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bio.lookup()

Internal name resolution used by fetch().

Overview

lookup() resolves dotted names (no slashes) through Python modules and configured roots. It is called internally by fetch() when the specifier contains no slashes.

Most users should use fetch() directly — it handles all specifier types and calls lookup() automatically when needed.

See fetch() → Resolution Order for the complete resolution rules.

When lookup() is Used

# fetch() calls lookup() for dotted names (no slashes)
bio.fetch("scenarios.mutualism")
# → internally calls lookup("scenarios.mutualism")

# fetch() does NOT call lookup() for paths (has slashes)
bio.fetch("catalog/scenarios/mutualism")
# → direct DAT load, no lookup

Resolution Order

When lookup(name) is called:

  1. Python modules — check sys.modules for first segment, then navigate with getattr
  2. Configured roots — scan mounts and sync_folders, convert dots to path separators
  3. Dereference — after finding root, remaining dots dereference into content via gets()

See Also

  • fetch() — Main entry point (calls lookup internally)
  • DAT — DAT configuration
  • Scope — Scope.lookup() for scope-tree resolution