I'm curious about why Python doesn't have a built-in export function to make parts of files, like functions or classes, accessible to other files or folders. Is this because of issues with circular imports? It seems like we have to import elements every single time we want to use them in another file. What's the reasoning behind this?
5 Answers
You can actually define exports in Python using `__all__` in your `__init__.py` file. This lets you control what gets imported when you use the `from module import *` syntax, making things a bit more manageable.
Python takes this approach because it emphasizes clarity and explicitness. Essentially, nothing is really private, and if you want to use something from another module, you can just import it directly. This is preferable to automatically importing everything, which can lead to confusion.
Everything in Python is accessible, but that doesn't mean it will automatically work in another module without importing it. This way of declaring dependencies is important for understanding the code structure. You won't find any language trying to auto-export stuff into another namespace as that can get pretty chaotic!
In Python, the `import` statement works like this: it tells the interpreter to go to a specific file and retrieve everything or just the parts you want. You always need to specify what to import from another file, which is just how Python is designed.
Totally! Also, there's a Python feature that can help if you want to limit what gets exported; it's called `__init__.py`! You can use that to manage imports better.
Interestingly, most major programming languages, including C, C++, and Java, don’t have an export function either. Speaking of which, they operate under similar principles when it comes to module importing.
Yeah, but you can't ignore JavaScript! It allows exports, and many developers find that feature useful.
Well, JavaScript does things differently, and it does have its own quirks!