ModuleNotFoundError: Import a Module from Same Directory Does Not Work

Cannot import my own module when running script in Spyder

Problem Description

Importing a module from the same working directory raises error

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named ...

What steps reproduce the problem?

1. in a test folder there two python file test.py and mod01.py. test imports mod01
2. start Spyder, open test, run test, everything works no error
3. add a new module in the same directory mod02.py and import from test
4. run test, you see the error ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'mod02'
5. close spyder, reopen it
6. run test, everything works fine!!!

Another workaround instead of step 5, just Restart IPython Kernel, again running test produces no error

See discussion here: stackoverflow

What is the expected output? What do you see instead?

I expect adding module in a Spyder session to the same working directory can be imported in my test file! I do not expect to have to restart Spyder or Ipython kernel! If I work with IDLE, I have not such problem.

The content of test and module files

• test.py

import mod01
import mod02

print('works?')

• mod01.py

a=1

• mod02.py

b=1

Versions

• Spyder version: 5.1.2
• Python version: 3.7.9
• Qt version:
• PyQt version:
• Operating System name/version: Windows 10

Dependencies

# Mandatory:
atomicwrites >=1.2.0          :  1.4.0 (OK)
chardet >=2.0.0               :  4.0.0 (OK)
cloudpickle >=0.5.0           :  1.6.0 (OK)
cookiecutter >=1.6.0          :  1.7.2 (OK)
diff_match_patch >=20181111   :  20200713 (OK)
intervaltree >=3.0.2          :  3.1.0 (OK)
IPython >=7.6.0               :  7.27.0 (OK)
jedi >=0.17.2;<0.19.0         :  0.17.2 (OK)
jsonschema >=3.2.0            :  3.2.0 (OK)
keyring >=17.0.0              :  21.8.0 (OK)
nbconvert >=4.0               :  6.0.7 (OK)
numpydoc >=0.6.0              :  1.1.0 (OK)
paramiko >=2.4.0              :  2.7.2 (OK)
parso >=0.7.0;<0.9.0          :  0.7.0 (OK)
pexpect >=4.4.0               :  4.8.0 (OK)
pickleshare >=0.4             :  0.7.5 (OK)
psutil >=5.3                  :  5.8.0 (OK)
pygments >=2.0                :  2.7.4 (OK)
pylint >=2.5.0;<2.10.0        :  2.6.0 (OK)
pyls_spyder >=0.4.0           :  0.4.0 (OK)
pylsp >=1.2.2;<1.3.0          :  1.2.2 (OK)
pylsp_black >=1.0.0           :  None (OK)
qdarkstyle =3.0.2             :  3.0.2 (OK)
qstylizer >=0.1.10            :  0.1.10 (OK)
qtawesome >=1.0.2             :  1.0.2 (OK)
qtconsole >=5.1.0             :  5.1.0 (OK)
qtpy >=1.5.0                  :  1.9.0 (OK)
rtree >=0.9.7                 :  0.9.7 (OK)
setuptools >=49.6.0           :  57.4.0 (OK)
sphinx >=0.6.6                :  3.4.3 (OK)
spyder_kernels >=2.1.1;<2.2.0 :  2.1.1 (OK)
textdistance >=4.2.0          :  4.2.0 (OK)
three_merge >=0.1.1           :  0.1.1 (OK)
watchdog >=0.10.3             :  1.0.2 (OK)
zmq >=17                      :  21.0.1 (OK)

# Optional:
cython >=0.21                 :  None (OK)
matplotlib >=2.0.0            :  3.4.3 (OK)
numpy >=1.7                   :  1.21.2 (OK)
pandas >=1.1.1                :  1.3.1 (OK)
scipy >=0.17.0                :  1.7.1 (OK)
sympy >=0.7.3                 :  1.8 (OK)

[kookma]

@dalthviz - sorry for late reply. I totally missed this! Yes in Spyder 5.1.5 the problem has been solved! Much appreciated!

[Poikilos]

If you found this issue like I did but the reason for the error is that you can’t import a module from a different site-packages directory, you must change your Python interpreter in preferences to the one used to install the package (Editing PYTHONPATH isn’t the solution in this case–See Issue adding site-packages directory to PYTHONPATH in Spyder on StackOverflow).