Flask: ModuleNotFoundError when use `flask run` but able to run app using `python app.py`

Question

I can run my flask app using python app.py however if I try flask run or flask shell I get the following error:

(venv) C:\Users\Arrchana\PycharmProjects\ie-backend>flask run
 * Serving Flask app "app.py"
 * Environment: production
   WARNING: This is a development server. Do not use it in a production deployment.
   Use a production WSGI server instead.
 * Debug mode: off
Usage: flask run [OPTIONS]

Error: While importing "ie-backend.app", an ImportError was raised:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "c:\users\arrchana\pycharmprojects\ie-backend\venv\lib\site-packages\flask\cli.py", line 240, in locate_app
    __import__(module_name)
  File "C:\Users\Arrchana\PycharmProjects\ie-backend\app.py", line 3, in <module>
    from routes import api_dev
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'routes'

This is my application structure (some files and modules are missing):

ie-backend/
    appInits/
        __init__.py
        dp.py
    models/
        __init__.py
        user.py
    app.py
    config.py
    routes.py

I have no issues importing config in app.py however, I get the ModuleNotFoundError when trying to import routes, appInits and models. I get the same error when I run flask shell.

My app.py file looks like the following:

from flask import Flask
from config import Config
from flask_script import Manager
from flask_migrate import MigrateCommand

from routes import api_dev
from appInits.db import db
from appInits import jwt

from models.user import UserModel

app = Flask(__name__)
app.config.from_object(Config)

app.register_blueprint(api_dev, url_prefix='/dev')

db.init_app(app)

migrate = Migrate(app, db)
manager = Manager(app)
manager.add_command('db', MigrateCommand)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    app.run(debug=Config.DEBUG)

I have no circular imports in routes, etc. My FLASK_APP=app.py.

Can you put full trace back so that any one could get it and help — Codenewbie
can you use any of the other flask commands? Is it just run that's not working? what do you get when you run flask shell? — mkturner

Anthony Leotta Anthony Leotta · Accepted Answer · 2020-04-10T16:06:33

Add __init__.py under ie-backend

Add . in front of imports

from .routes import api_dev
from .appInits.db import db
from .appInits import jwt

Flask: ModuleNotFoundError when use `flask run` but able to run app using `python app.py`

2 Answers