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sys.path

modules

The list of directories Python searches for modules on import. It can be modified to add paths of your own.

Syntax

sys.path  # list[str]

The first entry is the directory of the script being run, so your own random.py or json.py sitting next to the code will shadow the standard module — the classic cause of a baffling AttributeError like "module 'random' has no attribute 'randint'". Editing sys.path only affects the current process and is a workaround: for a lasting fix install the package (pip install -e .) or set PYTHONPATH.

Examples

import sys
print(sys.path[:2])  # → ? каталог скрипта и пути стандартной библиотеки
sys.path.append('/my/modules')  # искать модули ещё и здесь — в последнюю очередь
sys.path.insert(0, '/priority/path')  # искать здесь в первую очередь
print(sys.path[0])  # → /priority/path

See also

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