Python import
Python __import__() builtin function is invoked by the import statement. We may replace the default behaviour of import by importing builtins and assigning a new __import__() function call to builtins.__import__.
Please note that it is advised to use import statement instead of __import__() function.
In this tutorial, we will learn about the syntax of Python __import__() function, and learn how to use this function with the help of examples.
Syntax
The syntax of __import__() function is
import(name, globals=None, locals=None, fromlist=(), level=0)
where
| Parameter | Required/Optional | Description |
|---|---|---|
| name | Required | A string. Name of the module to import. |
| globals | Optional | A dictionary. Default value is None. |
| locals | Optional | A dictionary. Default value is None. |
| fromlist | Optional | A list of strings. Names of the objects or submodules that should be imported from the module. Default value is (). |
| level | Optional | An integer. Specifies whether to use absolute or relative imports. Default value is 0. |
Example
In this example, we import math module using __import__() builtin function.
Python Program
math_module = __import__('math', globals(), locals(), [], 0)
print(math_module.sin(-99))
Output
0.9992068341863537
Conclusion
In this Python Tutorial, we have learnt the syntax of Python __import__() builtin function, and also learned how to use this function, with the help of Python example programs.