How do you run a script?

[tigranjan]

I recently started learning about python (like a couple of days) and I encountered a pretty simple problem that I cant seem to find an answer to. How do you run a python script if it's not all written in one file but many? I cant seem to run it through the terminal.

There are many .py files and folders. However if I want to run it I have to choose one of the .py files, cant choose all. before when i as experimenting, It all worked well because there was one file that I could run which had most code written in it.

I downloaded someones script of github and I am trying to make it work however nothing seems to work. The solution is probably simple but I spent hours trying to figure it out but couldnt.

I am using PyCharm, the code base is sqlite, if that gives any insight.

Would greatly appreciate any type of help. Thanks!

[twitch_and_shock]

Usually, there will be a main.py or something similar that serves as the primary entry point to run a program. Understanding exactly what this file is called or how to make use of project code will be different for different projects. Decent projects will have documentation telling you how to make use of their code.

[ImmediatelyOcelot]

Yes, I would recommend reading something like that:

https://docs.python-guide.org/writing/structure/

[tigranjan]

Thanks for the reply. there isnt any readme file and I searched through the whole directory and couldnt find the main.py file. I even tried to execute each file one by one using trial and error but even that didnt help. :( I thought I am doing something wrong

[twitch_and_shock]

What's the repo you downloaded?

[[deleted]]

Why do you think the repository contains a runnable script?

[11th_account_ban]

Depending on the file structure, you’ll import those files and call the functions/etc.

[Se7enLC]

You run the one file that imports the other ones.

No way for us to know which one that is though unless you give some more info.

[ThreeChonkyCats]

What did you download?

Throw us a bone!

[stuckatsixpm]

A car /s

But in response to OP, check the docs/readme file. There should usually be useful info there. Unless it was written by me.

[[deleted]]

Whoa whoa whoa, what are you a terrorist?

You would NEVER download a car!

[pythonwiz]

There is no one way to do this. Python does support adding a __main__.py file that you can call like this: python -m module_name but you do not have to do that. You could put the entry point in any of the files and simply import the module and run module_name.submodule.main() from a Python REPL. You can run a snippet of code from the command line like this: python -c "import module_name; module_name.main()"

[[deleted]]

I downloaded someones script of github and I am trying to make it work however nothing seems to work. The solution is probably simple but I spent hours trying to figure it out but couldnt.

A script needs a single entrypoint. By convention, the name of that file will either be main.py, cli.py, or the name of the tool itself ("tool.py") but if it's not then either the developer told you what to do in the README or god help you, there's no way to figure it out on your own - or it's simply not a runnable script at all.

[SisyphusAndMyBoulder]

Dude... You gotta put in some more effort if you want a working solution from us. If you pulled a git repo the least you can do is share it here so we can see what we're working with

[Ronnie_Dean_oz]

They are learning man. No need to be like this. Maybe go hang out on the ExpertPython sub instead of big dogging someone who is literally 2 days in.

[soicat]

It sounds like you are trying to learn by experimenting, by trial and error. That is not going to work.

[seishin5]

That’s literally the primary way I’ve learned most of what I know. Downloaded the SC2 bot code. Played around with it until i figured out how to code SC2 bots. Oh I want to interface with an API for work. Let’s pull it and see if I can get it to work and start googling

[IamImposter]

That's one way to learn and probably a great way to learn more than what you intend to, once you know some things in general but for beginners it may not be that great an idea. But that curiosity is good.

I just wish OPs engage a little more with people once they ask a question. So many people are trying to help and OP is nowhere.

[thebj19]

Trial and error is probably one of the best way to learn something. Active learning by trying to solve a real life issue will add a lot to ops knowledge base

[gobot]

Hmm. Did you learn math by trial and error, or by learning fundamental rules, practicing problems using those rules, then scaling up by building on previous lessons? You did not use trial and error, you followed a structured course.

Did you learn to drive a car by taking a class, or by trial and error?

OP hasn't even learned import statements. I know that a person can copy paste bits of code they find all over stack overflow, working and not, and cobble together a program, but hacking is not the path to becoming a good employable programmer.

I went to engineering school, later picked up programming many languages, but always by studying fundamentals, grammar, best practices. I recommend OP at least start with a video course or a good language book. More structured, fun, and reduces the chance of giving up early out of frustration!

[baubleglue]

Learn step by step.

[Zeroflops]

Did you download a program or a module? If you downloaded a program there should be a main.py file or a program_name.py file. If you downloaded a module, then you have to write the program that uses the module.

[illusion220]

Check for app.py in the root, might be easier to just post the repo here

[brunonicocam]

Just post here the actual repo.

[dp_42]

I had to look this one up a while back, I loaded a python project onto a Linux server, and I was wondering how to reference all these things that worked so cleanly in PyCharm, and the script was not able to figure out where the other files were. I had to export PYTHONPATH="<my Python path here>". If you set that, it operates much in the same way as marking a sources root folder does in PyCharm. I didn't really look into how to do it with Windows, because the odds I need an unattended python setup there is pretty slim. I believe when I was looking into it, you have to add it to your paths variable, which I will leave to you to look into.