Using importlib for cases like from x import *

Question

How do I use importlib for dynamically reloading modules earlier imported as:

from my_module import *
import some_module as sm

The documentation gives example for plain imports like:

import my_module

as

importlib.reload('my_module')

version: Python 3.4

Answer 1

from my_module import * creates references to all names in my_module not starting with an underscore, or, if present, all names in the my_module.__all__ sequence.

You'll have to re-create that same rebinding after a importlib.reload() call:

def reload_imported_names(module_name, globals, *names):
    """Reload module and rebind imported names.

    If no names are given, rebind all names exported by the module

    """
    importlib.reload(module_name)
    module = sys.modules[module_name]
    if not names:
        names = getattr(module, '__all__', 
                        (n for n in dir(module) if n[0] != '_'))
    for name in names:
        globals[name] = getattr(module, name)

where globals should be a reference to the globals of the module where you used from module_name import *. Within that module itself you can use the globals() function to access that dictionary.

The function support both the from my_module import * case, and the from my_module import foo, bar cases:

reload_imported_names('my_module', globals())  # import *
reload_imported_names('my_module', globals(), 'foo', 'bar')  # import foo, bar