A startup file for IPython that provides a hook into python's import infrastructure so we can import notebooks as python modules. This helps code sharing/re-use between notebooks.

00_nbimport.py

import io
import os
import sys
import types

from IPython.nbformat import current
from IPython.core.interactiveshell import InteractiveShell


def find_notebook(fullname, path=None):
    """find a notebook, given its fully qualified name and an optional path

    This turns "foo.bar" into "foo/bar.ipynb"
    and tries turning "Foo_Bar" into "Foo Bar" if Foo_Bar
    does not exist.
    """
    name = fullname.rsplit('.', 1)[-1]
    if not path:
        path = ['']
    for d in path:
        nb_path = os.path.join(d, name + ".ipynb")
        if os.path.isfile(nb_path):
            return nb_path
        # let import Notebook_Name find "Notebook Name.ipynb"
        nb_path = nb_path.replace("_", " ")
        if os.path.isfile(nb_path):
            return nb_path


class NotebookLoader(object):
    """Module Loader for IPython Notebooks"""
    def __init__(self, path=None):
        self.shell = InteractiveShell.instance()
        self.path = path

    def load_module(self, fullname):
        """import a notebook as a module"""
        path = find_notebook(fullname, self.path)

        print ("importing IPython notebook from %s" % path)

        # load the notebook object
        with io.open(path, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f:
            nb = current.read(f, 'json')

        # create the module and add it to sys.modules
        # if name in sys.modules:
        #    return sys.modules[name]
        mod = types.ModuleType(fullname)
        mod.__file__ = path
        mod.__loader__ = self
        sys.modules[fullname] = mod

        # extra work to ensure that magics that would affect the user_ns
        # actually affect the notebook module's ns
        save_user_ns = self.shell.user_ns
        self.shell.user_ns = mod.__dict__

        try:
            for cell in nb.worksheets[0].cells:
                if cell.cell_type == 'code' and cell.language == 'python':
                    # transform the input to executable Python
                    code = self.shell.input_transformer_manager.transform_cell(cell.input)
                    # run the code in themodule
                    exec(code, mod.__dict__)
        finally:
            self.shell.user_ns = save_user_ns
        return mod


class NotebookFinder(object):
    """Module finder that locates IPython Notebooks"""
    def __init__(self):
        self.loaders = {}

    def find_module(self, fullname, path=None):
        nb_path = find_notebook(fullname, path)
        if not nb_path:
            return

        key = path
        if path:
            # lists aren't hashable
            key = os.path.sep.join(path)

        if key not in self.loaders:
            self.loaders[key] = NotebookLoader(path)
        return self.loaders[key]

sys.meta_path.append(NotebookFinder())

This is copy/pasted from this notebook, thanks to the IPython devs for including it.

This should go in ~/.ipython/profile_[whatever]/startup (or wherever your IPython profile is located) so it's executed as every kernel starts up. Files in that folder are executed lexicographically so the preceding 00 ensures it's executed first.