How I solved an ImportError Issue in Django
Tags: django, bug, python
Published: 2023-06-09 00:45:11


I was trying to create a URL shortener app in Django. So, I started with the basic setup. However, when I attempted to start a new project using the command "django-admin startproject <project_name>", I encountered an error message: "ImportError: cannot import name 'Iterator' from 'collections' (/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.10/lib/python3.10/collections/init.py)".

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/w3u3zumk2l74tk54hoqs.png)

From the error message, it is obvious that there is something wrong with importing the Iterator class from the collections module.

**What is the Iterator class**

In Python, the Iterator class is a built-in class that represents an iterator object. An iterator is an object that implements the iterator protocol, which consists of two methods: __iter__() and __next__().

An iterator is a Python object that facilitates iterating through a group of things one at a time. Consider it a means to perform a specified action on each item in a collection or access them all at once.
Python comes with a built-in class called Iterator that gives you the ability to make your own unique iterators. Two unique methods, __iter__() and __next__(), create a set of rules that an iterator must abide by.

The iterator's beginning is similar to the procedure __iter__(). It gets the iterator ready to start the iteration process or restart it.
The next item is obtained from the iterator using the __next__() method. It hands you the current item before moving on to the following one. It notifies you if there are no more items by raising a unique signal known as the StopIteration exception.
You can specify how you wish to iterate over a collection of things or include your own custom logic by building your own iterator. An iterator could, for instance, count from 0 to a specified number, carry out certain operations on each item, or iterate over your own unique objects.

Here is a straightforward illustration of how an iterator functions:

Consider that you wish to examine each marble in your bag of colorful marbles one by one. You could accomplish it with the iterator. When you request the marble, it gives it to you while keeping track of the existing marble. When you reach the last marble, it tells you that there are no more marbles left.
An example of a custom iterator that counts from 0 to a specified number: 
```python
class MyIterator:
    def __init__(self, max_num):
        self.max_num = max_num
        self.current = 0

    def __iter__(self):
        return self

    def __next__(self):
        if self.current < self.max_num:
            num = self.current
            self.current += 1
            return num
        else:
            raise StopIteration()
```

To use the custom Iterator,

```python
my_iterator = MyIterator(5) 
for num in my_iterator:
    print(num)
```

Understanding iterators will allow you to use them with loops, such as for loops, to quickly iterate across collections of things. Additionally, a lot of Python objects, including lists, strings, and dictionaries, are already iterable, which means you can use an iterator with them.

**so, back to the error**

I did a little research online and I got to know that this error is usually encountered when using Python 3.10 or higher, as the Iterator class was moved to a different location in the Python standard library starting from Python 3.10.


You can fix this problem by changing the import statement in your Django project's source code. What you can do is:

1. Find the file containing the problematic import statement. /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.10/lib/python3.10/collections/__init__.py, an internal Python library file that is generally not a file you would edit, is mentioned in the error message.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/3yolwud9h6cacnsg86kq.png)

2. Open the error-related file or any other file in your project that makes use of the collections.Iterator import.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/inhskh41b9h4o7oz49t2.png)


3. To import Iterator from the proper location, modify the import statement. Import it from collections.abc rather than from collections. Substitute the following import statement for the current one:

```python
from collections.abc import Iterator
```


![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/x25861ju50dwapg3plie.png)

4. Save the file and try running your Django project again. The error should no longer occur.

You may ensure compatibility with Python 3.10 and later versions, where the Iterator class was moved to the collections.abc module, by importing Iterator from collections.abc rather than collections.

Now if I type django-admin startproject <project> in my terminal, There will be no more error and the code works

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/8cxnmfasgvwdptr6obxn.png)

when I open my text editor, the project is now created

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/b5zgqunbllwrjh1y71rm.png)
   
A less nerdy method to solve this same problem is to:

Verify Django version compatibility: Make sure the Django version you're running is compatible with the Python version you have installed. To figure out which version to use, look over the Django documentation or the project requirements.

Run the following command in your terminal to verify the version of Python you have installed:

`python --version`

Update Django: If the problem still exists even though you are using the right version of Python, try updating your Django installation to the most recent version that is compatible. To update Django, use the following command:

`pip install --upgrade django`

Now you can try creating the django project again and it will run without any error.


Thanks for reading,

say hi to me on [twitter @Sammie_savvie](https://twitter.com/Sammie_savvie)