Django settings and root urlconf wrapper for loading them outside PYTHONPATH

settings.py

# Usage:
# Run the server like this (for example):
#   DJANGO_SETTINGS_FILE=/path/to/settings.py ./manage runserver --settings=pythonpath.to.settings
# where pythonpath.to is the directory containing this file and is found in PYTHONPATH.

def load_settings():
    import os
    del globals()['load_settings']

    path = os.environ.get('DJANGO_SETTINGS_FILE',
                          os.path.expanduser('~/.settings.py'))
    if not os.path.exists(path):
        raise RuntimeError('Django settings file %s not found' % path)

    execfile(path, globals())

load_settings()

urls.py

# Usage:
# In settings.py, set
#   ROOT_URLCONF = "pythonpath.to.urls"
# where pythonpath.to is the directory containing this file and is found in PYTHONPATH.
# Then start the server, e.g.:
# DJANGO_ROOT_URLCONF_FILE=/path/to/urls.py ./manage runserver

def load_urls():
    import os
    del globals()['load_urls']

    path = os.environ.get('DJANGO_ROOT_URLCONF_FILE',
                          os.path.expanduser('~/.urls.py'))
    if not os.path.exists(path):
        raise RuntimeError('Django root urlconf file %s not found' % path)

    execfile(path, globals())

load_urls()