# Rake argument error **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [March 26, 2010, 9:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-argument-error/185834 "2010-03-26T21:39:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![raghu\_muni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@raghu\_muni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/raghu_muni)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 9:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-argument-error/185834/1 "2010-03-26T21:39:40Z")
Hi, I’m having a problem loading a sample data with simple rake command. rake db:fixtures:load When I run the above command,I get the following error $rake db:fixtures:load (in /home/raghu/www/photos) rake aborted! a YAML error occurred parsing /home/raghu/www/photos/test/fixtures/photos.yml. Please note that YAML must be consistently indented using spaces. Tabs are not allowed. Please have a look at [YAML Ain't Markup Language](http://www.yaml.org/faq.html) The exact error was: ArgumentError: syntax error on line 14, col 11: ` filename: train.jpg’ (See full trace by running task with --trace) Here is the file that can be useful # Read about fixtures at [http://ar.rubyonrails.org/classes/Fixtures.html](http://ar.rubyonrails.org/classes/Fixtures.html) one: filename: MyString thumbnail: MyString description: MyString two: filename: MyString thumbnail: MyString description: MyString photo\_1: id:1 filename: train.jpg thumbnail: train\_t.jpg description: My ride to work photo\_2: id: 2 filename: lighthouse.jpg thumbnail: lighthouse\_t.jpg description: I take dates here all the time photo\_3: id: 3 filename: gargoyle.jpg thumbnail: gargoyle\_t.jpg description: My paper weight photo\_4: id: 4 filename: cat.jpg thumbnail: cat\_t.jpg description: My pet photo\_5: id: 5 filename: cappucino.jpg thumbnail: cappucino\_t.jpg description: Life Juice photo\_6: id: 6 filename: building.jpg thumbnail: building\_t.jpg description: My office photo\_7: id: 7 filename: bridge.jpg thumbnail: bridge\_t.jpg description: Place I’d like to visit Any idea of what might went wrong? Raghu ---
**Author:** ![raghu\_muni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@raghu\_muni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/raghu_muni)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 10:16pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-argument-error/185834/2 "2010-03-26T22:16:15Z")
On 26 March 2010 20:39, Raghu M. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > a YAML error occurred parsing > > description: MyString > > photo\_1: > id:1 > filename: train.jpg Have you double checked there are no tabs on the line above? Also try deleting it, retyping it, changing it to something that works then changing it back again etc etc Basically try things to get a handle on the problem. Colin ---
**Author:** ![raghu\_muni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@raghu\_muni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/raghu_muni)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-argument-error/185834/3 "2010-03-26T22:35:34Z")
Hey, The error is that there’s no space in “id:1” in the YAML. /Lasse 2010/3/26 Colin L. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) ---
**Author:** ![raghu\_muni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@raghu\_muni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/raghu_muni)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-argument-error/185834/4 "2010-03-27T17:39:18Z")
Colin L. wrote: > On 26 March 2010 20:39, Raghu M. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > > a YAML error occurred parsing > > > > �description: MyString > > > > photo\_1: > > �id:1 > > �filename: train.jpg > > Have you double checked there are no tabs on the line above? > Also try deleting it, retyping it, changing it to something that works > then changing it back again etc etc > Basically try things to get a handle on the problem. > > Colin Are you referring to the tab above photo\_1/description…If you are talking about tabs b/w filename: train.jpg,I’m sure that there are no tabs b/w them except a single character space. Raghu ---
**Author:** ![raghu\_muni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@raghu\_muni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/raghu_muni)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 5:40pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-argument-error/185834/5 "2010-03-27T17:40:39Z")
Lasse B. wrote: > Hey, > > The error is that there’s no space in “id:1” in the YAML. > > /Lasse > > 2010/3/26 Colin L. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) Hi Lasse, I’ve even tried that but gives me same error. Raghu ---
**Author:** ![raghu\_muni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@raghu\_muni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/raghu_muni)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 7:06pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-argument-error/185834/6 "2010-03-27T19:06:53Z")
I tried parsing the YAML as given by Raghu, and it worked after fixing the “id:1” \> “id: 1” error. /Lasse 2010/3/27 Colin L. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) ---
**Author:** ![raghu\_muni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@raghu\_muni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/raghu_muni)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-argument-error/185834/7 "2010-03-27T18:02:30Z")
On 27 March 2010 16:39, Raghu M. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > Have you double checked there are no tabs on the line above? > > Also try deleting it, retyping it, changing it to something that works > > then changing it back again etc etc > > Basically try things to get a handle on the problem. > > > > Colin > > Are you referring to the tab above photo\_1/description…If you are > talking about tabs b/w filename: train.jpg,I’m sure that there are no > tabs b/w them except a single character space. There should be no tab characters anywhere in yaml files. Lasse is right that there should be space after id: in the line above. So having fixed that what was the result of my other suggestions? Deleting that line, retyping it, pasting in a line that you know works and so on. If the line in that position keeps giving an error whatever you do then it is probably the line above, I assumed Lasse’s suggestion would fix it. Colin