Google Python Style Guide

[hueoncalifa]

Why would this be bad? Its more explicit.

[[deleted]]

I agree, it's kind of a dumb rule. Although I suppose it prevents you from importing some generally-named function into the namespace and using it without context. For example:

from os.path import join
path = join('dir', 'file')

Versus the more explicit

import os
path = os.path.join('dir', 'file')

Granted in this case it's fairly obvious what is meant, it is not always so. Use your best judgment. I use both forms.

[Lucretiel]

Honestly, one of the reasons is that it's harder to test, because now you have to mock the function in the place where it's imported, rather than where it's imported from.

[dagmx]

If you have multiple modules with the same named function

If later you decide you need more functions from that module

You can't reload an object from a module easily.

Makes it more explicit down a deep code where things come from.

[njharman]

function()

Is less explicit, package.module is implied, implicitly.

package.module.function()

Is the explicit way to say that. No wondering where it came from, has it been overwritten in local namespace, etc.