[Tutor] TypeError: Need Help

[Dave Angel]

Ali Sina wrote:
>>> I have Python 3.0 and I'm trying to learn from a pdf document. I followed its instructions >>but I've encountered a problem in its Pickling chapter. This is the code I've written:
>>>       
>
> import pickle, shelve
>
> print('Pickling list.')
> variety=['sweet','hot','dill']
> shape=['whole','spear','chip']
> brand=['Claussen','Heinz','Vlassic']
>
> pickle_file=open('pickles1.dat','w')
> pickle.dump(variety, pickle_file)
> pickle.dump(shape, pickle_file)
> pickle.dump(brand, pickle_file)
> pickle_file.close()
>
> print('\nUnpickling list.')
> pickle_file=open('pickles1.dat','r')
> variety=pickle.load(pickle_file)
> shape=pickle.load(pickle_file)
> brand=pickle.load(pickle_file)
> print(variety,'\n',shape,'\n',brand)
> pickle_file.close()
>
>   
>>> But it gives this error:
>>>       
>
> Traceback (most recent call last):
>   File "E:/Python/pickle it.py", line 11, in <module>
>     pickle.dump(variety, pickle_file)
>   File "C:\Python31\lib\pickle.py", line 1354, in dump
>     Pickler(file, protocol, fix_imports=fix_imports).dump(obj)
> TypeError: write() argument 1 must be str, not bytes
>
>   
>>> I read Python Docs but it didn't help me either. I hoping anyone of you could guide me or >>send the revised code itself. Thank you.
>>>       
>
>   
>>> Regards
>>>       
>
>   
Three guesses, then a suggestion:

I'd guess that the pdf document you're learning from is aimed at Python 
2.x, not Python 3.x

In Python 3, all strings are in Unicode, and there's a distinct type, 
bytes, which serves to store non-Unicode versions of strings.  How that 
fits, I don't know.

I'd upgrade to Python 3.1,  Python 3.0 has a lot of known problems.

But I think your real problem is:
     the Pickler constructor expects a binary file, so you'll want "wb" 
instead of "w" on the open().

With that change, it works for me:
Unpickling list.
['sweet', 'hot', 'dill']
 ['whole', 'spear', 'chip']
 ['Claussen', 'Heinz', 'Vlassic']


DaveA