# Why are files in other folder being loaded instead of the files in the current folder?

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/why-are-files-in-other-folder-being-loaded-instead-of-the-files-in-the-current-folder/69144>\
**Category:** New to Julia\
**Created:** [October 3, 2021, 4:02pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/why-are-files-in-other-folder-being-loaded-instead-of-the-files-in-the-current-folder/69144 "2021-10-03T16:02:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Soldalma](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/soldalma/32/29388_2.png) [@Soldalma](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Soldalma)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2021, 4:02pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/why-are-files-in-other-folder-being-loaded-instead-of-the-files-in-the-current-folder/69144/1 "2021-10-03T16:02:41Z")

</div>

My project directory was a little crowded and I decided to start a project from scratch in another directory nearby. I followed these steps.

1. Created a new project folder `C:\Dropbox\Code\Julia\Model` by running

`generate "C:/Dropbox/Code/Julia/Model"`

in the pkg REPL.

My old project was in `C:\Dropbox\Code\Julia\demo`.

1. Added a couple of packages using the pkg REPL. The packages show up when I type `status` in the pkg REPL.

2. Copied some of the files from the old project folder into `"C:/Dropbox/Code/Julia/Model/src"`. (I was not sure about the `src` folder but it seemed reasonable the files should be there).

3. One of the files in the old and new projects does not have a `module` statement anywhere. Its name is `MyProgram.jl`. I run the project by selecting this file in VSCode and then hitting F5 or Ctrl+F5.

While doing this I got strange crashes. After trying many things I discovered the following:

a) At some point a function that is defined in another module, named `ModelFunctions.jl` (which is properly imported with `import ModelFunctions` into `MyProgram.jl`) is called with the command

`ModelFunctions.optimize(some parameters)`.

b) The code in the old `ModelFunctions.jl` (meaning the file in the old project `C:\Dropbox\Code\Julia\demo\src`) is being executed, even though I am starting the program by hitting F5 while the file `C:\Dropbox\Code\Julia\Model\MyProgram.jl` is active on the screen. (There is a rectangular box around its name)

c) The code in the new `ModelFunctions.jl` in `C:\Dropbox\Code\Julia\Model\src` is not executed

d) I could not find anything in `Project.toml` or `Manifest.toml` that could be inducing this behavior.

e) Including

```nohighlight
Pkg.activate("C:/Dropbox/Code/Julia/Model")

```

at the top of `"C:/Dropbox/Code/Julia/Model/src/MyProgram.jl"` did not help even though there was a message stating the project was activated.

f) Adding the line

`cd("C:\\Dropbox\\Code\\Julia\\Model\\src")`

to `"C:/Dropbox/Code/Julia/Model/src/MyProgram.jl"` did not help either.

Can anyone suggest a way to have the “right” file be executed? Thanks in advance.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bernhard](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/bernhard/32/2619_2.png) [@bernhard](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/bernhard)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2021, 7:16pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/why-are-files-in-other-folder-being-loaded-instead-of-the-files-in-the-current-folder/69144/2 "2021-10-03T19:16:14Z")

</div>

> [@Soldalma](#):
>
> import ModelFunctions

What is the value of the variable LOAD\_PATH ?  
It will determine which source file is executed by import ModelFunctions

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Soldalma](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/soldalma/32/29388_2.png) [@Soldalma](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Soldalma)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2021, 8:07pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/why-are-files-in-other-folder-being-loaded-instead-of-the-files-in-the-current-folder/69144/3 "2021-10-03T20:07:01Z")

</div>

Thanks for the suggestion. I added the variable `LOAD_PATH` with contents `C:\Dropbox\Code\Julia\Model` to both the User and System variables and rebooted the computer. Nothing changed: the file in the `Julia\demo\src` folder continues to load when I run the program. Here is the error message:

````julia
Stacktrace:
  [1] SubDataFrame
    @ C:\Users\fsald\.julia\packages\DataFrames\vuMM8\src\subdataframe\subdataframe.jl:78 [inlined]
  [2] view(adf::DataFrames.DataFrame, rowinds::UnitRange{Int64}, colinds::Colon)
    @ DataFrames C:\Users\fsald\.julia\packages\DataFrames\vuMM8\src\subdataframe\subdataframe.jl:136
  [3] calculate_statistic(model_dict::Dict{String, Any}, i_parameter::Tuple{Int64, Dict{String, Int64}}, indexes::UnitRange{Int64}, report_progress::Bool, verbose::Bool)
    @ ModelFunctions C:\Dropbox\Code\Julia\demo\src\ModelFunctions.jl:52
  [4] calc_stat
    @ C:\Dropbox\Code\Julia\demo\src\ModelFunctions.jl:114 [inlined]
  [5] iterate
    @ .\generator.jl:47 [inlined]
  [6] collect(itr::Base.Generator{Base.Iterators.Enumerate{Vector{Dict{String, Int64}}}, ModelFunctions.var"#calc_stat#13"{Bool, Bool, Dict{String, Any}, UnitRange{Int64}}})
    @ Base .\array.jl:678
  [7] optimize(model_dict::Dict{String, Any}; parallel::Bool, report_progress::Bool, verbose::Bool)
    @ ModelFunctions C:\Dropbox\Code\Julia\demo\src\ModelFunctions.jl:132
  [8] top-level scope
    @ c:\Dropbox\Code\Julia\Model\src\MyProgram.jl:93
  [9] include(fname::String)
    @ Base.MainInclude .\client.jl:444
 [10] startdebug(socket::Base.PipeEndpoint, error_handler::VSCodeDebugger.var"#3#4"{Tuple{String, String}})
    @ VSCodeDebugger.DebugAdapter c:\Users\fsald\.vscode\extensions\julialang.language-julia-1.4.3\scripts\packages\DebugAdapter\src\packagedef.jl:93
 [11] startdebugger()
    @ VSCodeDebugger c:\Users\fsald\.vscode\extensions\julialang.language-julia-1.4.3\scripts\packages\VSCodeDebugger\src\VSCodeDebugger.jl:38
 [12] top-level scope
    @ c:\Users\fsald\.vscode\extensions\julialang.language-julia-1.4.3\scripts\debugger\run_debugger.jl:9
in expression starting at c:\Dropbox\Code\Julia\Model\src\MyProgram.jl:93

Julia debuggee finished. Press ENTER to close this terminal.```

Is there a way to debug the ```import``` statement and find why it is importing the file from the ```Julia\demo\src``` folder and not from the ```Julia\Model\src``` folder?
````

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Soldalma](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/soldalma/32/29388_2.png) [@Soldalma](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Soldalma)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2021, 12:59am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/why-are-files-in-other-folder-being-loaded-instead-of-the-files-in-the-current-folder/69144/4 "2021-10-04T00:59:19Z")

</div>

I managed to find how to use the code in modules. For the benefit of those who may find themselves in a similar predicament, here are three steps:

a) Have an `include` statement for each one of your files with modules. If these files are in the `src` directory you need something like

`include("./MyModule.jl")`

There is no need to add `src` to the path.

b) For each file add something like

`using .MyModule` (notice the dot before the “M”, it is needed)

`import` may be used instead of `using`.

c) This will not work:

`using .MyModule as mm`

The `as` clause does not seem to be allowed.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bernhard](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/bernhard/32/2619_2.png) [@bernhard](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/bernhard)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2021, 9:57am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/why-are-files-in-other-folder-being-loaded-instead-of-the-files-in-the-current-folder/69144/5 "2021-10-04T09:57:41Z")

</div>

I am glad you solved the issue.  
You may want to read the julia documentation about code loading and modules.

Generally if you construct a package, you should not need the dot in „using .SomeModule“  
I think this stems from the fact that you include the files defining the modules (in main Scope). The alternative is to use LOAD\_PATH as discussed in the Julia manual.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Soldalma](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/soldalma/32/29388_2.png) [@Soldalma](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Soldalma)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 10:23pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/why-are-files-in-other-folder-being-loaded-instead-of-the-files-in-the-current-folder/69144/6 "2021-10-05T22:23:17Z")

</div>

Thanks for your comments. My understanding is the include/dots combination is necessary for modules that are not inside packages, but are not needed for packages. Since my code is changing rapidly I decided not to create packages yet. I am not sure this reasoning makes sense, though. Maybe it is as easy to change packages as it is to change modules.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bernhard](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/bernhard/32/2619_2.png) [@bernhard](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/bernhard)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2021, 6:07am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/why-are-files-in-other-folder-being-loaded-instead-of-the-files-in-the-current-folder/69144/7 "2021-10-06T06:07:15Z")

</div>

your understanding is correct.  
I you don’t know it yet, I highly recommend [https://github.com/timholy/Revise.jl](https://github.com/timholy/Revise.jl)  
It will make development of code much easier (changes in function definitions are automatically applied).  
I am not sure if Revise works with ‘include’ (I don’t think so), but there seems to be a `includet` function instead [User reference · Revise.jl](https://timholy.github.io/Revise.jl/stable/user_reference/#Revise.includet)

Generating a package seems a bit cumbersome if you have never done it, but it is quite simple.  
consider `Pkg.generate("foo")` and have a look at [GitHub - invenia/PkgTemplates.jl: Create new Julia packages, the easy way](https://github.com/invenia/PkgTemplates.jl)