Why Does Python Fail Relative Imports from a Package Directory When Using `python -m`?

Beyond Top-Level Package Error in Relative Import

A perplexing error occurs when attempting relative imports from a package's sub-modules when executed from within the package directory. Specifically, the error "ValueError: attempted relative import beyond top-level package" is encountered.

This error stems from Python's peculiar behavior of not recording the location from which a package was loaded. Consequently, when running a module using python -m package_name.module_name, the current working directory is not considered a package.

Therefore, a relative import attempt like from ..A import foo, which aims to access a module in a sibling directory, results in the error message. This is because Python lacks the necessary reference to the sibling directory.

In contrast, running the module using python -m package_name.package_submodule.module_name allows for successful resolution of the from ..A import foo import statement. In this case, Python retains knowledge of the parent directory, which makes accessing sibling directories possible.

It remains unclear why Python does not consider the current working directory as a package, despite its practical utility. This limitation can lead to confusion and unexpected errors when performing relative imports from within the package directory.

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