ImportError: cannot import name '_assert_shallow_structure' from 'tree'

Question

I am getting that error while importing tensorflow_probability in IDLE(Default python editor). I don't get that error if use same code in VS code. Works perfectly fine in VS code. Here are my imports

import numpy as np
import tensorflow.compat.v1 as tf
import tensorflow_probability as tfp
tf.disable_v2_behavior()

Here is complete error

    Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Python Scripts\pos_tagging.py", line 4, in <module>
    import tensorflow_probability as tfp
  File "C:\Users\aaaa\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python38\lib\site-packages\tensorflow_probability\__init__.py", line 77, in <module>
    from tensorflow_probability.python import *  # pylint: disable=wildcard-import
  File "C:\Users\aaaa\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python38\lib\site-packages\tensorflow_probability\python\__init__.py", line 21, in <module>
    from tensorflow_probability.python import bijectors
  File "C:\Users\aaaa\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python38\lib\site-packages\tensorflow_probability\python\bijectors\__init__.py", line 23, in <module>
    from tensorflow_probability.python.bijectors.absolute_value import AbsoluteValue
  File "C:\Users\aaaa\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python38\lib\site-packages\tensorflow_probability\python\bijectors\absolute_value.py", line 23, in <module>
    from tensorflow_probability.python.bijectors import bijector
  File "C:\Users\aaaa\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python38\lib\site-packages\tensorflow_probability\python\bijectors\bijector.py", line 31, in <module>
    from tensorflow_probability.python.internal import distribution_util
  File "C:\Users\aaaa\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python38\lib\site-packages\tensorflow_probability\python\internal\distribution_util.py", line 28, in <module>
    from tensorflow_probability.python.internal import prefer_static
  File "C:\Users\aaaa\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python38\lib\site-packages\tensorflow_probability\python\internal\prefer_static.py", line 30, in <module>
    from tensorflow_probability.python.internal.backend import numpy as nptf
  File "C:\Users\aaaa\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python38\lib\site-packages\tensorflow_probability\python\internal\backend\numpy\__init__.py", line 21, in <module>
    from tensorflow_probability.python.internal.backend.numpy import bitwise
  File "C:\Users\aaaa\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python38\lib\site-packages\tensorflow_probability\python\internal\backend\numpy\bitwise.py", line 23, in <module>
    from tensorflow_probability.python.internal.backend.numpy import _utils as utils
  File "C:\Users\aaaa\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python38\lib\site-packages\tensorflow_probability\python\internal\backend\numpy\_utils.py", line 26, in <module>
    from tensorflow_probability.python.internal.backend.numpy import nest
  File "C:\Users\aaaa\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python38\lib\site-packages\tensorflow_probability\python\internal\backend\numpy\nest.py", line 34, in <module>
    from tree import _assert_shallow_structure
ImportError: cannot import name '_assert_shallow_structure' from 'tree' (C:\Users\aaaa\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python38\Lib\idlelib\tree.py)

Python Version:3.8.5 64 bit Windows machine

Answer 1

Look at where it's importing from (C:\\Users\\aaaa\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\Python\\Python38\\Lib\\idlelib\\tree.py) I think you meant to import from dm-tree.

Here's my solution: if you don't have dm-tree installed

pip install dm-tree

if you do, install PyCharm and use that to run the code. It wont have the conflict that IDLE would on the tree.py