Dynamic class loading in Python 2.6: RuntimeWarning: Parent module 'plugins' not found while handling absolute import

If the plugins directory does not have an __init__.py, it isn't a package, so when you create plugins.whatever, Python warns you that such a thing shouldn't really exist. (It couldn't be created by "import plugins.whatever" no matter what your path is.)

Also,

• Don't split on /, which is unportable. Use os.path.split.
• Don't use .split(".py") to get the name without the extension, which is buggy. Use os.path.splitext.
• Don't use getattr with a string literal. getattr(plugin, "__init__") is spelled plugin.__init__.
• I am confused why you are calling a module-level __init__ function. This doesn't seem right. Perhaps you want a "set_logger" function or better, to instantiate a class that takes a logger.
• Don't use L = L + some_other_list to extend a list, use the extend method, which has better performance and is more idiomatic.
• Don't squash unknown exceptions by except Exception. If you cannot plan to do something sane in response to an exception, your program cannot go on sanely.

If the directory plugins were a real package (contained __init__.py fine), you could easily use pkgutils to enumerate its plugin files and load them.

import pkgutil# import our packageimport pluginslist(pkgutil.iter_modules(plugins.__path__))

However, it can work without a plugin package anyway, try this:

import pkgutillist(pkgutil.iter_modules(["plugins"]))

Also it is possible to make a package that only exists at runtime:

import typesimport sysplugins = types.ModuleType("plugins")plugins.__path__ = ["plugins"]sys.modules["plugins"] = pluginsimport plugins.testplugin

However that hack that was mostly for fun!

The problem here is with the dot ('.') in the module name:

imp.load_module('plugins.'+name, f, file, desc)

Don't include a '.' after 'plugins', or Python will think it's a module path.