How to Import a Module Into Python

The from-import instruction imports functions from a module and lets you use them like functions from the core Python. You don't see that the functions belong to the module.

1. 1
   Find the module. Locate the module that you will be importing. A complete list of built in modules can be found here (v2.7) and here (v3.5).
2. 2
   To import a specific function from a specific module, write:

    from 
    [ 
    module 
    ] 
    import 
    [ 
    function 
    ] 
   

   This will tell the script you are using a specific function from a specific module.

   • For example, to import the randint function from the random module and print a random number using that function, you would write:

      from 
      random 
      import 
      randint 
      print 
      ( 
      randint 
      ( 
      0 
      , 
      5 
      )) 
     

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3. 3
   Separate multiple functions from the same module with commas (,). The structure looks like this:

    from 
    [ 
    module 
    ] 
    import 
    [ 
    function 
    ], 
    [ 
    otherFunction 
    ], 
    [ 
    anotherFunction 
    ], 
    ... 
   

   • For example, to import the randint and random functions from the random module and print random numbers using these functions, you would write:

      from 
      random 
      import 
      randint 
      , 
      random 
      print 
      ( 
      randint 
      ( 
      0 
      , 
      5 
      )) 
      print 
      ( 
      random 
      ()) 
     
4. 4
   Import entire modules using a * instead of a function name. The structure looks like this:

    from 
    [ 
    module 
    ] 
    import 
    * 
   

   • For example, to import the entire random module and then print a random number with its randint function, you would write:

      from 
      random 
      import 
      * 
      print 
      ( 
      randint 
      ( 
      0 
      , 
      5 
      )) 
     
5. 5
   Import multiple modules by writing multiple from-import instructions. You should start a new line for each instruction to keep the code readable, although separating them with a ; also works.

   • For example, to import the randint function from the random module and the sqrt function from the math module and then print a result from both functions, you would write:

      from 
      random 
      import 
      randint 
      from 
      math 
      import 
      sqrt 
      # Would also work, but hard to read: 
      # from random import randint; from math import sqrt 
      print 
      ( 
      randint 
      ( 
      0 
      , 
      5 
      )) 
      print 
      ( 
      sqrt 
      ( 
      25 
      )) 
     

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