How Can I Efficiently Read Static Files Within My Python Packages?

Reading Static Files within Python Packages

Introduction

Reading files within Python packages can be challenging, especially when it comes to accessing static files that are not part of the code itself. This article explores two methods for achieving this: using the pkg_resources module and the newer importlib.resources module.

Method 1: Using pkg_resources from setuptools

The pkg_resources module from the setuptools distribution is a traditional approach for accessing resources within packages. However, it is less performant than newer methods.

import pkg_resources

# Resource package and path
resource_package = __name__
resource_path = '/'.join(('templates', 'temp_file'))

# Get the resource as a string or stream
template = pkg_resources.resource_string(resource_package, resource_path)
# or
template = pkg_resources.resource_stream(resource_package, resource_path)

Method 2: Using importlib.resources for Python >= 3.7

For Python versions 3.7 and above, the importlib.resources module provides a more efficient and intuitive way to access resources.

from importlib import resources

# Resource package (must be a package)
resource_package = __name__ + '.templates'

# Get the resource as a file object (or stream)
inp_file = resources.files(resource_package) / 'temp_file'
with inp_file.open("rt") as f:
    template = f.read()

Performance and Compatibility Considerations

The importlib.resources method is significantly faster than pkg_resources. Additionally, it is safer and more intuitive because it relies on Python packages rather than path strings. For Python versions less than 3.7, a backported importlib.resources library can be used.

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