title: What does the first argument of the imp.load_source method do?
body: <p>I'm reading <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/67631/how-to-import-a-module-given-the-full-path">this</a> SO question about importing modules from absolute path. An answer suggest to use following code:</p>
  
  <pre><code>import imp
  foo = imp.load_source('module.name', '/path/to/file.py')
  foo.MyClass()
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I want to import file from dir which has following structure (it is package):</p>
  
  <pre><code>__int__.py
  model_params.py
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I've done this:</p>
  
  <pre><code>import01 = imp.load_source('module.name', '/home/wakatana/experiments/model_params/model_params.py')
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Now I can access variables within <code>model_params.py</code> via <code>import01.VARIABLE_NAME</code>. It seems like equivalent to <code>import numpy as np</code>. Where <code>model_params.py</code> is like <code>numpy</code> and <code>import01</code> is like <code>np</code>.</p>
  
  <p>I would like to ask what does the first argument of <code>load_source</code> method do? <code>help(imp)</code> says practically nothing about <code>load_source</code> method, e.g. following <code>help(imp.load_source)</code> returns <code>load_source(...)</code></p>
  
  <p>Thanks</p>
  
  <p><strong>EDIT based on behzad.nouri comment</strong></p>
  
  <p>On documentation page of <a href="https://docs.python.org/2/library/imp.html#imp.load_source" rel="noreferrer">load_source</a> is said:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>The name argument is used to create or access a module object.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>But when I try to access <code>module.name</code> I get an error about not defined module. Also why there is not documentation that can be accessed by <code>help</code>, can I install it somehow? I was hoping that documentation is part of the code itself in python, or is it common practice to not have it built-in but rather have it on-line? </p>