[Fredrik Lundh]

just stumbled upon yet another (high-profile) python newbie confused a "TypeError: read-only character buffer, dictionary" message.

how about changing "read-only character buffer" to "string or read-only character buffer", and the "foo, bar" format to "expected foo, found bar", so we get:

"TypeError: expected string or read-only character buffer, found dictionary"

+0. +1 if "found" is changed to "got". "found"-implies-a-search-ly y'rs - tim

Fredrik Lundh writes:

how about changing "read-only character buffer" to "string or read-only character buffer", and the "foo, bar" format to "expected foo, found bar", so we get:

"TypeError: expected string or read-only character buffer, found dictionary"

+100. Recently, I've been teaching Python to some beginners and they find this message absolutely inscrutable. Also agree with Tim about "found" vs. "got", but this is of secondary importance.

[Fredrik Lundh]

just stumbled upon yet another (high-profile) python newbie confused a "TypeError: read-only character buffer, dictionary" message.

how about changing "read-only character buffer" to "string or read-only character buffer", and the "foo, bar" format to "expected foo, found bar", so we get:

"TypeError: expected string or read-only character buffer, found dictionary"

+0. +1 if "found" is changed to "got". "found"-implies-a-search-ly y'rs - tim

Fredrik Lundh writes:

how about changing "read-only character buffer" to "string or read-only character buffer", and the "foo, bar" format to "expected foo, found bar", so we get:

"TypeError: expected string or read-only character buffer, found dictionary"

+100. Recently, I've been teaching Python to some beginners and they find this message absolutely inscrutable. Also agree with Tim about "found" vs. "got", but this is of secondary importance.