How to include json in executable file by pyinstaller

Question

Tried to build specs.spec file with the following, to include a JSON file within the executable file.

block_cipher = None

added_files = [
         ( 'configREs.json', '.'),  # Loads the '' file from
                                    # your root folder and outputs it with
                                    # the same name on the same place.
         ]


a = Analysis(['gui.pyw'],
             pathex=['D:\\OneDrive\\Programming\\Python Projects\\Python'],
             binaries=[],
             datas=added_files,
             hiddenimports=[],
             hookspath=[],
             runtime_hooks=[],
             excludes=[],
             win_no_prefer_redirects=False,
             win_private_assemblies=False,
             cipher=block_cipher)
pyz = PYZ(a.pure, a.zipped_data,
             cipher=block_cipher)
exe = EXE(pyz,
          a.scripts,
          exclude_binaries=True,
          name='name here',
          debug=False,
          strip=False,
          upx=True,
          console=False, icon='iconname.ico', version='version.rc' )
coll = COLLECT(exe,
               a.binaries,
               a.zipfiles,
               a.datas,
               strip=False,
               upx=True,
               name='gui')

just like Clint recommended in add json file with pysintaller

BUT not working.

1. Build spec file like so in the cmd - pyi-makespec specs.py
2. Then build Executable - pyinstaller.exe --onefile --windowed --icon=logo1.ico script.py
3. NOT WORKING without the JSON file placed in the same directory as the executable file
4. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

After you add your files with add-data flag, on runtime those would be extracted into a temp directory like C:/User/Appdata/local/temp/_MEIXXX, so you need to load the files from this directory.

You can use sys._MEIPASS to get the current temp directory and load your file from there.

import os
import sys


def resource_path(relative_path):
    if hasattr(sys, '_MEIPASS'):
        return os.path.join(sys._MEIPASS, relative_path)
    return os.path.join(os.path.abspath("."), relative_path)


if __name__ == "__main__":
    scope = ['https://spreadsheets.google.com/feeds',
             'https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive']
    credentials = ServiceAccountCredentials.from_json_keyfile_name(
        resource_path('configREs-.json'), scope)
    client = gspread.authorize(credentials)

Then generate your executable adding the --add-data flag:

--add-data <SRC;DEST or SRC:DEST>

Additional non-binary files or folders to be added to the executable. The path separator is platform specific, os.pathsep (which is ; on Windows and : on most unix systems) is used. This option can be used multiple times.

# The path separator is ; on Windows and : on most unix systems
pyinstaller -F --add-data "configREs.json;." script.py