import pandas_datareader gives ImportError: cannot import name 'is_list_like'

Question

I am working in a virtual environment. I am able to import and work in pandas without any error but when I am trying to import pandas_datareader

import pandas as pd
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import datetime as dt
from matplotlib import style
import pandas_datareader as web

it is giving following error -

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "stock.py", line 6, in <module>
    import pandas_datareader as web
  File "/home/xxxxx/django-apps/env/lib/python3.5/site-packages/pandas_datareader/__init__.py", line 2, in <module>
    from .data import (DataReader, Options, get_components_yahoo,
  File "/home/xxxxx/django-apps/env/lib/python3.5/site-packages/pandas_datareader/data.py", line 14, in <module>
    from pandas_datareader.fred import FredReader
  File "/home/xxxxx/django-apps/env/lib/python3.5/site-packages/pandas_datareader/fred.py", line 1, in <module>
    from pandas.core.common import is_list_like
ImportError: cannot import name 'is_list_like'
(env) xxxxx@xxxxx-yyyyy ~/pyt $ python stock.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "stock.py", line 6, in <module>
    import pandas_datareader
  File "/home/xxxxx/django-apps/env/lib/python3.5/site-packages/pandas_datareader/__init__.py", line 2, in <module>
    from .data import (DataReader, Options, get_components_yahoo,
  File "/home/xxxxx/django-apps/env/lib/python3.5/site-packages/pandas_datareader/data.py", line 14, in <module>
    from pandas_datareader.fred import FredReader
  File "/home/xxxxx/django-apps/env/lib/python3.5/site-packages/pandas_datareader/fred.py", line 1, in <module>
    from pandas.core.common import is_list_like
ImportError: cannot import name 'is_list_like'

Myology

what is your pandas version? – Scapula

pandas version is 0.23.0 – Myology

It looks like your version of pandas_datareader is not compatible with brand new Pandas 0.23 – Scapula

Quite possible. Let me purge it and install an older version. Then I will check again thanks. – Myology

@MaxU working well with 0.21.0. Thanks – Myology

Answer 1

I meet this error and I found a method to solve it. My pandas and pandas_datareader versions are 0.23 and 0.6.

Python 3.6.5 (default, Apr  1 2018, 05:46:30)
[GCC 7.3.0] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import pandas_datareader
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/dist-packages/pandas_datareader/__init__.py", line 2, in <module>
    from .data import (DataReader, Options, get_components_yahoo,
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/dist-packages/pandas_datareader/data.py", line 14, in <module>
    from pandas_datareader.fred import FredReader
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/dist-packages/pandas_datareader/fred.py", line 1, in <module>
    from pandas.core.common import is_list_like
ImportError: cannot import name 'is_list_like'

Because the is_list_like is moved to pandas.api.types, I change the fred.py file which is highlighted in the picture. I replace from pandas.core.common import is_list_like with from pandas.api.types import is_list_like, and it works.

Nocturne

You can put pd.core.common.is_list_like = pd.api.types.is_list_like before you import pandas_datareader so you don't need to edit fred.py. – Hake

I installed an earlier version of Pandas and it is working fine. So if someone wants to use pandas 0.23 then this seems to be correct method. – Myology

This work for as well, all I did was open the file and change the line 1 to this: from pandas.api.types import is_list_like the thing that I don't understand is that it seems that this was patch a while ago, and the latest library has this, which is what I have, does not include this patch. anyway, thanks for tip. – Carlist

@Hake in which file did you place that line? – Tuchman

@Tuchman I put it in my python script just before I write import pandas_datareader. – Hake

Modifying a library source is definitely a workaround that should be avoided. If you modify the highlighted path, you'll break pandas for the system-wide python3.6... something you really want to avoid. Ps. downgrading pandas to 0.23.0 with pandas_reader 0.6 didn't work for me. – Oleum

Answer 2

A solution without changing any files locally and bypass the version control of your package manager (pip) is to define is_list_like like this:

import pandas as pd
pd.core.common.is_list_like = pd.api.types.is_list_like

right before

import pandas_datareader as web

Furthermore this problem will be fixed in pandas_datareader version 0.7.0 release.

Downward

This should be the accepted answer because it doesn't need to change any files to work. – Cholecystitis

agreed, 1 line of code fixes the problem until datareader 0.7 is ready – Ber

Answer 3

This is due to the fact that is_list_like has been moved from pandas.core.common to pandas.api.types in Pandas 0.23.0. This issue has been repaired here and will be a part of the Pandas Datareader 0.7.0 release. For now, I would recommend using the dev version of Datareader. Instructions for installing can be found in the documentation.

Kelter

Answer 4

If you are not working with pandas_datareader. you need to check your conda environment data reader is installed or not if not install than you can import this way this.

import pandas as pd
pd.core.common.is_list_like = pd.api.types.is_list_like
import pandas_datareader as web

Culinarian

Answer 5

Edit fred.py file inside /your_installation_path/python2.7/site-packages/pandas_datareader and replace as below:

from pandas.core.common import is_list_like #COMMENT IT

from pandas.api.types import is_list_like #ADD

Meaganmeager

Answer 6

In Ubuntu 18.04, using Python 3.6 I resolved the error in the following way.

cd /home/username/.local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/pandas_datareader

subl fred.py

and I changed the first line of code which was

from pandas.core.common import is_list_like

to

from pandas.api.types import is_list_like

Detrimental