Flake8 Import Order Plugin

0.19.2 · active · verified Sat Apr 11

A Flake8 and Pylama plugin that checks the ordering of import statements in Python code. It ensures imports are grouped (standard library, third-party, local) and typically alphabetized within groups, though the exact rules depend on the configured style. The current version is 0.19.2, and it maintains an active release cadence with regular updates.

Warnings

breaking Version 0.19.0 dropped support for Python 3.7 and 3.8. Ensure your Python environment is 3.9+ when upgrading to 0.19.0 or newer.
Fix: Upgrade Python to 3.9 or newer, or pin `flake8-import-order<0.19.0` for older Python versions.
gotcha For correct classification of local application imports, you *must* configure `application-import-names` and optionally `application-package-names` in your Flake8 configuration. Without this, your own modules might be incorrectly flagged as third-party.
Fix: Add `application-import-names = your_app_name1,your_app_name2` to your Flake8 config (e.g., `.flake8` or `pyproject.toml`).
gotcha The standard library module list used for classification is vendored and static across all Python versions. This might lead to incorrect classifications if your specific Python environment has a different set of standard library modules (e.g., very old or very new Python versions).
Fix: Be aware of this limitation; for edge cases, manual `noqa` comments might be necessary.
gotcha The plugin primarily checks module-scope imports. Conditional imports (e.g., inside `if` blocks) are generally ignored, with the exception of imports within `if TYPE_CHECKING:` blocks.
Fix: Structure your code to place imports at module scope where possible. Manual review is needed for complex conditional import patterns.

Install

pip install flake8-import-order Install via pip

Imports

N/A
```
N/A
```
flake8-import-order is a plugin for Flake8; it is not typically imported directly in Python code. Its functionality is enabled and configured via Flake8's configuration files (e.g., .flake8, pyproject.toml).

Quickstart

Install the plugin, then configure Flake8 to use a specific import order style and define your application's import names. Run `flake8` on your Python files to see import order violations.

# 1. Create a Python file (e.g., my_module.py):
#    import os
#    import pytest
#    from my_app import utils
#    import sys
#
# 2. Create a Flake8 configuration file (e.g., .flake8):
#    [flake8]
#    import-order-style = google
#    application-import-names = my_app,my_other_app

# To run the check:
# flake8 my_module.py
#
# Expected output for the example above:
# my_module.py:2:1: I100 Your import statements are in the wrong order.
# my_module.py:3:1: I201 Missing newline between import groups.

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