How to import a python file in python script more than once

Question

Is it possible to import a python file more than once in a python script because i run a loop back to my driver file in a function by using the import command but it only works once? thanks

edit: Resolved myself thanks

Answer 1

The easiest answer is to put the code you are trying to run inside a function like this

(inside your module that you are importing now):

def main():
    # All the code that currently does work goes in here 
    # rather than just in the module

(The module that does the importing)

import your_module #used to do the work

your_module.main() # now does the work (and you can call it multiple times)
# some other code
your_module.main() # do the work again

Answer 2

The import statement -- by definition -- only imports once.

You can, if you want, try to use execfile() (or eval()) to execute a separate file more than once.

Answer 3

You most probably should not use import for what you are trying to do.

Without further information I can only guess, but you should move the code in the module you import from the top level into a function, do the import once and than simply call the function from you loop.

Answer 4

While Tom Ley's answer is the correct approach, it is possible to import a module more than once, using the reload built-in.

module.py:
print "imported!"

>>> import module
imported!
>>> reload(module)
imported!
<module 'module' from 'module.pyc'>

Note that reload returns the module, allowing you to rebind it if necessary.