Issue with using protobufs with python ImportError: cannot import name descriptor_pb2

Question

Context

Steps taken:

Environment Setup

• I've installed protobufs via Home Brew

• I've also followed the steps in the proto-bufs python folder's readme on installing python protobufs - namely running the python setup.py install command

• I've using the protobuf-2.4.1 files

Coding

• I have a python file (generated from a .proto file I compiled) that contains the statement, among other import statements, but I believe this one is the one causing issues:

  from google.protobuf import descriptor_pb2

• The above python file, I'm importing in another python file, it's this python file that I want to write up logic for parsing the protobufs data files I receive

Error received

I get this error when running that file:

Steps taken to fix

• Searched google for that error - didn't find much
• Looked at this question/answer Why do I see "cannot import name descriptor_pb2" error when using Google Protocol Buffers?
• I don't really understand the above questions selected answer,I tried to run the command in the above answer protoc descriptor.proto --python_out=gen/ by coping and pasting it in the terminal in different places but couldn't get it to work

Question

• How do I fix this error?
• What is the underlying cause?
• How do I check if the rest of my protobuf python compiler/classes are set up correctly?

Answer 1

I've discovered the issue. I had not run the python install instructions the first time I tried to compile this file. I recompiled the file and this issue was fixed.