How Do `__import__` and `importlib.import_module` Differ When Importing Modules from Strings in Python?

Different Outcomes Using "__import__" and Import Statement for Importing Modules from Strings

When working with nested libraries, a common task is to dynamically import submodules using a string variable as the import path. However, the "__import__" function can yield different results compared to a typical import statement.

In your example, when using "__import__" without specifying the "fromlist" argument:

i = __import__('matplotlib.text')

the imported module i includes both the base matplotlib module and something additional. To specifically import the matplotlib.text submodule, you can modify the code to:

i = __import__('matplotlib.text', fromlist=[''])

In Python 3.1 or later, you can also use the importlib module:

import importlib

i = importlib.import_module("matplotlib.text")

Here are a few additional notes to consider:

• For importing modules from sub-folders, the import path should be specified accordingly. For example, to import email.py from the feature sub-folder, use:

importlib.import_module("feature.email")

• Before Python 3.3, it was mandatory to have an __init__.py file in the folder containing the module being imported. This is no longer required as of Python 3.3.

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