When you are working with Python, you may encounter the error “ValueError Unsupported Pickle Protocol 5.” This error usually occurs when you are trying to load a pickle file that was created using a higher protocol version than the one installed on your system.
What is Pickling?
Pickling is a process of serializing and de-serializing Python objects. It converts Python objects into a byte stream, which can be stored in a file or transferred over a network. The byte stream can then be converted back into the original Python object using the process of unpickling.
Protocol Versions
Protocol versions are used to specify the format of the pickle file. Each protocol version has its own advantages and disadvantages in terms of speed and storage size. Higher protocol versions usually offer better performance and smaller file size, but they may not be supported by older versions of Python.
The current protocol version in Python 3 is protocol version 4. However, some external libraries may use a higher protocol version, such as protocol version 5 or 6. If you try to load a pickle file that was created using a higher protocol version than the one installed on your system, you may encounter the “ValueError Unsupported Pickle Protocol 5” error.
How to Fix the Error
To fix the “ValueError Unsupported Pickle Protocol 5” error, you can either upgrade your Python version to the one that supports protocol version 5, or you can ask the person who created the pickle file to use a lower protocol version. If upgrading your Python version is not an option, you can try using the “pickletools” module to analyze the pickle file and determine its protocol version.
You can use the following code to analyze the protocol version of a pickle file:
import pickletoolswith open("file.pickle", "rb") as f:pickletools.dis(f) This code will print out the contents of the pickle file, including its protocol version.
Conclusion
The “ValueError Unsupported Pickle Protocol 5” error occurs when you are trying to load a pickle file that was created using a higher protocol version than the one installed on your system. You can fix this error by upgrading your Python version or by asking the person who created the pickle file to use a lower protocol version. If upgrading your Python version is not an option, you can use the “pickletools” module to analyze the protocol version of the pickle file.