"import numpy" results in error in one eclipse workspace, but not in another
Question: Whenever I try importing numpy in my new installation of Eclipse and Pydev, I
get the following error:

    
    
    Traceback (most recent call last):
      File "Q:\temp\test.py", line 1, in <module>
        import numpy
      File "C:\Python26\lib\site-packages\numpy\__init__.py", line 132, in <module>
        import add_newdocs
      File "C:\Python26\lib\site-packages\numpy\add_newdocs.py", line 9, in <module>
        from lib import add_newdoc
      File "C:\Python26\lib\site-packages\numpy\lib\__init__.py", line 4, in <module>
        from type_check import *
      File "C:\Python26\lib\site-packages\numpy\lib\type_check.py", line 8, in <module>
        import numpy.core.numeric as _nx
      File "C:\Python26\lib\site-packages\numpy\core\__init__.py", line 13, in <module>
        import defchararray as char
      File "C:\Python26\lib\site-packages\numpy\core\defchararray.py", line 23, in <module>
        from numpy.core.multiarray import _vec_string
    ImportError: cannot import name _vec_string
    

However, in a vanila python console and in IPython, import is successful

    
    
    Python 2.6.5 (r265:79096, Mar 19 2010, 21:48:26) [MSC v.1500 32 bit (Intel)] on win32
    Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
    >>> import numpy
    >>>
    
    Q:\Groups\Bioinformatics\HPLCautomatization\autohplc>ipython
    Python 2.6.5 (r265:79096, Mar 19 2010, 21:48:26) [MSC v.1500 32 bit (Intel)]
    Type "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
    
    IPython 0.10 -- An enhanced Interactive Python.
    ?         -> Introduction and overview of IPython's features.
    %quickref -> Quick reference.
    help      -> Python's own help system.
    object?   -> Details about 'object'. ?object also works, ?? prints more.
    
    In [2]: import numpy
    

To make stuff even more complicated, in another Eclipse workspace, this import
works fine. Restarting eclipse didn't help. I also tried to re-config the
interpreter in Preferences->python->interpreter->python (as in [this
question](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2767808/eclipse-and-python-
library-will-import-in-interprer-but-not-in-ide)), but the problem still
exists

Two additional similar problems were described on SO
([this](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3613409/loading-numpy-into-
ironpython) and [this](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3069820/ironpython-
call-numpy-problem)), but both of them were observed with IronPython and I
couldn't find anything I could use in the few answers that were provided.

**EDIT** As [suggested by
dutt](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3921950/import-numpy-results-in-
error-in-one-eclipse-workspace-but-not-in-another/3922008#3922008), I checked
Preferences->Pydev->Interpreter python->libraries in both the tested
workspaces (the working one and the one that doesn't). The malfunctioning
workspace contained the following library in system libs C:\Python26\lib\site-
packages\numpy-1.5.0-py2.6-win32.egg . On the other hand, the working
workspace doesn't list any _numpy_ library in its system libraries list. I
have removed the above library from the list in the not working workspace.


Answer: (Assuming you'r using PyDev) Look in Preferences->Pydev->Interpreter-
Python->Libaries, you may have to add NumPy there. Should be located in your
python/lib/site-packages folder.

