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Import a sibling Python file by its filename without the .py extension. If main.py and helper.py are in the same directory, write import helper or from helper import useful_function in main.py. The right form depends on whether the files are standalone scripts or part of a package.

Import a neighboring file in a simple project

For two ordinary files beside each other, use the filename stem as the module name:

project/
├── main.py
└── helper.py

In main.py, either import the module and access its members through it:

import helper

helper.some_function()

Or import a specific function or other name directly:

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from helper import some_function

some_function()

Do not include the extension: write import helper, not import helper.py. Python imports the module under the name helper.

Why the import works—or fails

Python looks for modules in locations listed in sys.path. When you run a file directly, Python normally places the directory containing that script at the start of the search path. So python path/to/main.py can find helper.py beside it even if your shell is currently in another directory. The Python command-line documentation describes this behavior: running Python from the command line.

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For an interactive shell, -c, or -m execution, the initial path instead uses the current directory when there is no input script directory. The Python 3.14 path initialization reference explains these initial search-path rules. In IDEs, notebooks, test runners, embedded interpreters, and custom launch setups, check the actual path rather than assuming the current directory is the script’s directory.

To inspect the first path entry in the running interpreter, temporarily print:

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import sys
print(sys.path[0])

If Python cannot find the sibling module, check that the filename and capitalization match the import, and verify the launch context. Avoid treating a permanent sys.path edit as the first fix; first establish which directory Python is searching and whether the files should be organized as a package.

Import sibling modules inside a package

If both files live inside a package, use package-aware imports rather than treating them as loose scripts:

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project/
└── mypackage/
    ├── __init__.py
    ├── main.py
    └── helper.py

From mypackage/main.py, a relative import can refer to the sibling:

from . import helper
# or
from .helper import useful_function

Leading-dot imports are resolved from the current module’s package. Python’s Modules tutorial explains that the main module has no package identity; a file run directly becomes __main__. Consequently, running python mypackage/main.py and using from .helper import useful_function commonly fails with “attempted relative import with no known parent package.”

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Launch package code with -m

From the directory above mypackage, run the module through Python’s import mechanism:

python -m mypackage.main

The -m option locates the named module through the standard import system, as described in the command-line reference. This gives package code the context needed for relative imports. Another package entry-point pattern is a __main__.py file; the Python __main__ documentation demonstrates invoking such a package with python -m.

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Keep imports from triggering script behavior

Python executes a module’s top-level statements when it is first imported. If a file contains command-line behavior, place that behavior behind the conventional main guard:

def main():
    print("Run the program")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

When imported, a module has its import name; when run directly, its name is __main__. The guard prevents the entry-point code from running merely because another file imports the module. See the tutorial’s module discussion and the __main__ reference.

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Fix common import problems

  • ModuleNotFoundError: Confirm that the module filename is spelled and capitalized as imported, and that its containing directory is on sys.path. Direct script, interactive, and -m launches can initialize that path differently.
  • Relative-import error: A leading-dot import needs package context. Run package code with a package-aware command such as python -m mypackage.main, rather than directly running the file that contains the relative import.
  • Unexpected code runs on import: Move script-only startup behavior into a function called from if __name__ == "__main__":.
  • The wrong module loads: A script’s directory appears early in the search path. A local file named after a standard-library module or dependency can shadow that module; choose a distinct filename.
  • Edits do not appear in an interactive session: Python reuses imported modules in the same interpreter. Restart the session or explicitly reload the module while developing.

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