typeerror: ‘set’ object is not callable [SOLVED]

If you are a Python developer, you may have encountered the TypeError: ‘set’ object is not callable error when you are running a python program.

In this article, we will find out together why it occurs, what this error means, the possible causes, and how to fix it.

Why this error ‘set’ object is not callable occur?

The TypeError object is not callable occur because when you are trying to call a set object like a function. In Python, sets are created using curly braces {} or the set() function.

However, you cannot call a set like a function with parentheses ().

I will show you an example where this error occurs:

my_set = {1, 2, 3, 4}
print(my_set())

Output:

C:\Users\Dell\PycharmProjects\pythonProject\venv\Scripts\python.exe C:\Users\Dell\PycharmProjects\pythonProject\main.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
File “C:\Users\Dell\PycharmProjects\pythonProject\main.py”, line 2, in
print(my_set()) # Error: ‘set’ object is not callable
TypeError: ‘set’ object is not callable

In this example, we are trying to call the my_set object like a function by adding parentheses to the end of it. However, sets cannot be called as functions.

Before we proceed to the solutions, we will understand first what is a callable in Python.

What Does Object is Not Callable Mean?

The callable object is an object which is used to be called. To check if an object is callable you could use the callable() built-in function and pass an object to it.

If the function will return True the object is callable, while if the object will return False the object is not callable.

Possible Causes of the TypeError: ‘set’ object is not callable Error

Here are the common causes of the TypeError ‘set’ object is not ‘callable‘ Error:

• You are using parentheses instead of braces to create a set
• You’re assigning a function to a set object
• You are using a set object as a function argument

Also read the other fixed python error problem:

• Typeerror string argument without an encoding [Solved]
• Typeerror: ‘response’ object is not subscriptable [SOLVED]
• Typeerror cannot convert the series to class int

How to Solve the TypeError: ‘set’ object is not callable Error?

Now that you know already what causes the TypeError set object is not callable error, let’s discuss how to solve it.

Here are some solutions:

Solution 1: Use braces instead of parentheses to create a set

To create a set in Python, we will use braces {} instead of parentheses ().

For example:

my_set = {1, 2, 3, 4}
print(my_set)

Output:

C:\Users\Dell\PycharmProjects\pythonProject\venv\Scripts\python.exe C:\Users\Dell\PycharmProjects\pythonProject\main.py
{1, 2, 3, 4}

Solution 2: Check your code for function assignments

If you assume that you have assigned a function to a set object, you can verify your code for function assignments. Make sure that you are not assigning a function to a set object. For example:

my_set = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
my_set_2 = set([5, 6, 7, 8, 9])

def my_function():
    print("Welcome to the tutorial for typeerror: 'set' object is not callable!")

# Don't assign a function to a set object
# my_set = my_function

# Instead, assign the function to a variable
my_var = my_function
my_var()

Output:

C:\Users\Dell\PycharmProjects\pythonProject\venv\Scripts\python.exe C:\Users\Dell\PycharmProjects\pythonProject\main.py
Welcome to the tutorial for ‘set’ object is not callable!

Solution 3: Check the function signature

When you are using a set object as an argument to a function, verify the function signature to make sure that the function expects a set object.

For example, if you are using the sorted() function to sort the elements of a set.

Make sure that you are passing the set object as an argument to the function.

For example:

my_set = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
sorted_set = sorted(my_set)

Output:

C:\Users\Dell\PycharmProjects\pythonProject\venv\Scripts\python.exe C:\Users\Dell\PycharmProjects\pythonProject\main.py
[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Conclusion

The TypeError: ‘set’ object is not callable error can be frustrating, yet it is not difficult to fix. In this article, we have discussed what this error means, the possible causes, and how to fix it.

Remember to use braces to create a set, check your code for function assignments, and check the function signature when using a set object as an argument.

Through following these tips, you can prevent the error and write more Python code project smoothly.

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