python NameError: global name '__file__' is not defined

Question

When I run this code in python 2.7, I get this error:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File \"C:\\Python26\\Lib\\site-packages\\pyutilib.subprocess-3.5.4\\         


        

Answer 1

I'm having exacty the same problem and using probably the same tutorial. The function definition:

def read(*rnames):
    return open(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), *rnames)).read()

is buggy, since os.path.dirname(__file__) will not return what you need. Try replacing os.path.dirname(__file__) with os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)):

def read(*rnames):
    return open(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)), *rnames)).read()

I've just posted Andrew that the code snippet in current docs don't work, hopefully, it'll be corrected.