Importing Modules

 

Python comes with a large number of built-in functions. These functions are saved in files known as modules. To use the built-in codes in Python modules, we have to import them into our programs first. We do that by using the import keyword. There are three ways to do it.

 

The first way is to import the entire module by writing import moduleName.

 

For instance, to import the random module, we write import random.

To use the randrange() function in the random module, we write

random.randrange(1, 10).

 

If you find it too troublesome to write random each time you use the function, you can import the module by writing import random as r (where r is any name of your choice). Now to use the randrange() function, you simply write r.randrange(1, 10).

 

The third way to import modules is to import specific functions from the module by writing

from moduleName import name1[, name2[, ... nameN]].

 

For instance, to import the randrange() function from the random module, we write from random import randrange. If we want to import more than one functions, we separate them with a comma. To import the randrange() and randint() functions, we write from random import randrange, randint. To use the function now, we do not have to use the dot notation anymore. Just write randrange(1, 10).