python name error name not defined

Question

I get the error name not defined on running this code in python3:

def main(): D = {} #create empty dictionary for x in open('wvtc_data.txt'): key, name, email, record = x.strip().split(':') key = int(key) #convert key from string to integer D[key] = {} #initialize key value with empty dictionary D[key]['name'] = name D[key]['email'] = email D[key]['record'] = record print(D[106]['name']) print(D[110]['email']) main()

Could you please help me fix this?

Are you sure the dictionary was populated with key = 106 and 110 ? — Vaibhav Desai
– Vaibhav Desai, Commented Oct 10, 2013 at 0:29

fjarri · Accepted Answer · 2013-10-10 00:29:02Z

4

Your variable D is local to the function main, and, naturally, the code outside does not see it (you even try to access it before running main). Do something like

def main(): D = {} #create empty dictionary for x in open('wvtc_data.txt'): key, name, email, record = x.strip().split(':') key = int(key) #convert key from string to integer D[key] = {} #initialize key value with empty dictionary D[key]['name'] = name D[key]['email'] = email D[key]['record'] = record return D D = main() print(D[106]['name']) print(D[110]['email'])

answered Oct 10, 2013 at 0:29

fjarri

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5 Comments

user2405840 Over a year ago

how can i make D available so it can be accessed by other functions created in the program?

kindall Over a year ago

By returning it from the function, as seen here, and passing it to other functions that need it.

fjarri Over a year ago

Make it global, that is define it outside all the functions. It will be accessible anywhere from this module (use global if you want to reassign it inside a function).

SethMMorton Over a year ago

@Bogdan I can't disagree with that suggestion more. Making global variables in python is rarely the best method... passing the variable around is much clearer and removes difficult to debug scope errors.

fjarri Over a year ago

It wasn't a suggestion, it was the answer to his question. I agree that having and, especially, changing a global variable is a bad practice most of the time, but we can't really pretend that global variables do not exist in Python. Spaghetti code is one of the things you have to experience before you understand why it's bad.

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