Python input error: NameError: name 'test' is not defined

Question

I am a noob at python and just started to learn this. I am trying to follow the book automate the boring stuff with python practical programming for total beginners but receiving error on my first excersise. The book is using python 3 and I am using python 2.7.6

I have tried to change it by putting brackets or taking brackets off but unable to figure it out. Please help in regards to this.

Error:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "first.py", line 5, in <module>
    myName = input()
  File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
NameError: name 'test' is not defined

Code Written:

print "Hello world"
print "What is your name?" #ask for their name
myName = input()
print "nice to meet you, " + myName
print "the length of your name is:"
print (len(myName))
print "What is your age?" # asking for age this time
myAge = input()
print "You will be " + str(int(myage) +3) + "in three years."

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4915361/whats-the-difference-between-raw-input-and-input-in-python3-x — NightShadeQueen, Jul 14 '15 at 14:07

score 4 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 14 '15 at 14:06

4

I am guessing you are using Python 2.x (as you are using print statements).

In Python 2.x , input() function tries to evaluate the inputted value before returning, so when you input test , it tries to find the variable/name test causing the issue.

Use raw_input() instead of input() .

answered Jul 14 '15 at 14:06

Anand S Kumar

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Thank you for the quick response. It works for me! I did not realize there was a difference in input in 2.7 and 3. – crame Jul 14 '15 at 14:27

score 3 · Answer 2 · edited Jul 14 '15 at 14:15

3

In python 2 you should use raw_input() for getting a string from input.the input function is equivalent to eval(raw_input(prompt)) which evaluate your input.

And in this case when you print 'test' it would be variable test which you didn't specify any value for it (didn't initialize it) and so it raises a NameError.

For example :

>>> print myval
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
NameError: name 'myval' is not defined

But if I initialize it, the print function will print its value :

>>> myval=3
>>> print myval
3

edited Jul 14 '15 at 14:15

kmario23

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answered Jul 14 '15 at 14:06

Mazdak

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Thank you for the quick response. It works for me! I did not realize there was a difference in input in 2.7 and 3. – crame Jul 14 '15 at 14:26

Python input error: NameError: name 'test' is not defined

2 Answers2