How To Have Python Import A Module From Another Directory

Question

So I have a Python3 Script that I am trying to implement. The overall project has a repository file tree that looks like this:

.
├── Dockerfile
├── LICENSE
├── Makefile
├── README.md
├── functions
│   ├── README.md
│   ├── __init__.py
│   ├── aws
│   │   ├── README.md
│   │   ├── __init__.py
│   │   ├── __pycache__
│   │   │   ├── boto3_helper.cpython-310.pyc
│   │   │   └── boto3_helper.cpython-39.pyc
│   │   ├── boto3_helper.py
│   │   ├── boto3_session_create.py
│   │   ├── boto3_session_mock.py
│   │   ├── describe_direct_connect.py
│   │   ├── describe_vpc.py
│   │   ├── get_network_payload.py
│   │   ├── get_routing_tables.py
│   │   ├── get_vpc.py
│   │   ├── make_diagram_network_block.py
│   │   └── transform.py
│   ├── helpers
│   │   ├── __init__.py
│   │   ├── get_payload.py
│   │   └── helpers.py
│   └── peering
│       ├── __init__.py
│       └── peering.py
├── images
│   └── diagram.png
├── main.py
├── modules
│   ├── README.md
│   ├── audit
│   │   └── audit.py
│   ├── awsmaster
│   │   └── awsmaster.py
│   ├── cad
│   │   └── cad.py
│   ├── canary
│   │   └── canary.py
│   ├── cas-nonprod
│   │   └── casnonprod.py
│   ├── cas-prod
│   │   └── casprod.py
│   ├── css-dev
│   ├── css-nonprod
│   ├── css-prod
│   ├── css-staging
│   ├── didev
│   ├── dr
│   ├── eng
│   ├── factory-nonprod
│   ├── factory-sandbox
│   ├── factory-staging
│   ├── hsm-nonprod
│   ├── hsm-prod
│   ├── iis-nonprod
│   ├── iis-prod
│   ├── it
│   ├── log-archive
│   ├── net
│   │   ├── images
│   │   │   └── net.png
│   │   ├── net.py
│   │   └── net_payload.json
│   ├── octal
│   ├── octane
│   ├── pa-nonprod
│   ├── pa-prod
│   ├── platform-systems
│   ├── pte
│   ├── rf-regression
│   ├── sec
│   ├── shared-svcs
│   ├── taf
│   └── yukon
└── requirements.txt

I have done research that basically says use sys or use from path.to.folder import file . However, when I run the python function it doesn't actually import the module.

# How to use this file to generate a diagram:
# $> python3 diagram.py
# https://diagrams.mingrammer.com/docs/getting-started/installation

import json
import traceback
from diagrams import Cluster, Diagram
from diagrams.aws.network import PrivateSubnet
from diagrams.aws.management import OrganizationsAccount
from functions.aws import get_vpc


graph_attr = {
    "bgcolor": "transparent",
    "margin": "-1, -2",
    "size": "50,50!"
}

def get_network_payload():
    json_data = get_vpc(json)
    with open("net_payload.json", "w") as outfile:
        outfile.write(json_data)
        
def impinjnetcluster():
    with Diagram(filename="images/net", show=False, direction="LR", graph_attr=graph_attr):
        with Cluster("impinjnet", graph_attr={"margin": "40", "fontsize": "18"}):
            impinjnet = OrganizationsAccount("Impinj-Net")
            with Cluster("vpc-###1", graph_attr={"margin": "40", "fontsize": "18"}):
                net_subnet1 = PrivateSubnet("###")
            with Cluster("vpc-###2", graph_attr={"margin": "40", "fontsize": "18"}):
                net_subnet2 = PrivateSubnet("###")
            impinjnet
        
try:
    get_network_payload()
    impinjnetcluster()
except:
    traceback.print_exc()

Basically I am trying to do the following:

• Get the network payload
• load the network payload into a dynamic block
• generate image

However, I can't even get the network payload to run it just does this:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/Users/rbarrett/Git/Impinj-di/aws_network_design/modules/net/net.py", line 10, in <module>
    from functions.aws import functions, get_vpc
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'functions'

I put the __init__.py as an empty file in every folder that I would need to import as seen from the tree and here is my python paths:

rbarrett@RBARRETT-MBP1  ~/Git/Impinj-di/aws_network_design/modules/net   DI-4894-CreateWorkflows-4 ● ?  python3 -c "import sys; print('\n'.join(sys.path))"


/usr/local/Cellar/python@3.10/3.10.6_2/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.10/lib/python310.zip
/usr/local/Cellar/python@3.10/3.10.6_2/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.10/lib/python3.10
/usr/local/Cellar/python@3.10/3.10.6_2/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.10/lib/python3.10/lib-dynload
/usr/local/lib/python3.10/site-packages

I have tried looking at several other questions similar to mine, but none of them have seemed to help me pull in the function I have defined in another file.

Answer 1

So it turns out I had to use sys and then had to use the following in my import statements:

import sys
sys.path.append('../../')
from functions.aws.boto3_helper import <function_name>

Where <function_name> was a function defined within boto3_helper.py , the biggest problem I had was to set sys.path.append('../../') which is where the files I needed to access as a module are located at.