__import__ Query

[kaarthikeyapreyan]

Query about the __import__ function

~pwd
/home/preyan/test
~ls
sample.py
~python
>>> mod=__import__('sample')
>>> amod=__import__('/home/preyan/test/sample')
>>>

both the imports were fine but, when i did this

# /home/preyan/mypro.py
mod='sample'
os.chdir('/home/preyan/test')
module=__import__(mod)
 
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/preyan/mypro.py", line 3, in <module>
    module=__import__(mod)
ImportError: No module named sample

my python version
Python 2.5.2 (r252:60911, Apr 21 2008, 11:12:42)
[GCC 4.2.3 (Ubuntu 4.2.3-2ubuntu7)] on linux2
why is that am not able to import ?.

[bvdet]

I don't know why you are getting the ImportError. Function __import__() is a low-level interface to the module loader, and does not perform all the steps performed by an import statement. The local namespace is not updated with names referring to objects contained within the module.

import foo
# is equivalent to
__import__('foo', globals(), locals(), [])

HTH

[kaarthikeyapreyan]

@bvdet
I have tried the above statement too but in vain.
the problem here is that if the interpreter is able to import it when its in the command line why is it not able to do it when it is inside a script.