Python typeerror: ‘str’ object is not callable Solution

In Python, a string object is a collection of characters inside the single, double or triple inverted comma. And when we try to call a string object as a function using parenthesis, we encounter the TypeError: 'str' object is not callable error.

In this Python tutorial, we will discuss the TypeError: 'str' object is not callable Error and how to debug it. We will also walk through a common example when many new python learners commit the mistake and encounter this error. So let’s get started with the Error statement.

Python Error: TypeError: 'str' object is not callable

The Error Statement TypeError: 'str' object is not callable is divided into two parts separated with a colon “:”.

1. Exception Type (TypeError)
2. Error Message (‘str’ object is not callable)

1. Exception Type ( TypeError )

TypeError is a common Python standard exception, and it occurs in Python when we try to perform an unsupported operation on a Python object. Performing an addition operation between a string and integer is a common TypeError example.

2. Error Message ( ‘str’ object is not callable )

In Python string objects are represented as str object. For example, when we print the type of a string object we get ‘str’ class

# string
name ="Rahul"

print(type(name))

output

<class 'str'>

And when we try to access a string object or variable as a function call statement, we encounter a TypeError , with str object is not callable Error Message.

Error Example

# string
name ="Rahul"

# accessing name string as a function
print(name())

Output

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File " main.py", line 5, in <module>
    print(name())
TypeError: 'str' object is not callable

Break the code

In the above example, the name is a string variable, and in line 5 we are using the name variable as a function call statement by putting the parenthesis () . And when the Python interpreter tries to execute the name() statement it realises that name is a string variable and it can not be used as a function calling statement, that’s why it threw the error.

Solution

To solve the above example we only need to remove the parenthesis after the name variable.

Example Solution

# string
name ="Rahul"

# accessing name string
print(name)

Output

Rahul

Common Example Scenario

While writing a program, errors are inevitable. And one of the most common mistakes that many new Python learners do is they use a reserved keyword as a variable name to the object. And when they need to use that reserved keyword in the program, they encounter the error like TypeErorr: ‘str’ object is not callable.

The most common case when many Python learners get this error is when they use the str as a variable name in the program, and also try to convert a variable to a string object using the built-in str() function.

Example

str = input("Enter your DOB Year: ")

current_year = 2021

# calculate age
age = current_year - int(str)

# convert the age into string
message = "Your age is "+ str(age)

print(message)

Output

Enter your DOB Year: 1999
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File " main.py", line 8, in <module>
    message = "Your age is "+ str(age)
TypeError: 'str' object is not callable

Break the Code

In this example, we are getting the error in line 8 with message = "Your age is "+ str(age) statement. And the error message is showing that 'str' object is not callable . The Python does support an str() function that can convert an integer or float value to a string value. But in our program, it does not seem to work. This is because in line 2 we have defined a variable by name str , that accepts the input value from the user.

With that, Python now treats the str name as a string value, not a built-in function. And when we tried to use the inbuilt str function to convert the integer age value to string value we received the error.

Solution

Whenever we write a program in Python we should never consider using a registered keyword or function name as a new variable. To solve the above program all we need to do is change the name of str variable to something else which is not a reserved keyword and provide more meaning to the variable.

Example Solution

str_age = input("Enter your DOB Year: ")

current_year = 2021

# calculate age
age = current_year - int(str_age)

# convert the age into string
message = "Your age is "+ str(age)

print(message)

Output

Enter your DOB Year: 1999
Your age is 22

Final Thoughts!

With practice and the skill set of reading Python errors, you can easily find and debug this error. The Error TypeError: 'str' object is not callable only occurred in a Python program when you put the parenthesis just after the string value or variable name. Debugging this error is also very easy, the straightforward technique is to remove the parenthesis or check if you have defined a string variable name as the same name of the Python function.

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