NameError: name '[string]' is not defined [duplicate]

Question

When testing my program, I keep getting this error:

1. Encrypt a file 2. Decrypt a file ----> 1 Enter the filename you'd like to encrypt: test Traceback (most recent call last): File "./encrypt.py", line 71, in <module> Main() File "./encrypt.py", line 58, in Main filename = input("Enter the filename you'd like to encrypt: ") File "<string>", line 1, in <module> NameError: name 'test' is not defined

And here is my code for the Main() function:

def Main(): print("1. Encrypt a file") print("2. Decrypt a file") choice = str(input("----> ")) if choice == '1': filename = input("Enter the filename you'd like to encrypt: ") password = input("Enter a password used for the encryption tool: ") encrypt(getKey(password), filename) print("File has been encrypted.") elif choice == '2': filename = input("Enter the filename you'd like to decrypt: ") password = input("Enter the password used for the encryption of this file: ") decrypt(getKey(password), filename) print("File has been decrypted. Note that if the password used in the encryption does " \ + "not match the password you entered in, the file will remain encrypted.") else: print("Invalid option. Closing the program...")

I am using the simple input() method to get my data ('test', for example), and it keeps telling me whatever information I enter in at runtime, the name of what I just entered is not defined. I don't see any formatting errors, syntax errors, etc.

I know that looks like a weird dupe but I strongly suspect you are using input instead of raw_input on Python 2 and the top answer there is the clearest explanation I can find. — Two-Bit Alchemist
– Two-Bit Alchemist, Commented Aug 9, 2016 at 18:05

Peter Wang · Accepted Answer · 2016-08-09 18:05:15Z

You're going to want to use raw_input() instead of input(). input tries to run the expression it gets as a Python expression, whereas raw_input returns a string. This is in Python 2.x; in 3.x raw_input doesn't exist.

When you get the NameError, it's trying to run your input as an expression, but test doesn't exist.

CodyT96 · Accepted Answer · 2016-08-09 18:25:03Z

It turns out my linux distro has both python 2.7.12 and python 3.5.2. Apparently the system defaults to python 2.7.12 instead of the newer version, so I fixed it by changing:

#!/usr/bin/python

to:

#!/usr/bin/python3

UltraInstinct · Accepted Answer · 2016-08-09 18:05:03Z

it keeps telling me whatever information I enter in at runtime, the name of what I just entered is not defined. I don't see any formatting errors, syntax errors, etc.

You are probably using Python 2.x. You should use: raw_input(..) instead of input(..)

Fabio · Accepted Answer · 2016-08-09 18:06:24Z

The input function treats whatever you input as a python expression. What you're looking for is the raw_input function which treats your input as a string. Switch all your inputs for raw_inputs and you should be fine.

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