Python project/package root path detection.

Auto-magic project/package root path detection - from a child module file for Python libraries/projects.

It does this by detecting typical package/project root files/folders (e.g. .git, requirements.txt, etc.), but it can also be overriden easily if needed.

As a little bonus it exposes an optional helper for adding root path to the Python load path (sys.path) for resolving Python module import hell (which is terribly broken by design).

Install using pip:

pip install rootpath

Detect a project/package root path:

1. Assuming we have a python library/application project...

/home/me/projects
    └── py-foo
            └── foo
                └── utils
                    └── __init__.py
                    └── baz.py
                    └── say.py
                └── __init__.py
                └── bar.py
            README.md
            requirements.txt
            setup.py

foo/bar.py - top level package module

import rootpath

def bar():
    path = rootpath.detect()

    assert path == '/home/me/projects/py-foo'

    print('---')
    print('FILE:', __file__)
    print('ROOT:', path)
    print('---')

if __name__ == '__main__':
    bar()

foo/utils/baz.py - nested level package module (dependency)

import rootpath

def baz():
    path = rootpath.detect()

    assert path == '/home/me/projects/py-foo'

    print('---')
    print('FILE:', __file__)
    print('ROOT:', path)
    print('---')

if __name__ == '__main__':
    baz()

foo/utils/say.py - nested level package module (dependency)

import rootpath

def say():
    print('---')
    print('SAY: {0}'.format(rootpath.detect()))
    print('---')

if __name__ == '__main__':
    say()

2. Let's run the files individually - they should both with successful assertions and output accurately detected root paths...

$ cd /home/me/projects/py-foo

$ python ./foo/bar.py

---
FILE: /home/me/projects/py-foo/foo/bar.py
ROOT: /home/me/projects/py-foo
---

$ python ./foo/utils/baz.py

---
FILE: /home/me/projects/py-foo/foo/utils/baz.py
ROOT: /home/me/projects/py-foo
---

$ python ./foo/utils/say.py

---
SAY: /home/me/projects/py-foo
---

Using the above example code project as a reference, as and example to enable painless Python module imports:

1. Let's make use of the load path helper in the higher order modules...

foo/bar.py

import rootpath

# 1. prepends root path to `sys.path`
rootpath.append()

# 2. will import correctly without errors no matter if imported/executed from same path or any other system path - which is not true for the native Python 3 relative import
import foo.utils.say as say

def bar():
    say()

if __name__ == '__main__':
    bar()

foo/utils/baz.py

import rootpath

# 1. prepends root path to `sys.path`
rootpath.append()

# 2. will import correctly without errors no matter if imported/executed from same path or any other system path - which is not true for the native Python 3 relative import
import foo.utils.say as say

def baz():
    hello()

if __name__ == '__main__':
    baz()

2. Let's run the files individually - say module should be imported correctly without any errors from any module path namespace...

$ cd /home/me/projects/py-foo

$ python ./foo/bar.py

---
SAY: /home/me/projects/py-foo
---

$ python ./foo/utils/baz.py

---
SAY: /home/me/projects/py-foo
---

$ python ./foo/utils/say.py

---
SAY: /home/me/projects/py-foo
---

$ cd /home/me/projects/py-foo/foo

$ python ./bar.py
---
SAY: /home/me/projects/py-foo
---

$ python ./utils/baz.py
---
SAY: /home/me/projects/py-foo
---

$ python ./utils/say.py

---
SAY: /home/me/projects/py-foo
---

$ cd /home/me/projects/py-foo/foo/utils

$ python ./utils/baz.py

---
SAY: /home/me/projects/py-foo
---

$ python ./utils/say.py

---
SAY: /home/me/projects/py-foo
---

As stated earlier, the detection of the package/project's root directory is done by searching for typical package files (e.g. .git, requirements.txt, etc.).

To override this behavior and have rootpath use a different file for root detection, set the pattern kwarg to the desired filename.

rootpath(pattern='Pipfile')

This project was mainly initiated - in lack of well tested and reliable existing alternatives - to be used at our work at Markable.ai to have common code conventions between various programming environments where Python (research, CV, AI) is heavily used.

Released under the MIT license.