python argparse module AttributeError

Question

I'm learning the argparse module, and I wrote code as follows:

import argparse

parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Process some integers.')
parser.add_argument('integers', metavar='N', type=int, nargs='+',
               help='an integer for the accumulator')
parser.add_argument('--sum', dest='accumulate', action='store_const',
               const=sum, default=max,
               help='sum the integers (default: find the max)')

args = parser.parse_args()
print args.accumulate(args.integers)

I saved it as argparse.py, but when I run it in cmd, it shows:

AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'ArgumentParser'

what's the problem? Thank you for your help.

rename your argparse.py file as you are importing from that, you also need to delete any agparse.pyc file — Padraic Cunningham
– Padraic Cunningham, Commented May 31, 2015 at 13:07
When you import you are loading yourself, rather than the standard library module. — cdarke
– cdarke, Commented May 31, 2015 at 13:10
@evbo: if its any consolation, you are not the first person to have had this issue, and you won't be the last. This issue comes up here at least once a week. — cdarke
– cdarke, Commented May 31, 2015 at 16:43

boaz_shuster · Accepted Answer · 2015-05-31 13:10:51Z

12

When you say import in Python, the interpreter runs a search to find a file with that name. It first looks for the file in the current folder and then in other paths, such as, /usr/lib/python.

Therefore, when you're saying import argparse and naming your script argparse.py, Python takes your file and import it as is.

To avoid this, change the name of your file to something else than argparse.py.

edited May 31, 2015 at 13:10

boaz_shuster

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answered May 31, 2015 at 13:05

Plasma

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2 Comments

Anto Over a year ago

Happy that I got this in first google search :) Thank you !

Firdaus Over a year ago

So if someone read this in 2023, be patient =). My stupid case is: i had two files in same folder: work/create_parser.py work/argparse.py i tried to call: parser = argparse.ArgumentParser() in file create_parser.py so python3 still throw error: AttributeError: module 'argparse' has no attribute 'ArgumentParser' until i delete\mv file argparse.py =) So that's why imports works in same lvl first

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