PyCharm run configuration PYTHONPATH settings fail outside the IDE

Direct answer

No. PyCharm's 'Add content roots to PYTHONPATH' and 'Add source roots to PYTHONPATH' options apply only to the process that PyCharm itself launches. CPython and other standard interpreters do not read .idea/runConfigurations/*.xml, so copying a run configuration to CI or production does not transfer those path entries.

Confirmed facts

• The two PYTHONPATH checkboxes are honored by the JetBrains launcher, which prepends marked roots to the interpreter process environment it spawns.
• A plain python launch on a CI host or production server never reads PyCharm project files, so those entries are absent.
• .idea/runConfigurations/*.xml may contain absolute interpreter paths and working-directory values. $PROJECT_DIR$ stays relative to the project root, but absolute SDK paths are not safe across operating systems or user accounts.
• For standard Python run configurations, this behavior is the same in Community and Professional editions. Professional-only interpreter types such as SSH or Docker still require the JetBrains launcher and do not make the XML portable.

Likely explanation

The module imports in PyCharm because its folder is marked as a source root and the IDE injects that path. Outside PyCharm, the same package is probably not installed in the target interpreter, and no equivalent PYTHONPATH is set. The failure is an environment gap, not a broken XML copy.

Steps for this case

1. Open the run configuration in PyCharm and note which folders are marked as source roots.
2. On the CI or production host, define the environment independently of the IDE:
• Install the project into the target interpreter: pip install -e . from a pyproject.toml or setup.py, or
• Export PYTHONPATH explicitly in the CI or deployment script before launching the script, or
• Bake the source path into the container image or virtualenv activation.
3. Match the working directory. PyCharm defaults to the project root; replicate that directory in CI.
4. Do not reuse .idea/runConfigurations/*.xml as a production launch mechanism.

Verification

• In PyCharm, toggle the PYTHONPATH checkboxes, run from the IDE, then run the same command from a plain shell and compare python -c 'import sys; print(sys.path)' output.
• Inspect .idea/runConfigurations/*.xml (or .idea/workspace.xml) for absolute SDK_HOME or working-directory values before sharing across hosts.
• In CI, run python -c 'import module-name' to confirm the module resolves without the IDE.

Missing diagnostic detail

Is the failing module installed in the CI/production interpreter, or is it only present as a local source folder? That detail decides whether to install the package or export PYTHONPATH.

Assumptions and uncertainty

This answer assumes recent PyCharm Community and Professional editions with standard Python run configurations. Exact checkbox labels and help wording vary by version; confirm against your installed PyCharm. Debugger runs may add extra helper paths beyond the two checkboxes. Because the research brief is model-knowledge rather than live documentation, treat the edition and version claims as pending verification against your JetBrains help page.