Re: [Python-Dev] Proposed Python api for testing whether a module exists

On Mon, 2004-08-02 at 12:32, Jim Fulton wrote:

I propose to add the following function to the imp module:

exists(module_name)

Test whether the named module can be found.

This method should be used when you want to perform alternate actions depending on whether a module is available.

Returns True of the module can be found and False otherwise. A True return value does not guarentee that the module will be importable. The module will not be imported as a result of calling exists, but parent modules may be.

If a dotted module name is given, then parent modules will be imported if they haven't already been imported.

+1, but shouldn't "parent module" really be spelled "parent package"? -Barry