python and mysqldb: syntax error on perfectly good query ?

Question

My code:

selectQ ="""SELECT * FROM  %s WHERE %s = %%s order by RAND() limit %s""" % (self.table,self.columnSpecName,limit),
self.db.execute(str(selectQ),(idKey))

I get this exception: mysql_exceptions.ProgrammingError: (1064, "You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near ''SELECT * FROM table WHERE person_oid = 16 order by RAND() limit 10',)' at line 1")

However if I copy the query and run it through mysql it runs just fine.

What am I overlooking ?

Answer 1

You should look closer to:

syntax to use near ''SELECT * FROM table WHERE person_oid = 16 order by RAND() limit 10',)' at line 1")

And you will see double apostrophe at the beginning of the query and ,)' at the end of it.

selectQ ="""SELECT * FROM  %s WHERE %s = %%s order by RAND() limit %s""" % (self.table,self.columnSpecName,limit),
self.db.execute(str(selectQ),(idKey))

You've got a comma at the end of the first line, making it a tuple

Remove it and you will not need str(selectQ) on the second line.

Answer 2

You have a comma to much in the first line (at the end):

selectQ ="""SELECT * FROM  %s WHERE %s = %%s order by RAND() limit %s""" % (self.table,self.columnSpecName,limit),
self.db.execute(str(selectQ),(idKey))

Change it to:

selectQ ="""SELECT * FROM  %s WHERE %s = %%s order by RAND() limit %s""" % (self.table,self.columnSpecName,limit)
self.db.execute(str(selectQ),(idKey))