How to Handle Unhashable Type List Exceptions in Python

The Python TypeError: unhashable type: 'list' usually means that a list is being used as a hash argument. This error occurs when trying to hash a list, which is an unhashable object. For example, using a list as a key in a Python dictionary will cause this error since dictionaries only accept hashable data types as a key.

The standard way to solve this issue is to cast a list to a tuple, which is a hashable data type.

Install the Python SDK to identify and fix these undefined errors

Tuples vs Lists

Tuples are similar to lists but are immutable. They usually contain a heterogeneous sequence of elements that are accessed via unpacking or indexing. On the other hand, lists are mutable and contain a homogeneous sequence of elements that are accessed by iterating over the list.

Immutable objects such as tuples are hashable since they have a single unique value that never changes. Hashing such objects always produces the same result, so they can be used as the keys for dictionaries.

TypeError: Unhashable Type: 'List' Example

Here’s an example of a Python TypeError: unhashable type: 'list' thrown when a list is used as the key for a dictionary:

my_dict = {1: 'Bob', [2,3,4]: 'names'}
print(my_dict)

Since a list is not hashable, running the above code produces the following error:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "test.py", line 1, in <module>
    my_dict = {1: 'Bob', [2,3,4]: 'names'}
TypeError: unhashable type: 'list'

How to Fix TypeError: unhashable type: 'list'

The Python TypeError: Unhashable Type: 'List' can be fixed by casting a list to a tuple before using it as a key in a dictionary:

my_dict = {1: 'Bob', tuple([2,3,4]): 'names'}
print(my_dict)

In the example above, the tuple() function is used to convert the list to a tuple. The above code runs successfully, produces the following output:

{1: 'Bob', (2, 3, 4): 'names'}

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Unhashable Type Errors in Python?

Unhashable type errors appear in a Python program when a data type that is not hashable is used in code that requires hashable data. An example of this is using an element in a set or a list as the key of a dictionary.

What is Hashable in Python?

Hashable is a feature of Python objects that determines whether the object has a hash value or not. An object is hashable if it has a hash value that doesn't change during its lifetime. A hashable object can be used as a key for a dictionary or as an element in a set.

All built-in immutable objects, like tuples, are hashable while mutable containers like lists and dictionaries are not hashable.

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