How to Handle Relative Imports Outside of Python Packages?

Handling Relative Imports in Non-Package Contexts

When attempting to import a module using a relative path in a directory structure outside of a Python package, such as:

pkg/
  __init__.py
  components/
    core.py
    __init__.py
  tests/
    core_test.py
    __init__.py

You may encounter the error:

ValueError: Attempted relative import in non-package

Understanding the Python Import Mechanism

The Python import mechanism relies on the name attribute of the current file to determine the appropriate module to import. When executing a file directly, it is assigned the name of "__main__", making relative imports impossible.

Possible Solutions

To resolve this issue, you can use one of the following methods:

1. Using the -m Option

You can execute the file using the -m option, which adds the file to sys.path as a module:

python -m pkg.tests.core_test

2. Specifying package Attribute

If you have a part of your package specifically designed to be run as a script, you can assign the package attribute to specify its desired name in the package hierarchy.

import sys

if __name__ == "__main__":
    sys.__package__ = "pkg.tests"

    from ..components.core import GameLoopEvents

Reference:

For further information, please refer to PEP 366: https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0366/

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