Question

def make_pdf(self):
        self.get_filez()
        self.get_client()
        file_name = self.client_id+"_"+self.client_name+"_"+self.batch_num
        style = libxslt.parseStylesheetDoc(self.xsl_file)   
        transformation = style.applyStylesheet(self.xml_file,None)
        style.saveResultToFilename("tmp/"+file_name+".fo",transformation,0)
        style.freeStylesheet()
        self.xml_file.freeDoc()
        transformation.freeDoc()
        fop_cmd = "/usr/bin/xmlgraphics-fop"
        #file_name = self.tpa+"_"+self.be+"_"+self.batch_num
        cmd = [fop_cmd,"-fo","tmp/"+file_name+".fo","-pdf","tmp/"+file_name+".pdf"]
        #fop_transform = subprocess.Popen(cmd,stdout=subprocess.PIPE,stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
        #fop_log = "-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-\n"
        #fop_log = fop_log + time.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %R:%S')+"\n"
        #fop_log = fop_log + file_name+".fo" + "\n"
        #fop_log =  fop_transform.communicate()[0]+"\n"
        #f = open("/tmp/error_log","a")
        #f.write(fop_log)
        #f.close()

OK If I comment out the cmd variable declaration the code runs and makes an fo file correctly. With is uncommented like it is above, I get a NameError on file_name is not defined (which it is in the top). If I uncomment the second declaration of file_name right above the cmd declaratioin, it thows a NameError on self. ‘.’ In the past when this sort of thing happens, it is a syntax error. I am missing it, please helpz!

When the second declaration of file_name is commented out:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "make_pdfs.py", line 11, in ?
    from MakePdfs import MakePdfs
  File "/home/khouser/removed/removed/MakePdfs.py", line 16, in ?
    class MakePdfs:
  File "/home/khouser/removed/removed/MakePdfs.py", line 39, in MakePdfs
    cmd = [fop_cmd,"-fo","tmp/"+file_name+".fo","-pdf","tmp/"+file_name+".pdf"]
NameError: name 'file_name' is not defined

When the second declaration of file_name is uncommented:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "make_pdfs.py", line 11, in ?
    from MakePdfs import MakePdfs
  File "/home/khouser/removed/removed/MakePdfs.py", line 16, in ?
    class MakePdfs:
  File "/home/khouser/removed/removed/MakePdfs.py", line 38, in MakePdfs
    file_name = self.tpa+"_"+self.be+"_"+self.batch_num
NameError: name 'self' is not defined

Answer 1

Mysterious NameErrors may arise from your file containing invisible control characters. On unix machines, you can spot these errors by looking at the output of

cat -A filename.py