Spent 4 hours trying to get a simple API call to work in Python

I was building a small project and needed to pull some weather data from OpenWeatherMap. The docs looked straightforward, but my code kept throwing a 401 error. Turns out I had a single extra space in my API key string when I pasted it. Four hours of checking my URL structure and import statements over a tiny typo. Has anyone else lost a whole evening to something that dumb?

3 comments

3 Comments

miasanchez29d ago

Ugh, the hidden space is a classic. Once spent an entire afternoon because I had a zero instead of the letter O in a password. Just stared at the login screen. My own fault for using that font. The relief when you find it is real, but so is the shame.

olivia_lopez9828d ago

Honestly, the worst for me is when the API itself changes and the docs just aren't updated yet. Like, I swear I had a script working for months, then one day it just breaks. I'm tearing my hair out, sure I messed up my key or the endpoint. After two hours of that, I check their GitHub and there's a tiny note about a new required parameter. It's always some small thing they forgot to put in the main guide. Makes you feel crazy.

the_mia29d ago

Oh man, that hits way too close to home... spent a whole night once because I used a comma instead of a period in a config file. The worst part is you start doubting your whole setup. Now I just paste any keys into a basic text editor first to check for hidden spaces. It feels so silly when you finally find it.