How do I use the inet type with Python and postgresql?

I am writing a python3 program that uses a postgresql database, I am using py-postgresql: http://python.projects.postgresql.org/ as the database driver. One table stores IP addresses using the inet type.

I have created the following prepared statement:

aID = db.prepare('SELECT id FROM a_records WHERE ip = $1 LIMIT 1')

When calling aID(ip) I get the following error:

(ip is a python string)

 File "/usr/local/lib/python3.1/dist-packages/postgresql/driver/pq3.py", line
1517, in __call__
    c = SingleXactFetch(self, parameters)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.1/dist-packages/postgresql/driver/pq3.py", line
837, in __init__
    Output.__init__(self, '')
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.1/dist-packages/postgresql/driver/pq3.py", line
622, in __init__
    self._init()
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.1/dist-packages/postgresql/driver/pq3.py", line
854, in _init
    STEP()
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.1/dist-packages/postgresql/driver/pq3.py", line
2612, in _pq_step
    self.typio.raise_error(x.error_message, cause = getattr(x, 'exception', Non
e))
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.1/dist-packages/postgresql/driver/pq3.py", line
507, in raise_error
    self.raise_server_error(error_message, **kw)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.1/dist-packages/postgresql/driver/pq3.py", line
498, in raise_server_error
    raise server_error
postgresql.exceptions.BinaryRepresentationError: invalid address family in exte
rnal "inet" value
  CODE: 22P03
  LOCATION: File 'network.c', line 218, in network_recv from SERVER
RESULT:
  type: SingleXactFetch
  parameters: ('139.78.113.1',)
STATEMENT: [prepared]
  sql_parameter_types: ['pg_catalog.inet']
  results: (id INTEGER)
  statement_id: py:0x2ff9a50
  string: SELECT id FROM a_records WHERE ip = $1 LIMIT 1
CONNECTION: [idle]
  client_address: 127.0.0.1/32
  client_port: 51563
  version:
    PostgreSQL 8.4.7 on x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, compiled by GCC gcc-4.4.real (Debi
an 4.4.5-8) 4.4.5, 64-bit
CONNECTOR: [IP4] pq://python:***@127.0.0.1:5432/vdz
  category: None
DRIVER: postgresql.driver.pq3.Driver

Can anyone help me debug this and figure out why postgresql is not liking the inet data?

Thanks!

Solution

@mrlanrat, it's because the python library is sending your parameters as a TEXT data type but PostgreSQL is expecting an INET data type. Your example there changes the parameters so that PostgreSQL is expecting a TEXT data type, which it then casts in to an INET data type. I know that psycopg2 supports an INET data type but I'm pretty sure the current version of py-postgresql doesn't support the data type (as of 2011-05-19). Which means you have three options:

py-postgresql needs to add support for the INET data type
you get to pass in data of type TEXT and then cast it to INET on the server
switch to psycopg2, which does support the INET data type.

http://initd.org/psycopg/docs/extras.html#inet-data-type