[solved] error: coercing to Unicode: need string or buffer, int found

elizabeth · May 2013

I am getting this error message...I have no idea what is going on with this experiment. Anyone know what this could be?

An unexpected error occurred, which was not caught by OpenSesame. This should not happen! Message:
coercing to Unicode: need string or buffer, int found

Thanks

sebastiaan · May 2013

Hi Elizabeth,

Could you please post the full error message? You can find this in the debug window.

Cheers,
Sebastiaan

Twoflower · August 2013

I get the same error message, so I figured I'll post it here and try to revive this thread.

Any help would be greatly appreciated because I'm basically stuck.

Here's the output from the debug window:

Python 2.7.3
Type "help()", "copyright()", "credits()" or "license()" for more information.
Type "modules()" for details about installed modules and version information.
Use the "print [msg]" statement in inline_script items to print to this debug window.
\>\>\> 
Expyriment 0.6.3 (Revision 7f0fe8984130; Python 2.7.3) 
openexp.sampler._legacy.init_sound(): sampling freq = 48000, buffer size = 512
openexp.sampler._legacy.init_sound(): mixer already initialized, closing
experiment.init_log(): using '/home/twoflower/subject-0.csv' as logfile (utf-8)
experiment.run(): experiment started at Thu Aug 22 12:11:07 2013
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/libqtopensesame/qtopensesame.py", line 1387, in run_experiment
    exp.run()
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/libopensesame/experiment.py", line 281, in run
    self.items[self.start].run()
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/libopensesame/sequence.py", line 55, in run
    self.experiment.items[item].run()
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/libopensesame/loop.py", line 147, in run
    _item.run()
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/libopensesame/sequence.py", line 55, in run
    self.experiment.items[item].run()
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/libopensesame/loop.py", line 146, in run
    _item.prepare()
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/libopensesame/sequence.py", line 107, in prepare
    self.experiment.items[_item].prepare()
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/libopensesame/sketchpad.py", line 207, in prepare
    _item["x"], _item["y"])
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/openexp/_canvas/legacy.py", line 738, in text
    color=color, html=html)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/libopensesame/html.py", line 201, in render
    _y += dy
TypeError: coercing to Unicode: need string or buffer, int found
\>\>\>

sebastiaan · August 2013

Hi,

This error is most likely due to the use of a non-numeric value to specify the Y coordinate of your text.

For example, the following line of script (in a sketchpad item) corresponds to drawing 'Some text' on the center of the screen:

draw textline 0 0 "Some text"

The second 0 corresponds to the Y coordinate of the text. If you replace this by something that is not numeric, you will get an error. For example, the following script will trigger an error:

draw textline 0 this_should_be_numeric "Some text"

This will also happen if specify the Y coordinate through a variable that has a non-numeric value. For example, the script below will work fine if [my_var] is '0', but will give an exception if [my_var] is 'this_should_be_numeric'.

draw textline 0 [my_var] "Some text"

Does this solve your problem?

Cheers!
Sebastiaan

Twoflower · August 2013

Yes, that's exactly what happened. Apparently, I accidentally deleted the Y coordinate and the next variable was non-numerical.

Thank you so much!

awendt · December 2017

Hi there, I thought I would try to revive this thread because I am getting the same error message but I can not find a place in my program where there is a necessary integer that is missing. Here is an image of the debug window:

eduard · December 2017

Hi,

What exactly are you trying to do? Could you also upload your experiment? The error message means that some of your variables are of type integer even though they are supposed to be string or unicode. But if you don't provide your code, it is difficult to point to the correct location.

Eduard

Btw: maybe this discussion will help.

awendt · December 2017

Hi I'm not sure how to upload my experiment because the file is too large even when compressed, though I'd be glad to send it directly if that's possible - I am trying to create a facial recognition test where there are 4 races and 2 genders within each represented. I have three sub loops - one for previously viewed faces the participant needs to identify, then sub loops for each of the 8 race/gender groupings, and one further loop within each of these sub loops that randomizes the position of the images on the sketchpad. I have been able to get a version of the program with just two race/gender sub loops to run but once the program runs one of these sub loops, it will not return to the largest loop and instead just continues to cycle through the sub loop, or more recently it will just end the experiment after a single trial and present this error message. Don't know if this info is helpful without the code - do you have any idea of how I might post it?

awendt · December 2017

Ok, here is the debug window:

Python 2.7.12

Type "help()", "copyright()", "credits()" or "license()" for more information.
Use the "print([msg])" function in inline_script items to print to this debug window.
Inspect inline_script variables when an experiment is finished.

Expyriment 0.8.0 (Python 2.7.12)
openexp.sampler._legacy.init_sound(): sampling freq = 48000, buffer size = 1024
experiment.run(): experiment started at Sun Dec 17 12:08:19 2017
experiment.run(): disabling garbage collection
experiment
experiment.end(): enabling garbage collection

Unexpected error

item-stack: experiment[run].Phase_3_2[run].P3_oldpics_2[run].newpics[run].LF_loop[run].LF_pos[run].xy_pos_LF[run].LF_trial[prepare].new_sketchpad_1[prepare]
exception type: TypeError
exception message: coercing to Unicode: need string or buffer, int found
time: Sun Dec 17 12:08:27 2017

Traceback:
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libqtopensesame/runners/inprocess_runner.py", line 38, in execute
self.experiment.run()
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libopensesame/experiment.py", line 411, in run
self.items.execute(self.var.start)
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libopensesame/item_store.py", line 91, in execute
self.run(name)
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libopensesame/item_store.py", line 106, in run
self[name].run()
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libopensesame/sequence.py", line 51, in run
self.experiment.items.run(_item)
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libopensesame/item_store.py", line 106, in run
self[name].run()
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libopensesame/sequence.py", line 51, in run
self.experiment.items.run(_item)
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libopensesame/item_store.py", line 106, in run
self[name].run()
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libopensesame/loop.py", line 338, in run
self.experiment.items.execute(self._item)
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libopensesame/item_store.py", line 91, in execute
self.run(name)
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libopensesame/item_store.py", line 106, in run
self[name].run()
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libopensesame/sequence.py", line 51, in run
self.experiment.items.run(_item)
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libopensesame/item_store.py", line 106, in run
self[name].run()
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libopensesame/loop.py", line 338, in run
self.experiment.items.execute(self._item)
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libopensesame/item_store.py", line 91, in execute
self.run(name)
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libopensesame/item_store.py", line 106, in run
self[name].run()
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libopensesame/sequence.py", line 51, in run
self.experiment.items.run(_item)
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libopensesame/item_store.py", line 106, in run
self[name].run()
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libopensesame/loop.py", line 338, in run
self.experiment.items.execute(self._item)
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libopensesame/item_store.py", line 90, in execute
self.prepare(name)
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libopensesame/item_store.py", line 122, in prepare
self[name].prepare()
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libopensesame/sequence.py", line 124, in prepare
self.experiment.items.prepare(_item)
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libopensesame/item_store.py", line 122, in prepare
self[name].prepare()
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libopensesame/sketchpad.py", line 118, in prepare
self.canvas.prepare()
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/openexp/_canvas/xpyriment.py", line 97, in prepare
stim.plot(self._canvas)
File "/Applications/OpenSesame.app/Contents/Resources/lib/python2.7/site-packages/expyriment/stimuli/_visual.py", line 754, in plot
rect.center = [self.position[0] + stimulus_surface_size[0] / 2,
TypeError: coercing to Unicode: need string or buffer, int found

With regards to the linked forum post, I am unsure which variable it might be helpful to define in inline code outside of the loops, but also wouldn't defining a variable with an integer be the opposite of what the error is indicating needs to be done? There are no if statements in my code either, except the ones directing the main loop into the race/gender sub loops, and some reason I don't thing that those statements are the issue, though maybe the fact that the program can only run through trials of a single sub loop before breaking indicates that the if statements are where the problem is.

eduard · December 2017

Hi,

Yes the problem is located somewhere in a sketchpad. You can upload your experiment anywhere, Googledocs, filedropper, etc. Perhaps, you can also simplify your experiment, i.e. remove some images from the filepool.

The stracktrace alone is not really enough to find out what is going on.

E

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[solved] error: coercing to Unicode: need string or buffer, int found

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