Core Python Programming (2nd Edition)

It is possible to import specific module elements into your own module. By this, we really mean
importing specific names from the module into the current namespace. For this purpose, we can use the
from-import statement, whose syntax is:
from module import name1[, name2[,... nameN]]
12.4.3. Multi-Line Import
The multi-line import feature was added in Python 2.4 specifically for long from-import statements.
When importing many attributes from the same module, import lines of code tend to get long and wrap,
requiring a NEWLINE-escaping backslash. Here is the example imported (pun intended) directly from
PEP 328:
from Tkinter import Tk, Frame, Button, Entry, Canvas, \
Text, LEFT, DISABLED, NORMAL, RIDGE, END
Your other option is to have multiple from-import statements:
from Tkinter import Tk, Frame, Button, Entry, Canvas, Text
from Tkinter import LEFT, DISABLED, NORMAL, RIDGE, END
We are also trying to stem usage on the unfavored from Tkinter import * (see the Core Style sidebar in
Section 12.5.3). Instead, programmers should be free to use Python's standard grouping mechanism
(parentheses) to create a more reasonable multi-line import statement:
from Tkinter import (Tk, Frame, Button, Entry, Canvas,
Text, LEFT, DISABLED, NORMAL, RIDGE, END)
You can find out more about multi-line imports in the documentation or in PEP 328.
12.4.4. Extended Import Statement (as)
There are times when you are importing either a module or module attribute with a name that you are
already using in your application, or perhaps it is a name that you do not want to use. Maybe the name
is too long to type everywhere, or more subjectively, perhaps it is a name that you just plain do not like.
This had been a fairly common request from Python programmers: the ability to import modules and
module attributes into a program using names other than their original given names. One common