How to import only one module in a package when the package __init__.py has already imports the modules?

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:29:35 -0500, Peng Yu wrote:

> If two functions are too long to put in file, I generally put them in
> two different files.

If two functions are too long for a single file, the functions are too 
big and need to be broken up into ten or thirty sub-functions each!

Ideally, no function should be more than ten or twenty lines (plus 
docstring), certainly no more than a page. In a language like Python that 
is so compact, monster functions that are hundreds of lines long is 
almost certainly inexcusable.


> And I always put a single class in a file.

An unnecessary and silly restriction. It is reasonable for large 
complicated classes, but not a rule for all classes, some of which might 
be as small as two lines.


> Suppose that I have many functions in one file, it is not clear to see
> how many functions are in the file at first glance.

So what? Why is it import to see how many functions are in the file?



> If I put each function in its
> own file,  just by looking at the directory structure, I can easily see
> how many functions there are.

Why do you care how many functions there are?


> One advantage is on refactoring. When each function has its own file, I
> can change variable names, etc., for a give function without worrying
> accidentally change variable names in other functions. 

Do you understand that each function has it's own local namespace? Unless 
you are foolish enough to use global variables for everything, you can 
refactor any given function without effecting other functions in the same 
file. 


> When I find a
> function is more appropriate to put in another namespace, I can just
> move the file around.

A module is a namespace.


> Another advantage is on testing. I can have associated test dir for each
> class or function. By this way I can easily locate the definition and
> the test to track any potential problems.

You can do this when functions share the same file.


> You can use package rather than module to group semantic related classes
> and functions.

Python makes available many namespaces:

Function
Module
Package

You are artificially restricting yourself to use:

Function = Module
Package

and that's supposed to be an advantage???


-- 
Steven