ModuleNotFoundError when importing python file in main.py

[lennizle]

Hi there,
I am gratefully using mkdocs macros plugin for documentation my software project!

My idea was to get Table-definitions (e.g. stored in a list) from another python file in the source code and auto-parse it to html tables.

Now, when I include an import line at the main.py referencing such file I get a ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'utils'. It works neither with relative nor with absolute paths. It does neither work not in the same nor in different folders. Python processes the line in debug mode. But when I run $ mkdocs serve it throws that error. I can provide more information if needed.

Can you please help me solve this?

[fralau]

Sure!

First of all, have you listed the names of the macros you would like to implement? Did you create a main.py file, as required?

[lennizle]

Thank you for answering so quickly @fralau

Yes my main.py file is in the top directory and set up as ordinary as it can be: 3 import lines, then def define_env(env): and 1 function inside

So you if say it is generally possible to import files, do you maybe have a working example I can have a look at?

[fuchsst]

same problem
i have the following strucure (subfolders in the mkdocs project directory)

• macros
  • __init__.py
  • mymacro.py
  • util
    • helper1.py
    • helper2.py
    • __init__.py

the plugins.macros.module_name setting in the mkdocs.yml is macros/mymacro

in the macros/mymacro.py the first line imports the first util script
from util.helper1 import util_func

but on startup it complains

  File "/home/fuchsst/projects/mkdocs_test/macros/mymacro.py", line 1, in <module>
    from util.helper1 import util_func
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'util'

to me it looks like it doesn't treat it as a module?

[fralau]

I believe I see what's going on. According to the doc, what is imported is either a module (file) or a package. Hence your whole macros directory will be considered a package by mkdocs-macros; and within a package you must use relative imports:

from .util.helper1 import util_func

[fuchsst]

when i add the dot for relative import i get ImportError: attempted relative import with no known parent package

[lennizle]

+1

[lennizle]

Success to report!!! So if mkdocs.yml setting is a folder e.g. module_name: utils , the define_env() function is accessible through the __init__.py file. Now, in the init, imports from within the package utils need to be relative, outside of the folder absolute paths. It works 💯 . Thanks to all!

[fuchsst]

mh, when i refer to the folder and put the def define_env(env) in the __init__.py file i get
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'macros'

can you post a full example, so maybe i see then what i do wrong?

[lennizle]

mhh maybe put macros outside of docs folder. make sure next to __init__.py there is another file in the folder. This made it work in my case

[fuchsst]

it's parallel to the docs folder 🤔

[fralau]

What it tells me, is that I should put more information on file structure, on the modules page. 🤔

[fuchsst]

yeah, if you have a complete example, that would be great...don't get where i miss something
my plan is to have a couple of scripts in sub-folder of a macros folder that is located in the mkdocs project root. in there i have a main.py with the def define_env(env)...each call there is basically just a call of another def that resides in a python script in subfolders in the macros directory
but for some reason it doesn't find them. for now i can put just everything in one file, but i know it'll grow and become to big....

[fralau]

There are functioning examples provided with the source code, perhaps you could find indications in them?

[fuchsst]

not really, because none of the example python scripts has an import of another python file that is part of the project (only python standard libs like os)

[fralau]

@fuchsst Would you be able to offer a complete, minimal example of what you are trying to do? In that way, I could download and test it.

[lennizle]

@fuchsst how I managed to do it is as follows: (@fralau pls correct me if there is a smoother way)

macros
├── __init__.py
├── utils.py
├── model.py
└── logic.py

in init.py is the only def define_env(env) function across the repo. Within the @env.macros function you call functions that you import from other py files:

from .model import list_of_tables,meta_header,data_header
from .logic import create_zip_file
from .model import create_md_table

def define_env(env):
    @env.macro
    def download_as_xlsx():
        s = create_zip_file()
        return s

    @env.macro
    def create_tables():
        s = create_md_table(list_of_tables,meta_header,data_header,'pipe')
        return s

    ....

[fralau]

@lennizle That seems formally perfect to me, exactly as intended! If you agree, I would like to put your example in the documentation.