explicitly or because it is in the current working directory), you can use it like

import classNames

and use its contents such as

n = classNames.Names("John", "Doe")

or you do

from classNames import Names
n = Names("John", "Doe")

Don't do import classNames.py , as this would try to import module py.py from the package classNames/ .