How to Solve Error Message NameError at /save_staff/ name ‘name’ is not defined when running Django Application

Introduction

This is an article where the content is still has a connection with another previous article. In the previous article, there is a success for implementing a certain task where it exist in ‘How to Use ModelForm to Create a Form for submitting User Input in Django Application‘. But on the process for implementing it to be a success one, there are lots of error messages appear. One of those error message exist for a discussion in this article. Before going on further, below is the actual appearance of the error message :

NameError at /save_staff/

name ‘name’ is not defined

In order to have a better understanding to recognize the error message, below is the Django project and also Django application structure :

(env) C:\project>dir
Volume in drive C is Windows-SSD
Volume Serial Number is CA30-19A4

Directory of C:\project

09/06/2022 07:13 AM <DIR>          .
09/06/2022 10:42 AM <DIR>          ..
09/06/2022 08:19 PM <DIR>          apps
08/24/2022 09:30 AM        159,744 db.sqlite3
08/20/2022 05:17 PM            683 manage.py
08/20/2022 05:18 PM <DIR>          project
09/06/2022 07:14 AM            126 requirements.txt
3 File(s) 160,553 bytes
4 Dir(s) 65,556,508,672 bytes free

(env) C:\project> cd apps
(env) C:\project\apps>dir
Volume in drive C is Windows-SSD
Volume Serial Number is CA30-19A4

Directory of C:\project\apps

09/06/2022 08:19 PM <DIR>       .
09/06/2022 07:13 AM <DIR>       ..
08/24/2022 10:02 AM         215 admin.py
08/24/2022 08:43 AM         146 apps.py
09/17/2022 02:18 PM         454 forms.py
08/26/2022 02:19 PM <DIR>       migrations
08/26/2022 02:05 PM       1,548 models.py
09/06/2022 07:01 PM <DIR>       templates
08/24/2022 08:43 AM          63 tests.py
09/06/2022 08:03 AM         118 urls.py
09/08/2022 06:43 AM         871 views.py
08/24/2022 08:43 AM           0 __init__.py
09/08/2022 06:43 AM <DIR>       __pycache__
7 File(s) 2,961 bytes
6 Dir(s) 66,276,225,024 bytes free

(env) C:\project\apps>

Apparently, the error message appear with the cause of a certain line in the source code of the Django application. It is exist in the function with the name of ‘save_staff’ as in the following line :

        print("Staff Name : ",name)

How to Solve Error Message NameError at /save_staff/ name ‘name’ is not defined

Continue on the previous part for solving the problem, there is an explicit hint for solving it. In this case, the error message is basically exist because of the miss-typed or miss-understanding usage of the variable name. So, the error message is really pointing or classifying it as a NameError. In this case, a NameError exist as part of the error message is followed with a more detail information. In the Django applicaton URL of  ‘/save_staff’ which is represented by a function with the name of ‘save_staff’, it execute with an error stating that there is an undefined name which is a variable with the name of ‘name’. Below is the complete version of the ‘save_staff’ function :

def save_staff(request):
    if request.POST:
        staff = Staff()
        staff.name = request.POST.get('name')
        user = User.objects.get(id=request.POST.get('user'))
        staff.save()
        print("Staff Name : ",name)
    else:
        print("Not a GET request")

As in the above function definition of ‘save_staff’, the variable name of ‘name’ is being printed without being defined before. There is no single definition of variable with the name ‘name’ before printing it. That is why there is an error message appear as “NameError at /save_staff/ name ‘name’ is not defined”. There are two ways for solving the problem :

1. The first way is just simple remove that line which is causing the problem. In this case, remove the line :

           print("Staff Name : ",name)

   Because that line does not have anything to do with the process represented by other source code lines exist in that function.

2. The second way is by defining the variable with the name ‘name’. In this context, revising the variable name itself. Actually, there is already exist a variable of ‘name’ which is part of an attribute from an object variable with the name of ‘staff’. So, in order to print the variable or attribute with the name of ‘name’ which is owned by the object variable of ‘staff’, below is the revision of it :

   def save_staff(request):
       if request.POST:
           staff = Staff()
           staff.name = request.POST.get('name')
           user = User.objects.get(id=request.POST.get('user'))
           staff.save()
           print("Staff Name : ",staff.name)
       else:
           print("Not a GET request")

   Just revise from the line

      print("Staff Name : ",name)

   Into the following line of :

      print("Staff Name : ",staff.name)

3. Finally, after revising the function of ‘save_staff’ above in the ‘views.py’ file, just execute the Django application again. In this context, perform the entry process into the form and in the end submit the form.