Factor out "get a module-level object from a dotted path" function

[Carl Meyer]

We've got importlib.import_module, but we're missing a higher-level function that would take "x.y.z.foo" (and maybe a fallback default?) and return the actual object "foo" from the "x.y.z" module. Instead we've got the same .rsplit(1) code duplicated everywhere we need to do this.

One implementation we could steal is here: ​https://github.com/erikrose/django-tidings/blob/master/tidings/utils.py#L144

I was sure there was already a ticket for this, but can't seem to find it, so maybe I was wrong...

[Claude Paroz]

26 files changed, 133 insertions(+), 273 deletions(-)

[Claude Paroz]

Updated to current trunk

[Claude Paroz]

My last doubt is about the name of the function. I've initially chosen import_module_from_path, but should we name it import_object_from_path orimport_attribute_from_path as the imported name is not the module itself, but an attribute of the module (variable, function, class, ...)?

[Carl Meyer]

Replying to claudep:

My last doubt is about the name of the function. I've initially chosen import_module_from_path, but should we name it import_object_from_path orimport_attribute_from_path as the imported name is not the module itself, but an attribute of the module (variable, function, class, ...)?

How about just import_from_path or import_by_path - since we really don't know what type of thing we are importing.

[Claude Paroz]

Oh, yes, I like import_by_path.

[Claude Paroz <claude@…>]

In 7c5b244826be636429791a8ca76b2adc678e82e7:

Fixed #17061 -- Factored out importing object from a dotted path

Thanks Carl Meyer for the report.