[Feature Request] Improve compatibility between PromptFlow and Python modules with relative imports about promptflow HOT 7 OPEN

Added a long-term tag for this. I have a proposal to introduce a code field to flow's YAML. If user need to import outside of current working directory. They can set flow's code to base folder.

For example, a project organized like this

src/
    common/
    flow1/
    flow2/

The flow1 and flow2 can set code in flow YAML like this

code: path/to/src

But, you'll need to use absolute import like this

from common import xxx

instead of relative import like this

from .. import xxx

since we used multi-processing to execute flow and relative import may fail to find it's parent package.

from promptflow.

Hi @pamelafox , in our concept, flow should be self-contained. Which makes it easier to build flow snapshot and share from local to cloud. When flow has relative external imports, we could not build snapshot for it. But we can improve the error message to make it more friendly to customer.

from promptflow.

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from promptflow.

I think promptflow should be able to work with files that import other files, as most developers use modules in order to improve code reusability. If I can't bring in any other files, then I will have to needlessly repeat common code across parts of my codebase.

from promptflow.

blocked on the same issue.

from promptflow.

I'm blocked on this issue as well with 2 flows in the same project, both flows required shared code logic, and the VS Code extension were not able to import shared modules as Python nodes/tools.

Restructuring the project only works when just one flow at the root level.

from promptflow.

@MingStar , since it's currently prompt flow's by design behavior. A workaround would be put both of the flow files in root level like this. Let me know if it helps.

lib/
flow1/
flow2/
flow1.dag.yaml
flow2.dag.yaml

from promptflow.