TypeError("unhashable type: 'dict'")

Question

I am trying to pass a data back to a URL fetch request. We are using Python 3.x

            user_type_data = {'user_type': 'admin', 
                'user_name': 'myname', 
                'user_check_flag': 'yes'}

            return_data = json.dumps({                    
                l_user_type_data            : user_type_data 
            },default = date_handler)

            return return_data

When we do this for a dict I am getting the following error - TypeError("unhashable type: 'dict'"). According to this, it states that we cannot use a dict that is not hashabale - but how do we do this?

How do we fix this?

To be clear, you want to use a dict as a key in another dict, rather than nesting two dicts? — Nick ODell, Feb 18 '22 at 03:38

Dhana D. · Accepted Answer · 2022-02-18T03:47:19.407

A valid dictionary key string should be enveloped by quotes or double quotes.

a_dict = {'key': 'value'}  # Valid
b_dict = {"key": "value"}  # Valid

Or if you wish to assign string that was stored in a variable to be the dictionary key, you can do this instead:

st = "key"
a_dict = dict()
a_dict[st] = 'value'

Since json_dumps requires a valid python dictionary, you may need to rearrange your code.

If the l_user_type_data is a variable contains a string, you should do:

temp_dict = dict()
temp_dict[l_user_type_data] = user_type_data
result = json.dumps(temp_dict, default = date_handler)

Otherwise, if l_user_type_data is a string for the key, just simply enclose that with either single quote or double quotes.

return_data = json.dumps({                    
                "l_user_type_data" : user_type_data 
            },default = date_handler)

TypeError("unhashable type: 'dict'")

1 Answers1