I was reading the sourcode for a python project and came across the following line: from couchexport.export import Format (source: https://github.com/wbnigeria/couchexport/blob/master/couchexport/views.py#L1 ) I went over to couchexport/export.py to see what Format was (Class? Dict? something else?). Unfortunately Format isn't in that file. export.py does however import a Format from couchexport.models where there is a Format class (source: https://github.com/wbnigeria/couchexport/blob/master/couchexport/models.py#L11). When I open up the original file in my IDE and have it look up the declaration, in line I mentioned at the start of this question, it leads directly to models.py. What's going on? How can an import from one file (export.py) actually be an import from another file (models.py) without being explicitly stated?