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How importing from GitHub works
Python’s import statement searches for a named module and binds the result in the current scope; it does not ordinarily fetch source code from GitHub. The Python Language Reference describes these as the two operations performed by import in its section on the import system.
That means there are two separate names and steps to identify: install the project, then import its Python module or package. A repository name, the name used by pip, and the import name can differ. Check the repository README and packaging configuration for the supported installation command and documented import name.
Install a public GitHub repository with pip
Use this method when the repository contains an installable Python project. pip documents installing from a Git VCS URL; the URL form is git+https://github.com/OWNER/REPOSITORY.git. Replace the placeholders with the repository owner and name.
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# Linux or macOS
python -m pip install git+https://github.com/OWNER/REPOSITORY.git
# Windows
py -m pip install git+https://github.com/OWNER/REPOSITORY.gitUse the Python executable for the environment in which you plan to run your code. Calling pip as python -m pip (or py -m pip on Windows) helps target that interpreter. pip’s Getting Started guide and Python’s module installation documentation explain these invocation patterns and environment considerations.
Choose a branch or other Git reference only when needed
If the project’s instructions specify a branch or other Git reference, pip’s VCS syntax allows it after the repository URL, separated by @. For example, a project that explicitly tells you to use the main branch can be installed with:
python -m pip install git+https://github.com/OWNER/REPOSITORY.git@mainDo not assume every repository uses main; use the reference named by the project. See pip’s pip install documentation for VCS URL details.
Install a repository you already cloned
If you have cloned the project, open a terminal in its project root—the directory containing its packaging files or the location identified by its instructions—and install from that local checkout.
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python -m pip install .
# Editable install for active development
python -m pip install -e .Use py -m pip instead of python -m pip on Windows if that is how you invoke the intended Python interpreter. A regular install is suitable for ordinary use. An editable install is useful when you are actively changing the checkout and want those changes reflected without reinstalling after each edit. The Python Packaging User Guide covers pip installs in virtual environments; pip’s installation reference documents local and editable installs.
When the Python project is in a subdirectory
Some repositories contain several projects, with the installable Python project below the repository root. If the repository’s layout and instructions show that this applies, pip supports identifying the project directory with a VCS URL fragment such as #subdirectory=path/to/project. Replace the path with the actual project subdirectory; do not add this fragment when the project is at the repository root.
Import the documented Python name
After installation, use the import name given by the project, not a guessed version of its GitHub repository name:
import package_namepackage_name is a placeholder, not a literal package name. A project may document a different module name from its repository or pip distribution name. Its README, examples, and Python package layout are the best guides to the import statement it supports.
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Choose the installation method
| Situation | Use | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| You want to use an installable public repository | Install from its Git URL with pip | Requires a Python project that supports installation; use the repository’s documented Git reference if one is specified. |
| You already have a checkout and want ordinary use | python -m pip install . from the project root |
Installs the local project into the selected interpreter’s environment. |
| You are developing the checked-out project | python -m pip install -e . from the project root |
Editable installation is intended for active development. |
| The project is nested inside a larger repository | Use pip’s #subdirectory=... VCS option when installing from the repository URL |
Specify the actual project subdirectory; this is not needed for a project at the repository root. |
For any method, run installation with the interpreter or environment that will run your script. For a private repository, access also depends on repository permissions and your Git authentication configuration; follow the owner’s secure setup instructions, and do not put a personal access token in a command likely to be saved or shared.
Fix “No module named …” after installation
ModuleNotFoundError means Python could not find the requested import name through its import system. Check these points in order:
- Confirm the import name. Compare the name in your
importstatement with the project’s documentation. The repository and installed distribution names may not be the module name. - Match the interpreter. Install and run with the same Python environment. If you used a virtual environment, activate it before both operations, or invoke its Python executable directly. When several Python versions are installed, use the intended version explicitly.
- Check that the project is installable the way you tried. A GitHub repository is not automatically a Python package. Follow its README if it requires a different setup, or if the Python project is in a subdirectory.
- Retry installation in the intended environment. From a local checkout, run the appropriate install command from the project root. For a Git URL, check that it points to the right repository and the documented Git reference.
For private package dependencies, avoid casually using pip’s --extra-index-url: pip warns that this option can expose users to dependency-confusion risk. Follow the package owner’s recommended secure installation method in pip’s documentation.
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