TypeError: 'str' object is not callable but I am not overwriting the str method?

Question

I think this is something to do with using the input() function? I read other answers that suggest its because you are trying to redefine str but as you can see Im not doing this here. I know there is a better way of achieving the goal of this task, but i'm just using it to explore python not looking to be optimal.

#Ask the user for a string and print out whether this string is a palindrome or not.
#(A palindrome is a string that reads the same forwards and backwards.)
repeat = True
while repeat == True:
    print(" enter a string " )
    input = str(input())


    #split string into an array of characters
    string = list(input)
    print(string)
    stringReverse = list(input[::-1])
    print(stringReverse)

    #loop an check if the first char matches last char up to the halfway
    length = len(string)
    #get the halfway point
    if length%2 == 0:
        #halfway point is even
        halfway = length/2
    else:
        halfway=(length+1)/2 #we are going to ignore this character



    print(halfway)

    print(stringReverse)
    #loop through each character in string
    currentpost = 0
    palindrome=True

    for index, letter in enumerate(string):
        #print(str(index)+ ' ' + letter)
        #print(stringReverse[index])
        print( letter +stringReverse[index])
        if letter == stringReverse[index]:
              print('match')
        else:
            print('break')
            palindrome = False



    print(palindrome)

    print("continue y/n")
    answer = str(input())
    print(answer)
    if answer =="n":
        repeat = False

Error Message is as follows

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/Users/nigel/Desktop/pythonshit/exercises6.py", line 48, in <module>
    answer = str(input())
TypeError: 'str' object is not callable

Answer 1

It's because you have named your variable input on the second line of your code. What happens is that the variable input becomes a str due to input = str(input()) , and when you try to call it later down the line on answer = str(input()) , Python thinks you are trying to call that string input .

Answer 2

With input = str(input()) you assign a string to the variable input and you hide the function input . Then when you call input() it is a string object and is not callable.

Answer 3

Your problem is a scope and Variable Shadowing problem.

In short:

When you try to answer = str(input()) python thinks that input is the variable you defined up there input = str(input()) while you intend the input() function.

To fix your problem:

change input = str(input()) to be something like my_input = str(input()) so you won't have this problem of shadowing.