String non callable in python 3

Question

I've met a strange problem while doing the 16th exercice of Learn Python the Hard Way (2nd edition, LPTHW).
I have first typed the code, the copied it, and when I execute the script on my console (with python ex16.py test.txt), the same message appears:

File "ex16.py", line 19, in <module>  
line1 = input("line 1: ")  
TypeError: 'str' object is not callable

The code is:

from sys import argv

script, filename = argv

print("We're going to erase %r." % filename)
print("If you don't want that, hit CTRL-C (^C).")
print("If you do want that, hit RETURN.")

input = ("?")

print("Opening the file...")
target = open(filename, 'w')

print("Truncating the file. Goodbye!")
target.truncate()

print("Now I'm going to ask you for three lines.")

line1 = input("line 1: ")
line2 = input("line 2: ")
line3 = input("line 3: ")

print("I'm going to write these to the file.")

target.write(line1)
target.write("\n")
target.write(line2)
target.write("\n")
target.write(line3)
target.write("\n")

print("And finally, we close it.")
target.close()

Is this caused by the fact that LPTHW is made for Python 2.7 and I use Python 3.3?

Blender · Accepted Answer · 2013-01-09 22:24:42Z

3

You shadowed the builtin input function right here:

input = ("?")

The equal sign assigns to a variable named input, which shadows the built-in input() function. Remove the equal sign and your code will work:

input("?")

edited Jan 9, 2013 at 22:24

answered Jan 9, 2013 at 22:14

Blender

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1 Comment

guillaume8375 Over a year ago

Thanks a lot! My mistake comes from the = sign, which shouldn't be here.

jeffmurphy · Accepted Answer · 2013-01-09 22:16:11Z

0

input = ("?")

comment out the above and retry the script.

answered Jan 9, 2013 at 22:16

jeffmurphy

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