[Python-Dev] Proposed Python api for testing whether a module exists (original) (raw)

Jim Fulton jim at zope.com
Mon Aug 2 19:37:10 CEST 2004

Anthony Baxter wrote:

Jim Fulton wrote:

If a dotted module name is given, then parent modules will be imported if they haven't already been imported. So you might end up spelling something like: _if imp.exists('pkg') and imp.exists('pkg.subpkg') _ and imp.exists('pkg.subpkg.module'): to avoid an importerror on the parent module?

No. If pkg doesn't exist then exists will report False.

Here's new wording:

exists(module_name)

  Test whether the named module can be found.

  This method should be used when you want to perform
  alternate actions depending on whether a module is available.

  Returns True of the module can be found and False otherwise.
  A True return value does not guarentee that the module will be
  importable.  The module will not be imported as a result of
  calling exists, but parent modules may be.

  If a dotted module name is given and parent modules exist,
  then the parent modules will be imported if they haven't
  already been imported.

Thanks,

Jim

-- Jim Fulton mailto:jim at zope.com Python Powered! CTO (540) 361-1714 http://www.python.org Zope Corporation http://www.zope.com http://www.zope.org

More information about the Python-Dev mailing list