How to run a module before install?

[Peter Otten]

jfong at ms4.hinet.net wrote:

> I had download a module which has the following directory structure:
> 
> [XL-Sudoku-Solver_master]
>   |__[tests]
>   |__[xl_sudoku_solver]
>   |__setup.py       |__ __init__.py
>   |__problem1.txt   |__ __main__.py
>   |__README.md      |__ ...
>   |__ ...
> 
> The setup.py file has something like this:
> ---------------------
> ...
> setup(
>     name="xl-sudoku-solver",
>     version="0.0.1.post3",
>     packages=['xl_sudoku_solver'],
>     entry_points={
>         "console_scripts": [
>             "xl-sudoku-solver = xl_sudoku_solver.__main__:main"
>         ]
>     },
> ...
> ----------------
> 
> and the __main__.py has:
> ----------------
> ...
> from . import Solver, load_from_file, load_from_input, load_from_string
> 
> def main():
>     ...
> 
> if __name__ == '__main__':
>     main()
> ----------------
> 
> The README.md suggest the way of running it:
> 
> pip install xl-sudoku-solver
> $ xl-sudoku-solver --time -f problem1.txt
> 
> But I like to run it before install. Is it possible? and how? I had try
> two ways below but niether works:
> 
> 1) h:\Temp\XL-Sudoku-Solver-master>py xl_sudoku_solver --time -f
> problem1.txt Traceback (most recent call last):
>   File "C:\Python34\lib\runpy.py", line 170, in _run_module_as_main
>     "__main__", mod_spec)
>   File "C:\Python34\lib\runpy.py", line 85, in _run_code
>     exec(code, run_globals)
>   File "xl_sudoku_solver\__main__.py", line 5, in <module>
>     from . import Solver, load_from_file, load_from_input,
>     load_from_string
> SystemError: Parent module '' not loaded, cannot perform relative import
> 
> 2) h:\Temp\XL-Sudoku-Solver-master>py
> Python 3.4.4 (v3.4.4:737efcadf5a6, Dec 20 2015, 19:28:18) [MSC v.1600 32
> bit (Intel)] on win32 Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for
> more information.
>>>> import xl_sudoku_solver
>>>>
> 
> Can't find the name "main", What to do?

With h:\Temp\XL-Sudoku-Solver-master as the current working directory try

h:\Temp\XL-Sudoku-Solver-master>py -m xl_sudoku_solver