What is a Module?
Consider a module to be the same as a code library.
A file containing a set of functions you want to include in your application.
Create a Module
To create a module just save the code you want in a file with the file extension .py
:
Example
Save this code in a file named mymodule.py
def greeting(name): print("Hello, " + name)
Use a Module
Now we can use the module we just created, by using the import
statement:
Example
Import the module named mymodule, and call the greeting function:
import mymodule mymodule.greeting("Jonathan")
Output
Note: When using a function from a module, use the syntax: module_name.function_name.
Variables in Module
The module can contain functions, as already described, but also variables of all types (arrays, dictionaries, objects etc):
Example
Save this code in the file mymodule.py
person1 = { "name": "John", "age": 36, "country": "Norway" }
Example
Import the module named mymodule, and access the person1 dictionary:
import mymodule a = mymodule.person1["age"] print(a)
Output
Naming a Module
You can name the module file whatever you like, but it must have the file extension .py
Re-naming a Module
You can create an alias when you import a module, by using the as
keyword:
Example
Create an alias for mymodule
called mx
:
import mymodule as mx a = mx.person1["age"] print(a)
Output