Local vs Global imports python

Question

I am not seeing an answer to this out there, so apologies if this is a duplicate. Basically, I am trying to understand how to force my interpreter (2.7) to import a module from site packages if there is a conflict. For example imagine you are running python from a directory (top_level) that has the following structure:

top_level
----cool_mod
    ----init.py
    ----sweet_module.py

but you have already installed sweet module to site packages. When in this directory (but no others) if you run:

from cool_mod.sweet_module import *

you will import from the local module, not the global one. Can I change this somehow?

This situation might arise from the case:

top_level

setup.py
----cool_mod
    ----init.py
    ----sweet_module.py

You can run cool_mod.sweet_module before installing if you working directory is top_level. But after installing you can import cool_mod.sweet_module from anywhere. However, if you ever import from this directory, even after installation, you still import the local copy

Answer 1

Inserting the site package directory at the begining of sys.path, and then import.

Or, use imp.load_source to load a module from specified path.