“type object 'datetime.datetime' has no attribute 'datetime'” even with “import datetime”

[John Del Rosario]

I'm getting `type object 'datetime.datetime' has no attribute 'datetime'` errors on AppEngine, complaining about the datetime type, but my import is `import datetime`. There *are* `from datetime import datetime` in *other* files, but I don't think that should affect this file? 

There's no 'accidental' re-imports, I've checked. I've checked my AppEngine logs, and it only started happening 2 days ago. 

I'm using 2.7 runtime. 

Here's the line that's causing the error (note that I'm using `import datetime`, NOT `from datetime import datetime`)

    task.due_at = datetime.datetime.strptime(date, '%Y-%m-%d %I:%M%p')

Stack trace

    type object 'datetime.datetime' has no attribute 'datetime'

    Traceback (most recent call last):

      File "/base/data/home/runtimes/python27/python27_lib/versions/third_party/webapp2-2.5.1/webapp2.py", line 570, in dispatch

        return method(*args, **kwargs)

      File "/base/data/home/apps/s~wmphighrise/1.373696587983821954/myapp/handler/decorators.py", line 22, in wrapper

        return fn(*args, **kwargs)

      File "/base/data/home/apps/s~wmphighrise/1.373696587983821954/myapp/handler/api/main.py", line 1343, in post

        task.due_at = datetime.datetime.strptime(date, '%Y-%m-%d %I:%M%p')

    AttributeError: type object 'datetime.datetime' has no attribute 'datetime'

Some debugging

Note: `import datetime` is at the top

    #1st attempt

    import datetime

    class MyHandler():

      def get(self):

        logging.info(datetime) # => "<type 'datetime.datetime'>"

    

    #2nd attempt

    import datetime

    class MyHandler():

      def get(self):

        import datetime  # explicitly re-import the module

        logging.info(datetime) # => "<module 'datetime' (built-in)>"

    

    #3rd attempt

    import datetime

    class MyHandler():

      def get(self):

        logging.info(datetime) # => Throws UnboundLocalError: local variable 'datetime' referenced before assignment

                               # Is this normal? This is new to me.

        import datetime

        logging.info(datetime)

    #4th attempt

    import datetime

    logging.info(datetime) # => "<module 'datetime' (built-in)>"

    class MyHandler():

      def get(self):

        logging.info(datetime) # => "<type 'datetime.datetime'>"

                              

Is there a way for a variable to be redefined *outside* the current file or module? Because I've looked and looked at this file and there's no redefining at all.

See Stackoverflow discussion for more info.

[timh]

From the small snippets you have supplied what you are showing isn't possible.

e..g 

>>> import datetime

>>> class MyHandler(object):

... def get(self):

... print datetime

...

>>> datetime

<module 'datetime' (built-in)>

>>> x = MyHandler()

>>> x.get()

<module 'datetime' (built-in)>

So other things are at work here.  You need to show a full set of working code that exhibits this problem.

You may have monkey patching going on. 

T

[timh]

For instance you are not supplying what the base class for MyHandler is.  Maybe some shenanigans are going on at the class level.

T