Python 3 - Cannot make relative imports to flask server application created in virtualenv -

i set flask_app api.py , run flask run, receive error systemerror: parent module '' not loaded, cannot perform relative import . there's no error on pycharm whatsoever, confirms syntactically correct.

api.pi

from . import models  flask import flask app = flask(__name__) @app.route('/') def hello_world():     return 'hello, welcome api!' if __name__ == '__main__':     app.run() 

the directory structure

           ├── projectdirectory            │    ├── flask-api            │    │   ├── venv            │    │   ├── api.py            │    │   └── models.py            │    ├── modelpackage            │    │   ├── __init__.py            │    │   ├── classa.py            │    │   ├── classb.py            │    │   ├── helpers.py            │    │   └── simplescript.py 

as can see above, both api.py , models.py in same directory, , using from . import models line should import script's code api.py . reference, flask server made using virtualenv, following official flask docs, hence there venv directory in flask-api directory.

also, models.py further imports stuff modelpackage, that's why included above completeness.

does have flask/virtualenv/directory structure?

when module used main name __main__ . , relative imports not work. should use absolute imports. i.e from flask_api import models

here link more info documentation

note relative imports based on name of current module. since name of main module "main", modules intended use main module of python application must use absolute imports.

note: according pep8 use absolute imports rather relative ones.