Create a PyCharm configuration that runs a module a la "python -m foo"
Question:
My python entrypoint needs to be run as a module (not a script), as in:
python -m foo.bar
The following does not work (and is not supposed to):
python foo/bar.py
How can I create a run confirguration in pycharm that runs my code using the first invokation above?
Answers:
According to man python, the -m option
-m module-name
Searches sys.path for the named module and runs the corresponding .py file as a script.
So most of the time you can just right-click on bar.py in the Project tool window and select Run bar.
If you really need to use the -m option, then specify it as an Interpreter option, with the module name as the Script in the Edit Configurations dialog:
There is a workaround I use for my scripts, which do use relative imports.
python -m actually invokes a script called runpy.py which is part of a standard Python installation. These two invocations are equivalent:
python -m my_module.a.b module_arguments
python python_lib_directory/runpy.py my_module.a.b module_arguments
Use the latter method to setup your Run/Debug Configuration:
Script: python_lib_directory/runpy.py
Script parameters: my_module.a.b module_arguments
Interpreter options: (leave blank, no -m required)
In PyCharm 2016 specifying -m without a script path doesn’t work, as they use a wrapper script that doesn’t accept the -m argument.
Here’s my solution, which works for run & debug configurations: https://github.com/amnong/misc/tree/master/pycharm_runner
Edit: I just read J. R. Petrus’s comment, and my solution is very similar. BTW I also tried to support proper entry points using pkg_resources, but for some reason pkg_resources.load_entry_point() could not find my project’s distribution…
IntelliJ IDEA / PyCharm 2017
Field “Script” is optional in the recent versions of JetBrains IDEs. Specifying -m foo.bar in “Script parameters” is enough:
In 2018.1 it is finally possible to specify the module name instead of the script path in the UI. There is a dropdown for changing it, to the left of the input field.
My python entrypoint needs to be run as a module (not a script), as in:
python -m foo.bar
The following does not work (and is not supposed to):
python foo/bar.py
How can I create a run confirguration in pycharm that runs my code using the first invokation above?
According to man python, the -m option
-m module-name
Searches sys.path for the named module and runs the corresponding .py file as a script.
So most of the time you can just right-click on bar.py in the Project tool window and select Run bar.
If you really need to use the -m option, then specify it as an Interpreter option, with the module name as the Script in the Edit Configurations dialog:
There is a workaround I use for my scripts, which do use relative imports.
python -m actually invokes a script called runpy.py which is part of a standard Python installation. These two invocations are equivalent:
python -m my_module.a.b module_arguments
python python_lib_directory/runpy.py my_module.a.b module_arguments
Use the latter method to setup your Run/Debug Configuration:
Script: python_lib_directory/runpy.py
Script parameters: my_module.a.b module_arguments
Interpreter options: (leave blank, no -m required)
In PyCharm 2016 specifying -m without a script path doesn’t work, as they use a wrapper script that doesn’t accept the -m argument.
Here’s my solution, which works for run & debug configurations: https://github.com/amnong/misc/tree/master/pycharm_runner
Edit: I just read J. R. Petrus’s comment, and my solution is very similar. BTW I also tried to support proper entry points using pkg_resources, but for some reason pkg_resources.load_entry_point() could not find my project’s distribution…
IntelliJ IDEA / PyCharm 2017
Field “Script” is optional in the recent versions of JetBrains IDEs. Specifying -m foo.bar in “Script parameters” is enough:
In 2018.1 it is finally possible to specify the module name instead of the script path in the UI. There is a dropdown for changing it, to the left of the input field.