Selective Import

Definition

Selective import is a feature in Python that allows you to import specific names or functions from a module, rather than importing the entire module. This can be useful for reducing the size of your code and improving its readability by only including the necessary components.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Selective import is a way to import specific names or functions from a module, rather than importing the entire module.
2. Selective import can improve code readability and reduce the size of your code by only including the necessary components.
3. Selective import can be used to avoid naming conflicts when working with multiple modules that have overlapping names.
4. Selective import can be combined with aliasing to give imported objects more meaningful names.
5. Selective import is a key concept in Python's module system, which allows for the organization and reuse of code.

Review Questions

• Explain how selective import can improve code readability and reduce the size of your code.
  • Selective import can improve code readability by allowing you to only import the specific names or functions that you need from a module, rather than importing the entire module. This can make your code more concise and easier to understand, as the reader can quickly see which parts of the module are being used. Additionally, by only importing the necessary components, you can reduce the overall size of your code, which can be beneficial for performance and maintainability.
• Describe how selective import can be used to avoid naming conflicts when working with multiple modules.
  • When working with multiple modules that have overlapping names for variables, functions, or other objects, selective import can be used to avoid naming conflicts. By importing only the specific names or functions that you need, you can ensure that there are no collisions between the different modules. This can be particularly useful when working with large, complex codebases or when using third-party libraries that may have similar naming conventions to your own code.
• Discuss how selective import can be combined with aliasing to give imported objects more meaningful names.
  • Selective import can be combined with aliasing to give imported objects more meaningful names. This can be useful when the original names of the imported objects are not intuitive or when you want to use a different name to better describe the object's purpose within your code. By using selective import to import the object and then aliasing it to a new name, you can improve the readability and maintainability of your code by using more descriptive variable and function names.

Related terms

Module: A module in Python is a file containing Python definitions and statements that can be imported into other programs.

Namespace: A namespace in Python is a naming system that allows different parts of a program to have their own names for variables, functions, and other objects without conflicting with each other.

Aliasing: Aliasing in Python allows you to give a different name to an imported object, which can be useful for avoiding naming conflicts or making your code more readable.