AttributeError: 'str' object has no attribute 'decode' - python [solved]

AttributeError: 'str' object has no attribute 'decode' is one of the most common errors that users face when switching from Python v2 to Python v3 . Let us understand why this error occurs and how to fix it in simple steps.

What is the cause of "AttributeError: 'str' object has no attribute 'decode'" error ?

In Python v2, encode() method is used to convert a str object to a byte object, and the decode() method is used to convert a byte object to a str object.

But in Python v3, all the str objects are already in the unicode format ( decoded ). As there is no need to decode an already decoded object, in this version the decode method is made unavailable for str objects. Therefore, when you try to use the decode method on str objects, you will encounter this error.

Example in Python v2

print("bugz".decode())

Output : bugz

Example in Python v3

print("bugz".decode())

Output : AttributeError: 'str' object has no attribute 'decode'

In the above example of python v3, though the str object is decoded by default and does not have a decode method, the decode() method is still used on the str object ( "bugz" ) , resulting in the above mentioned AttributeError.

How to fix " AttributeError: 'str' object has no attribute 'decode' " error ?

The most straightforward solution for AttributeError: 'str' object has no attribute 'decode' error is to not decode a str object, i.e. to avoid using the decode() method on str objects because it is not necessary to decode an object that has already been decoded.

Example in Python v3

print("bugz")

Output : bugz

Conclusion

When you try to use the decode() method on str objects in python v3, the AttributeError: 'str' object has no attribute 'decode' usually occurs. This happens because, in python v3 the str objects are decoded by default and therefore they don't have the decode() method. Hence, when you try to use a method which is not available for an object, the AttributeError occurs.