Using many names from a #Python module?

[reuven@fosstodon.org]

Using many names from a #Python module? Import them all:

from MODNAME import *

Wait: This is usually a TERRIBLE idea!

• Potential namespace collisions
• Less readable code
• Module upgrades affect globals in your program

I know, it's tempting — but don't!

[cazabon@mindly.social]

@Reuven

It's also a violation of the Zen of Python - "namespaces are one honking great idea -- let's do more of those"!

I'd also add that sometimes you want to do this within your own packages - like keeping all the magic constants in a sub-module, but you don't want to have to refer to them as `constants.foo` all through the rest of the code. In this case, use the `__all__` definition in constants.py to explicitly export only the names you want used this way.