Python, os.listdir() error

Question

I'm writing this procedure

def get_special_paths(dir):
    detected_paths = []
    paths = os.listdir(dir)
    for path in paths:
        if path == r'__\w+__':
            detected_paths.append(path)
    for element in detected_paths:
        index = detected_path.index(element)
        detected_paths[index] = os.path.abspath(element)
    return detected_paths

and it raises a a type error as below:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File"copyspecial.py", line 65, in <module>
    get_special_paths(dir)
  File"copysepcial.py", line 23, in get_special_paths
    paths = os.listdir(pathname)
TypeError: coercing to Unicode: need string or buffer, builtin_function_or_method found

What's the meaning of that error and how do I fix it? Thanks in advance :)

I suppose that what you pass as dir into the function is not a string. Actually there is a built-in function named exactly so, dir. — 9000
– 9000, Commented Feb 13, 2014 at 9:22
check if dir is a string also check converting dir to string — Sar009
– Sar009, Commented Feb 13, 2014 at 9:22

falsetru · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-13 09:21:22Z

4

It seems like you passed the dir builtin function to the get_special_paths

>>> dir
<built-in function dir>

>>> os.listdir(dir)
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
TypeError: coercing to Unicode: need string or buffer, builtin_function_or_method found

Pass the path as string.

get_special_paths('/path/to/dir')

BTW, don't use dir as a variable name. It will shadow the above dir function.

answered Feb 13, 2014 at 9:21

falsetru

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8 Comments

Grijesh Chauhan Over a year ago

you really don't need more than a minute!

moostahfah Over a year ago

Actually, I changed the name of passed value form dir to pathname but it's the same error!!

falsetru Over a year ago

@user3305277, Did you pass it as string object? (not dirname, but 'dirname' or "dirname")

falsetru Over a year ago

@user3305277, Could you update your question? (adding calling part of the code)

falsetru Over a year ago

@user3305277, Please add the calling part in the question.

|

Vin.AI · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-13 09:42:41Z

0

May be because global_path is not defined here:

for element in detected_paths:
    index = detected_path.index(element) # Here detected_path is undefined

make it global_paths and try:

for element in detected_paths:
    index = detected_paths.index(element)

answered Feb 13, 2014 at 9:42

Vin.AI

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