OpenBB-finance/OpenBB · error · ValueError

Dataset {dataset} not found in available datasets: {list(url

Error message

Dataset {dataset} not found in available datasets: {list(url_map)}

What it means

Raised by famafrench download_file when the requested dataset name matches neither a label (with underscores swapped for spaces) nor a value in DATASET_CHOICES. It is a pure client-side validation error: no network call is made until the dataset resolves to a URL.

Source

Thrown at openbb_platform/providers/famafrench/openbb_famafrench/utils/helpers.py:166

@lru_cache(maxsize=64)
def download_file(dataset) -> str:
    """Download the specified dataset file from the Ken French data library.

    Note: This function is not intended for direct use, it is called by `get_portfolio_data`.
    """
    # pylint: disable=import-outside-toplevel
    import zipfile
    from io import BytesIO

    from openbb_core.provider.utils.helpers import get_requests_session

    url_map = {item["label"]: item["value"] for item in DATASET_CHOICES}

    if dataset.replace("_", " ") not in list(url_map) and dataset not in list(
        url_map.values()
    ):
        raise ValueError(
            f"Dataset {dataset} not found in available datasets: {list(url_map)}"
        )

    url = (
        BASE_URL + dataset
        if dataset.endswith(".zip")
        else BASE_URL + url_map[dataset.replace("_", " ")]
    )

    with get_requests_session() as session:
        response = session.get(url)
        response.raise_for_status()

    data = ""

    with zipfile.ZipFile(BytesIO(response.content)) as f:
        with f.open(f.namelist()[0]) as file:  # type: ignore
            data = file.read()  # type: ignore

View on GitHub (pinned to 3e071fcc2c)

Solutions

Read DATASET_CHOICES from openbb_famafrench/utils/helpers.py (or the endpoint's OpenAPI param choices) and copy an exact label.
Remember underscores are normalized to spaces before lookup, so '5_industry_portfolios' works if the label is '5 industry portfolios'.
Alternatively pass the exact .zip filename value from the choices map.
Upgrade the provider if the dataset exists upstream but not in your installed DATASET_CHOICES.

Example fix

// before
obb.economy.famafrench.us_portfolio_returns(dataset='5_industry')  # ValueError

// after
from openbb_famafrench.utils.helpers import DATASET_CHOICES
labels = [c['label'] for c in DATASET_CHOICES]
obb.economy.famafrench.us_portfolio_returns(dataset='5_industry_portfolios')

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

from openbb_famafrench.utils.helpers import DATASET_CHOICES
valid = {c['label'] for c in DATASET_CHOICES} | {c['value'] for c in DATASET_CHOICES}
assert dataset.replace('_', ' ') in valid or dataset in valid, f'bad dataset: {dataset}'

Prevention

Source allowed datasets from DATASET_CHOICES at runtime instead of hardcoding strings.
Remember underscore labels are normalized to spaces; raw .zip filenames also work.

When it happens

Trigger: Calling a famafrench endpoint with a dataset argument not present in DATASET_CHOICES, e.g. a typo, a label with wrong casing, or a dataset name from a newer/older provider version.

Common situations: Hardcoding a dataset label that was renamed between provider releases; passing the zip filename when the label form (spaces, not underscores) is expected; case-sensitive label mismatch.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of OpenBB-finance/OpenBB@3e071fcc2c (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/44e34d8aa1693003. Report an issue: GitHub.