homepage

This issue tracker has been migrated to GitHub , and is currently read-only.
For more information, see the GitHub FAQs in the Python's Developer Guide.

classification
Title: improve error message for saving ints to file
Type: enhancement Stage: resolved
Components: Versions: Python 3.3, Python 3.4
process
Status: closed Resolution: duplicate
Dependencies: Superseder: add "buffer protocol" to glossary
View: 16518
Assigned To: Nosy List: eric.araujo, ezio.melotti, r.david.murray, random832, techtonik, terry.reedy
Priority: normal Keywords:

Created on 2013年04月28日 07:37 by techtonik, last changed 2022年04月11日 14:57 by admin. This issue is now closed.

Messages (8)
msg187968 - (view) Author: anatoly techtonik (techtonik) Date: 2013年04月28日 07:37
I needed to write some bytes to file and got this message.
>>> hex = open('hex', 'wb')
>>> for x in range(0, 0xff, 0x11):
... hex.write(x)
...
Traceback (most recent call last):
 File "<stdin>", line 2, in <module>
TypeError: 'int' does not support the buffer interface
The cause of the error is not that 'int' doesn't support some interface (which is strange already, because the function analyzes and writes int, not the int writes itself), but because it is impossible to know how many binary bytes the int type should take when written.
In Python 2 the solution is:
 ...
 hex.write(chr(x))
But in Python 3 this is again:
 TypeError: 'str' does not support the buffer interface
In Python 3 the solution is:
 ...
 hex.write(x.to_bytes(1, 'little'))
msg187970 - (view) Author: Ezio Melotti (ezio.melotti) * (Python committer) Date: 2013年04月28日 07:47
Maybe the error could be replaced with something like:
TypeError: write() requires an object that supports the buffer interface, not '<type>'
But that's a bit long and also not entirely accurate, because the type accepted by write depends on the type of the file (binary or text). The first problem could be solved by using "requires a bytes-like object"[0], the second problem could be fixed by omitting the name of the function:
TypeError: a bytes-like object is required, not '<type>'
[0]: #16518 has a discussion about the best term to describe "objects that support the buffer protocol"
msg187994 - (view) Author: Éric Araujo (eric.araujo) * (Python committer) Date: 2013年04月28日 16:12
I don’t understand that the first message says.
If one wants to call the write method of a file object opened in binary mode, one needs to pass bytes, as the doc surely explains. The same error that is seen here with ints would be seen with any other objects. A more practical way is to use print (with its file, sep and end parameters) which will do the conversion for you.
msg188027 - (view) Author: R. David Murray (r.david.murray) * (Python committer) Date: 2013年04月28日 21:40
Éric, print doesn't help if one is writing binary data. 
What do you mean by not understanding the first message? If you are agreeing that the first error message in Anatoly's initial post isn't clear, does Ezio's proposed change make it clearer?
msg188304 - (view) Author: Éric Araujo (eric.araujo) * (Python committer) Date: 2013年05月03日 16:28
Ah, right, I missed the part about the file being opened in binary mode.
msg188332 - (view) Author: Terry J. Reedy (terry.reedy) * (Python committer) Date: 2013年05月03日 23:19
I think the point is that the error message does not make much sense unless one knows a) that the file is open in binary mode (and that could have happened in a different file) and b) that 'does not support the buffer interface' means 'is not a bytes-like object'. A possible replacement that addresses both problems:
binary-mode write requires bytes-like object, not 'int'
msg188370 - (view) Author: Ezio Melotti (ezio.melotti) * (Python committer) Date: 2013年05月04日 15:32
> binary-mode write requires bytes-like object, not 'int'
Looks like the function that raises the error (Objects/abstract.c:352) doesn't have enough information to produce a message like that.
I attached a patch to #16518 that improves this and other error messages (this particular error is replaced by "a bytes-like object is required, not 'int'").
msg263566 - (view) Author: (random832) Date: 2016年04月16日 16:05
This bug should be closed since #16518 was accepted and the error is now "TypeError: a bytes-like object is required, not 'int'"
History
Date User Action Args
2022年04月11日 14:57:45adminsetgithub: 62059
2016年04月16日 16:14:57serhiy.storchakasetstatus: open -> closed
superseder: add "buffer protocol" to glossary
resolution: duplicate
stage: needs patch -> resolved
2016年04月16日 16:05:46random832setnosy: + random832
messages: + msg263566
2013年05月04日 15:32:37ezio.melottisettype: enhancement
messages: + msg188370
2013年05月03日 23:19:30terry.reedysetversions: - Python 3.5
nosy: + terry.reedy

messages: + msg188332

stage: needs patch
2013年05月03日 16:28:39eric.araujosetmessages: + msg188304
2013年04月28日 21:40:11r.david.murraysetnosy: + r.david.murray
messages: + msg188027
2013年04月28日 16:12:42eric.araujosetnosy: + eric.araujo
messages: + msg187994
2013年04月28日 07:47:54ezio.melottisetnosy: + ezio.melotti
messages: + msg187970
2013年04月28日 07:37:56techtonikcreate

AltStyle によって変換されたページ (->オリジナル) /