textutils

A small, installable Python package built to deeply understand Python modules, packages, and imports using professional development practices.

This project is intentionally minimal in features but complete in concepts.

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🎯 Purpose

The goal of this project is to gain a clear and correct mental model of:

• Python modules vs packages
• Absolute vs relative imports
• __init__.py and package namespaces
• __all__ and public APIs
• python -m execution
• Installable packages using pyproject.toml
• Editable installs (pip install -e .)
• Isolated development with virtual environments
• Proper testing imports with pytest

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📦 Package Structure

textutils_project/
│
├── textutils/
│ ├── init.py
│ ├── cleaner.py
│ └── analyzer.py
│
├── tests/
│ └── test_cleaner.py
│
├── pyproject.toml
├── README.md
├── main.py
└── .gitignore

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🚀 Installation (development mode)

python -m venv .venv
source .venv/Scripts/activate   # Windows (Git Bash)
pip install -e .

This installs the package in editable mode inside an isolated environment.

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🧪 Running Tests

pytest

Tests import the package the same way end users do — no path hacks.

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🧠 Key Learning Takeaways

• File paths do not define package context — execution mode does
• Relative imports depend on __package__, not sys.path
• python -m is required for running package modules correctly
• Installing a package removes dependency on the project root
• Tests should import packages exactly like real consumers

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📌 Why this project exists

This repository demonstrates how real Python libraries are structured, executed, tested, and versioned — even at a small scale.

The focus is on correctness, clarity, and professional workflow rather than unwanted complexity.

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License

MIT