Getting a unexpected error in Python

Question

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\sahib navlani\Desktop\gfh.py", line 107, in <module>
    main()
  File "C:\Users\sahib navlani\Desktop\gfh.py", line 98, in main
    crit2.play()
  File "C:\Users\sahib navlani\Desktop\gfh.py", line 34, in play
    self.play -= play1
TypeError: unsupported operand type(s) for -=: 'instancemethod' and 'int'

I get this error whenever i put this code . I think this due to line self.play -= play

play1 = int(raw_input("Please enter the time for which you want to play = "))
self.play -= play1

Maybe you need int(self.play) -= play1. And by the way, can you show your full code? — Remi Guan
– Remi Guan, Commented Nov 9, 2015 at 4:46
Please show us the full code of your self.play method, so we can help you. Otherwise we're just guessing at what is wrong. — rmunn
– rmunn, Commented Nov 9, 2015 at 5:27

Mangu Singh Rajpurohit · Accepted Answer · 2015-11-09 05:27:21Z

1

It's because self.play is a member method. I think you have done mixing of names of member methods and member names. Give proper names to variables and be clear about the purpose for which you are using it.

answered Nov 9, 2015 at 5:27

Mangu Singh Rajpurohit

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1 Comment

Sahib Navlani Over a year ago

Yes you are right i did the mixing of names.Thanks a lot brother

rmunn · Accepted Answer · 2015-11-09 05:29:39Z

I'm only guessing since you haven't shown us the code that's going wrong, but I think you're using the function name as a return value. This is a bad habit that Visual Basic teaches people -- nearly every other language uses return instead, which is what Python does. In Python, you would use a variable (I like to use result) to calculate what you'll return, then put return result at the end of your function. E.g.,

def addTwoNumbers(one, two):
    # addTwoNumbers = one + two   # Wrong!
    result = one + two
    return result

In a simple function like this, you could just write return one + two, but in more complicated functions, it's useful to use a variable to calculate the result, then return it at the end. So that's what I showed in this example.

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