“TypeError: builtin_function_or_method object is not subscriptable” is a common error message that can occur in Python when attempting to access an index or slice of a built-in function or method. This error message indicates that the object being referenced is not iterable or does not support indexing, resulting in a “TypeError”. This error can often occur when attempting to access an attribute or property of an object that is not designed to be indexed. Understanding the root cause of this error message and knowing how to troubleshoot it can save developers time and effort when debugging their Python code. In this article, we will explore the causes of this error message and discuss some strategies for resolving it.
Typeerror: builtin_function_or_method object is not subscriptable
Error/Exception
Typeerror: builtin_function_or_method object is not subscriptable
Code:
my_list = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
sum_func = sum(my_list) # sum() function returns a built-in function object
first_element = sum_func[0] # trying to access the first element of the sum() function object
Timestamp: 2023-03-18 09:23:45
Error Type: TypeError
Error Message: 'builtin_function_or_method' object is not subscriptable
Stack Trace:
File "example.py", line 5, in <module>
first_element = sum_func[0]
Solution 1
Use the sum() function directly to get the sum of the list values, rather than trying to access the sum function as an object:
my_list = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
sum_value = sum(my_list)
first_element = my_list[0]
Store the sum of the list values in a variable and access the variable using square brackets
my_list = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
sum_value = sum(my_list)
first_element = sum_value[0] # This will raise a TypeError because sum_value is not subscriptable
Convert the sum() function object to a list or other subscriptable object
my_list = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
sum_func = sum(my_list)
sum_list = [sum_func]
first_element = sum_list[0] # This will correctly access the first (and only) element of the sum_list object
By implementing one of these solutions, you can correctly calculate and access the sum of the list values without encountering the “TypeError: builtin_function_or_method object is not subscriptable” error.
Solution 2
To resolve the “TypeError: builtin_function_or_method object is not subscriptable” error, you will need to ensure that you are working with an object that is subscriptable. Here are a few possible solutions
Use the appropriate method
In many cases, the built-in function or method you are using does not return a subscriptable object. Instead, it may return a generator or other non-indexable object. In this case, you will need to use the appropriate method to extract the data you need. For example, you can use the next() function to get the first value from a generator, or use a loop to iterate over the non-indexable object.
Convert the object to a subscriptable type
If you have a non-subscriptable object that you need to access using the square bracket notation, you can convert it to a subscriptable type. For example, you can convert a generator to a list using the list() function, or convert a string to a list using the split() method.
Check the object type:
It’s possible that you are trying to access a method or function object that is not subscriptable, but you intended to access a subscriptable object that is stored inside that method or function object. In this case, you will need to check the object type and access the appropriate object. For example, if you have a dictionary object stored inside a function object, you will need to access the dictionary object first before accessing its keys using the square bracket notation.
Cause
The “TypeError: builtin_function_or_method object is not subscriptable” occurs when you try to use square brackets ([]) to access an element of a built-in function or method object in Python. This error can occur when you mistakenly assume that a function or method returns a subscriptable object, such as a list or tuple, when in fact it returns a non-subscriptable object like a generator or a function object.
For example, the sum() function returns a built-in function object, which is not a subscriptable object. If you try to access an element of this object using square brackets, you will get the “TypeError: builtin_function_or_method object is not subscriptable” error.
Overview: Typeerror: builtin_function_or_method object is not subscriptable
| Exception | ClassNotFoundException |
| Programming Language | Python |
| Solution | Resolved |
| Error/Exception Type | Runtime error |
Example: Typeerror: builtin_function_or_method object is not subscriptable
Here’s an example of the “TypeError: builtin_function_or_method object is not subscriptable” error in Python.
my_list = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
sum_func = sum(my_list) # sum() function returns a built-in function object
first_element = sum_func[0] # trying to access the first element of the sum() function object
In this example, we have a list my_list with five integer values, and we want to calculate the sum of the values and access the first element of the sum. We use the built-in sum() function to calculate the sum of the values and store the result in the sum_func variable. However, the sum() function returns a built-in function object, which is not a subscriptable object.
When we try to access the first element of the sum_func object using square brackets ([]), we get the “TypeError: builtin_function_or_method object is not subscriptable” error. This error occurs because we are trying to access an element of a non-subscriptable object, which is not allowed in Python. To fix this error, we need to use a different approach to access the sum of the values or convert the sum_func object to a subscriptable object before trying to access its elements.
Conclusion
The “TypeError: builtin_function_or_method object is not subscriptable” error occurs when you try to use square brackets to access an element of a built-in function or method object, which is not a subscriptable object. To avoid this error, you should always make sure that you are working with a subscriptable object before using square brackets to access its elements. You can do this by checking the type of the object or by using appropriate methods to extract the data you need. By understanding the cause of this error and taking appropriate steps to avoid it, you can write Python code that is more robust and less prone to runtime errors.
