Python JSON module has no attribute 'dumps'

Question

I am running Python 2.7 (x64 Linux) and trying to convert a dict to a JSON object.

>>> import sys
>>> sys.version_info
sys.version_info(major=2, minor=7, micro=0, releaselevel='final', serial=0)

I am trying to use simplejson (falling back to json from the standard library) but I get the following error:

>>> try: import simplejson as json
... except ImportError: import json
...                  
>>> metadata = dict()
>>> metadata['foo'] = 'bar'
>>> print metadata
{'foo': 'bar'}
>>> json.dumps(metadata)
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'dumps' 

Is there something obvious I am missing about using json or simplejson with Python 2.7?

Solution 1

Turned out I had an old json library loaded from an old Python installation:

>>> import json                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
>>> print json.__file__                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
/home/areynolds/opt/lib/python2.5/site-packages/json.pyc

Removing that old stuff fixed the issue. Thanks!

Solution 2

Had a similar issues, it was caused by another custom module. I named another script json.py and it turns out it tried to load the custom json.py file as a module. dumps method is obviously not available there.

Renaming the json.py script to something else (json2.py) got rid of the issue.

Solution 3

Do you have a file named json or simplejson in your path that isn't one of those two libraries? If you do, then python will load that file instead of the real library.

Solution 4

How to reproduce this python error:

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

You probably created a file called json.py that was reachable from python's sys.path. Or you added a directory to your python's sys.path that included a file called json.py.

Option 1: Poison the well by importing json, then importing another module with the same alias:

eric@dev /var/www/sandbox/eric $ python

>>> import json

>>> json.dumps([])
'[]'

>>> import sys as json

>>> json.dumps([])

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'dumps'

Option 2: Poison the well by creating a file called json.py in the python path:

Create a new file json.py, save it. Put this code in there:

def foo():
  print "bar"

Open the python terminal and import json:

eric@dev /var/www/sandbox/eric/wsgi $ python
>>> import json

>>> type(json)
<type 'module'>

>>> json.dumps([])
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'dumps'

>>> json.foo()
bar

It's telling you your method isn't there. So ask python to tell you more about the nature of this module and you'll find clues as to who poisoned it.

>>> print json
<module 'json' from 'json.py'>
>>> dir(json)
['__builtins__', '__doc__', '__file__', '__name__', '__package__', 'foo']
>>> type(json)
<type 'module'>

Solution 5

The mistake i did I name the file name as json.py. I got the error:

AttributeError: partially initialized module 'json' has no attribute 'dumps' (most likely due to a circular import).

I renamed the file name to json1.py instead of creating a new file.

Hope it helps

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Comments

[temple]

that's help me to figure out the similar reason

[Chris]

Make sure to delete the lingering json.pyc as well!

[bsb]

Take care to also remove the json.pyc (that's PYC) when renaming

[Andreas]

Thanks! For me it was: json-extensions and simplejson