Python 3 - ValueError: not enough values to unpack (expected 3, got 2)

Question

I have a problem with my Python 3 program. I use Mac OS X. This code is running properly.

# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
#! python3
# sendDuesReminders.py - Sends e         


        

Answer 1

You probably want to assign the lastname you are reading out here

lastname = sheet.cell(row=r, column=3).value

to something; currently the program just forgets it

you could do that two lines after, like so

unpaidMembers[name] = lastname, email

your program will still crash at the same place, because .items() still won't give you 3-tuples but rather something that has this structure: (name, (lastname, email))

good news is, python can handle this

for name, (lastname, email) in unpaidMembers.items():

etc.

Answer 2

1. First should understand the error meaning

Error not enough values to unpack (expected 3, got 2) means:

a 2 part tuple, but assign to 3 values

and I have written demo code to show for you:

#!/usr/bin/python
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
# Function: Showing how to understand ValueError 'not enough values to unpack (expected 3, got 2)'
# Author: Crifan Li
# Update: 20191212

def notEnoughUnpack():
    """Showing how to understand python error `not enough values to unpack (expected 3, got 2)`"""
    # a dict, which single key's value is two part tuple
    valueIsTwoPartTupleDict = {
        "name1": ("lastname1", "email1"),
        "name2": ("lastname2", "email2"),
    }

    # Test case 1: got value from key
    gotLastname, gotEmail = valueIsTwoPartTupleDict["name1"] # OK
    print("gotLastname=%s, gotEmail=%s" % (gotLastname, gotEmail))
    # gotLastname, gotEmail, gotOtherSomeValue = valueIsTwoPartTupleDict["name1"] # -> ValueError not enough values to unpack (expected 3, got 2)

    # Test case 2: got from dict.items()
    for eachKey, eachValues in valueIsTwoPartTupleDict.items():
        print("eachKey=%s, eachValues=%s" % (eachKey, eachValues))
    # same as following:
    # Background knowledge: each of dict.items() return (key, values)
    # here above eachValues is a tuple of two parts
    for eachKey, (eachValuePart1, eachValuePart2) in valueIsTwoPartTupleDict.items():
        print("eachKey=%s, eachValuePart1=%s, eachValuePart2=%s" % (eachKey, eachValuePart1, eachValuePart2))
    # but following:
    for eachKey, (eachValuePart1, eachValuePart2, eachValuePart3) in valueIsTwoPartTupleDict.items(): # will -> ValueError not enough values to unpack (expected 3, got 2)
        pass

if __name__ == "__main__":
    notEnoughUnpack()

using VSCode debug effect:

2. For your code

for name, email, lastname in unpaidMembers.items():

but error ValueError: not enough values to unpack (expected 3, got 2)

means each item(a tuple value) in unpaidMembers, only have 1 parts:email, which corresponding above code

    unpaidMembers[name] = email

so should change code to:

for name, email in unpaidMembers.items():

to avoid error.

But obviously you expect extra lastname, so should change your above code to

    unpaidMembers[name] = (email, lastname)

and better change to better syntax:

for name, (email, lastname) in unpaidMembers.items():

then everything is OK and clear.

Answer 3

In this line:

for name, email, lastname in unpaidMembers.items():

unpaidMembers.items() must have only two values per iteration.

Here is a small example to illustrate the problem:

This will work:

for alpha, beta, delta in [("first", "second", "third")]:
    print("alpha:", alpha, "beta:", beta, "delta:", delta)

This will fail, and is what your code does:

for alpha, beta, delta in [("first", "second")]:
    print("alpha:", alpha, "beta:", beta, "delta:", delta)

In this last example, what value in the list is assigned to delta? Nothing, There aren't enough values, and that is the problem.

Answer 4

Since unpaidMembers is a dictionary it always returns two values when called with .items() - (key, value). You may want to keep your data as a list of tuples [(name, email, lastname), (name, email, lastname)..].

Answer 5

ValueErrors :In Python, a value is the information that is stored within a certain object. To encounter a ValueError in Python means that is a problem with the content of the object you tried to assign the value to.

in your case name,lastname and email 3 parameters are there but unpaidmembers only contain 2 of them.

name, lastname, email in unpaidMembers.items() so you should refer data or your code might be
lastname, email in unpaidMembers.items() or name, email in unpaidMembers.items()