Import module with non-standard file name

[John Machin]

Ben Finney wrote:
> "John Machin" <sjmachin at lexicon.net> writes:
>
> > Ben Finney wrote:
> > > Now that I've got it written as a Python module, I'd like to write
> > > unit tests for that module, which of course will need to import
> > > the program module to test it. The unit test can explicitly add
> > > the directory where the program module lives to 'sys.path' for the
> > > purpose of importing that module.
> >
> > If it can do that, it can copy the MUT to some temp directory,
> > adding .py to the end of the name of the new file, and put the temp
> > directory in sys.path .... can't it?
>
> Sounds like a nasty hack (not that fiddling sys.path isn't a hack, but
> at least that one's addressed in Python 2.5 with relative and absolute
> imports).
>
> The problem with importing the program module from a file in a
> different directory is that the program won't be able to find its own
> relative modules. That leads to either *more* sys.path hackery, or
> importing from a temporary file in the *same* directory.

Please explain both the "own" and "relative" in "its own relative
modules". Do these modules not have names that end in ".py"?

>
> Besides which, that's still two file names for the same module
> code. The whole point of testing is to know that I'm testing the same
> module; with a two-file shim, that's one step further away from that
> ideal.

The two-file caper exists only for the duration of the test. You'll
have to trust yourselt to write and test a file copying gadget. :-)


>
> What you describe is possible, but leads to very smelly hacks. I'd
> like to see what other options there are.
> 

Probably smellier ones ...:<)

Cheers,
John