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<qhelp>

<overview>

<p>A cyclic import is an <code>import</code> which imports another module

and that module imports (possibly indirectly) the module which contains the

<code>import</code> statement.</p>

<p>Cyclic imports indicate that two modules are circularly dependent. This means

that the modules cannot be tested independently, and it makes it harder to

understand the architecture of the system.

</p>

</overview>

<recommendation>

<p>The cycle may be broken by removing any one import. If only one function or

method requires the import, then consider moving that to the other module and

deleting the import. If the two modules are more intimately connected, then move

the inter-dependent parts into a third module and have both the original modules

import that.

</p>

</recommendation>

<references>

<li>Python Language Reference: <a href="http://docs.python.org/2/reference/simple_stmts.html#import">The import statement</a>.</li>

<li>Python: <a href="http://docs.python.org/2/tutorial/modules.html">Modules</a>.</li>

<li> Effbot: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200917011425/https://effbot.org/zone/import-confusion.htm">Import Confusion</a>.</li>

</references>

</qhelp>