ValueError with INI Config File

Question

Background -
I have a python program that calls an API, saves the data to a DataFrame, and writes it to a .JSON + .CSV file.
As part of this program, I have been exploring using an .INI (config) file, which I would like to -

1. Read my API key and secret in my def api_call():
2. Read 2x date values (yyyy-mm-dd) required in my def api_parameters(): function, which are parameters to form a url string, which will be used to make the API call.

.INI Structure - (with dummy values!)

[firm_api]
key = 6GFDGFSDGSDFGSDFGFSDGFSDGFD
secret = GFSD898F908GFSD09PJGF-80F
[url_params]
start_date = 2021-10-30
end_date = 2021-11-30 

Issue -
I have created a def config , which reads my .INI file, and attempts to return my API key and secret , as well as the url parameters of start_date and end_date .

The problem is that when I call the def config from either def api_parameters (this is where I need start_date and end_date ) OR def api_call (where I need key & secret ) I get the a ValueError: too many values to unpack (expected 2) error.

Function that reads the.INI - this reads my .INI file and returns the 4x values mentioned above:

def ini_config():
    file = 'authen_config.ini'
    config = ConfigParser()
    config.read(file)
    key = config.get('firm_api', 'key')
    secret = config.get('firm_api', 'secret')
    start_date = config.get('url_params', 'start_date')
    end_date = config.get('url_params', 'end_date')
    return key, secret, start_date, end_date

Function that needs start_date and end_date - this function constructs the url to call:

def api_parameters():
    start_date, end_date = ini_config()
    str = "https://firm.vendor.com/api/v1/portfolio/views/45265/results?portfolio_id=10&portfolio_type=firm&output_type=json&start_date={}&end_date={}&vendor_firm=333"
    url = str.format(start_date, end_date)
    print("-----------------------\n", "API URLs constructed\n-----------------------")
    return url
api_parameters()

Function that needs key and secret - makes the API call:

def api_call():
    key, secret = ini_config()
    url = api_parameters()
    response = requests.get(url, auth = HTTPBasicAuth(key, secret), headers={"Vendor-Firm":"333"})
    api_response = json.loads(response.text)
    return api_response
api_call()

I think the problem is that although in the def api_call(): and def url_parameters(): I am only trying to call def ini_config(): for the values I need, it is returning all 4x values and confusing the functions.

Does anyone have any suggestions how I can resolve these ValueError: too many values to unpack (expected 2) ?

Answer 1

Your ini_config() returns 4 values

return key, secret, start_date, end_date

but you try to assign to 2 variables

start_date, end_date = ini_config()
# or 
key, secret = ini_config()

and this makes problem.

You have to use 4 variables

key, secret, start_date, end_date = ini_config()

Or you can use popular _ as variable to skip some values

_, _, start_date, end_date = ini_config()
# or 
key, secret, _, _ = ini_config()

---

Eventually you should create two functions - one only to get keys , and one to get only dates .