What does THIS mean?

UnboundLocalError: local variable 'taxrate' referenced before assignment

It means that you have tried to modify the value of a variable - perhaps in a function - before you have given it an initial value:

taxrate = 15
def getnet(gross):
  taxrate /= 100.
  net = gross - gross / (1.0 + taxrate)
  return net
amount = getnet (230)
print amount

The variable taxrate is local to the getnet function ... the way the code is written, there is a DIFFERENT taxrate variable in the calling code.

You could share the variable by declaring it global in the function or - much better - you could use it read only in the function, in which case Python will see it from the outer scope.

So this will work:

taxrate = 15
def getnet(gross):
  net = gross - gross / (1.0 + taxrate/100.0)
  return net
amount = getnet (230)
print amount

And that's also far better because it doesn't alter the variable that contains the tax rate - rather it leaves it available for later use.
(written 2009-01-31)

 Y109 - Python - Exceptions
  [381] Exceptions in Python - (2005-07-17)
  [1042] Nested exceptions in Python - (2007-01-18)
  [1236] Trying things in Python - (2007-06-18)
  [2281] Python - using exceptions to set a fallback - (2009-07-12)
  [2368] Python - fresh examples of all the fundamentals - (2009-08-20)
  [2408] Robust user input (exception handling) example in Python - (2009-09-17)
  [2622] Handling unusual and error conditions - exceptions - (2010-02-03)
  [2994] Python - some common questions answered in code examples - (2010-10-10)
  [2998] Using an exception to initialise a static variable in a Python function / method - (2010-10-13)
  [3177] Insurance against any errors - Volcanoes and Python - (2011-02-19)
  [3433] Exceptions - a fail-safe way of trapping things that may go wrong - (2011-09-11)
  [3441] Pressing ^C in a Python program. Also Progress Bar. - (2011-09-15)
  [3664] Error checking in a Python program - making your program robust via exceptions - (2012-03-22)
  [3913] How many times ... has this loco headed west through Tenby? - Python exceptions - (2012-11-05)
  [3930] Reporting the full stack trace when you catch a Python exception - (2012-11-22)
  [4029] Exception, Lambda, Generator, Slice, Dict - examples in one Python program - (2013-03-04)
  [4161] Python varables - checking existance, and call by name or by value? - (2013-08-27)
  [4444] Elements of an exception in Python - try, except, else, finally - (2015-02-28)

Back to Python - a truly dynamic language

Previous and next or Horse's mouth home

Forward to Baby Caleb and Fortune City in your web logs?

Pre and post increment - the ++ operator
Short health and safety course
Learning Python - many new example programs
Baby Caleb and Fortune City in your web logs?
UnboundLocalError - Python Message
Python - a truly dynamic language
Apache httpd and Apache Tomcat miscellany
Service Excellence Awards
First Class
wxPython - Introduction and sample