How to Fix – NameError: name ‘random’ is not defined

If you are working with Python and trying to use the random library, you may encounter the “NameError: name ‘random’ is not defined” error. In this tutorial, we will explore why this error occurs and the steps required to fix it such that your Python code can successfully run without errors.

We will cover common causes of the error and provide solutions to help you get your code up and running quickly. So, let’s get started!

Why does the NameError: name 'random' is not defined error occur?

This error occurs when you try to use the random library in your Python code, but Python cannot find the random module in its namespace. The following are some of the scenarios in which this error usually occurs.

1. You have not imported the random module.
2. You have imported the random module using a different name.

How to fix the NameError: name 'random' is not defined?

The random library in Python is a built-in module that provides a suite of functions for generating random numbers. It can be used to generate random integers, floating-point numbers, and sequences such as lists and tuples. It is commonly used in games, simulations, and statistical analysis. Since this library is a built-in library in Python, you don’t need to separately install it. You can import it and start using it.

Let’s now look at the above scenarios in detail.

The random module is not imported

It can happen that you are trying to use the random module without even importing it. This is because Python does not recognize the random library and its functions until it is imported into the code.

For example, let’s try to use the random module without importing it and see what we get.

# note that random is not imported

# generate a random integer between 1 and 10
print(random.randint(1, 10))

Output:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

NameError                                 Traceback (most recent call last)

Cell In[1], line 4
      1 # note that random is not imported
      2 
      3 # generate a random integer between 1 and 10
----> 4 print(random.randint(1, 10))

NameError: name 'random' is not defined

We get a NameError stating that the name random is not defined. To use the random library, you need to import it first.

import random

# generate a random integer between 1 and 10
print(random.randint(1, 10))

Output:

4

Here, we are importing the random module first and then using it to generate a random integer between 1 and 10. You can see that we did not get any errors here.

You can also get a NameError if you are importing only specific parts of the library and then trying to access the entire random library. For example –

from random import randint

# generate a random integer between 1 and 10
print(random.randint(1, 10))

Output:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

NameError                                 Traceback (most recent call last)

Cell In[1], line 4
      1 from random import randint
      3 # generate a random integer between 1 and 10
----> 4 print(random.randint(1, 10))

NameError: name 'random' is not defined

We get a NameError here because we are importing only the randint() function from the random library but we are trying to access the entire library. To resolve the above error, either only use the specific method imported or import the random library altogether.

The random module is imported using a different name

If you import the random module using a different name, for example import random as rnd, and then try to use the name “random” to use it, you will get a NameError because the name “random” is not defined in your current namespace.

Let’s look at an example.

import random as rnd

# generate a random integer between 1 and 10
print(random.randint(1, 10))

Output:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

NameError                                 Traceback (most recent call last)

Cell In[1], line 4
      1 import random as rnd
      3 # generate a random integer between 1 and 10
----> 4 print(random.randint(1, 10))

NameError: name 'random' is not defined

We get a NameError: name 'random' is not defined. This is because we have imported the random module with the name rnd but we’re trying to use it using the name random.

To fix this error, you can either access random using the name that you have used in the import statement or import random without an alias.

import random as rnd

# generate a random integer between 1 and 10
print(rnd.randint(1, 10))

Output:

9

In the above example, we are importing random as rnd and then using rnd to access the random module’s methods.

Alternatively, as seen in the example in the previous section, you can import random without any aliases and simply use random to avoid the NameError.

Conclusion

In conclusion, encountering a NameError: name 'random' is not defined error can be frustrating, but it is a common issue that can be easily fixed. By ensuring that the random module is imported correctly and that the correct syntax is used when calling its functions, you can avoid this error and successfully execute your code.

You might also be interested in –

• How to Fix – NameError name ‘math’ is not defined
• How to Fix – NameError: name ‘scipy’ is not defined
• How to Fix – NameError: name ‘numpy’ is not defined