Using Your Own Imports

Can We Import Our Own Code?

What Setup Do We Need???

Create a Folder that will house your "project"

VS Code is particular. For now, we want to make sure everything we're referencing is in its own folder. So, create one!
- - For Example, if we were using this for Chapter 08 - Dictionaries, we may create a folder called:
    - - CH08-01

Once Done, Tell VS Code to open the folder

You'll now have a VS Code Window which looks like this below:

👑 Create a File in the Project Folder:

Now, let's create a new python file in the project folder

Click the file PLUS button
Name Your file FILENAME.py
- - The .py extension is important!!!

🎯Create a Dunder init file!!!

For reasons that will be explained later, create a file called __init__.py
- - That's 2 underscores init and 2 underscores .py
  - Its called a dunder file because it has DOUBLE UNDERSCORES

Add Your Own Utility File

🧠 Let's Add our own Utility File:

Add this file to the folder you created and name it utility_functions.py
You should see it appear in the file structure as soon as it's saved to that location

Time To Import it

Since we want to use the functions in this file in our code without rewriting the functions, we can use the line

import NAME_OF_FILE_TO_IMPORT as SHORT_NAME

You can see how we did that with utility functions in our project:

🛠️ Call Your Functions

Since we're imported, if we want to use clear screen or wait for input, we use DOT NOTATION!
Type the SHORT NAME that we used, hit the dot, and the functions come up!!

Page updated

Report abuse