ImportError: cannot import name 'app'

[ybgirgin3]

mail_services.py cannot import app. I tried some much thing for this relative importing but nothing happend still getting this error

[IvanLjubicic]

I believe it is a circular dependency issue.

like in this one

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/17845366/importerror-cannot-import-name/17845428

I am dealing with it now.

[wadi-it-bc]

The probable workaround, I'm not very good at describing the solution, but I'll try:
Implement most of the app structure as done in https://github.com/miguelgrinberg/flasky

So we're trying to avoid the circular reference by:

• creating a new set up for the flask app
  • app.py won't be used any more
  • we'll implement create_app() as a function to define the app
• creating a new start up file to actually run the app by calling the create_app function

Steps:

• create and use __init__.py in your movie-bag folder to set up the flask app
  • move the code in app.py to __init__.py (double underscores before and after)
  • also use the create_app set up as shown in the flasky project, but without the additional parameters, just use
    def create_app():
app = Flask(__name__)
• remove (or rename) app.py: you won't be using it anymore
• edit mail_services.py: in stead of from app import app use from movie-bag import current_app
• you probably have to set FLASK_APP environment variable to 'movie-bag.py' for flask to get hold of the current_app as defined in __init__.py
  • linux: export $FLASK_APP='movie-bag.py'
  • windows (I think): SET FLASK_APP='movie-bag.py'
• run the app: python flasky.py (or in this case something like python movie-bag.py or python run.py)
  • this will include the actual call to the create_app in the previously created __init__.py
  • this file will be placed outside the movie-bag folder (1 level higher)

Don't get distracted by other code in this flasky project (although it's a great project to learn from), focus on getting the same structure.
This worked for me.
Good luck.

[chuck-tz]

@wadi-it-bc Could you please explain a bit what the two-sided double asterisks current_app do?

[wadi-it-bc]

@chuck-tz Argh, I made a typo, sorry!
I removed the asterisks 😳