Cannot set multiple providers

[nolash]

• Version: 5.12.0
• Python: 3.8.4
• OS: linux 5.7.0
• pip freeze output

http://gateway.ethswarm.org/files/aaa5b1f479fa918270eac50c705de8bd21512adffbe22f64ce2765e621721014

wtr: https://web3py.readthedocs.io/en/stable/web3.main.html#providers

(venv) web3 $ cat <<EOF | python
> from web3 import Web3, WebsocketProvider, IPCProvider
> 
> w3 = Web3()
> w3.setProviders([IPCProvider('/tmp/foo.ipc'), WebsocketProvider('ws://127.0.0.1:8546')])
> EOF
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 4, in <module>
AttributeError: 'Web3' object has no attribute 'setProviders'

$ cat <<EOF | python
> from web3 import Web3, WebsocketProvider, IPCProvider
> 
> w3 = Web3([IPCProvider('/tmp/foo.ipc'), WebsocketProvider('ws://127.0.0.1:8546')])
> print(w3.eth.blockNumber)
> EOF
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 4, in <module>
  File "/home/lash/src/tests/py/web3/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/web3/eth.py", line 149, in blockNumber
    return self.web3.manager.request_blocking(RPC.eth_blockNumber, [])
  File "/home/lash/src/tests/py/web3/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/web3/manager.py", line 149, in request_blocking
    response = self._make_request(method, params)
  File "/home/lash/src/tests/py/web3/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/web3/manager.py", line 124, in _make_request
    request_func = self.provider.request_func(
AttributeError: 'list' object has no attribute 'request_func'

$ cat <<EOF | python
> from web3 import Web3, WebsocketProvider, IPCProvider
> 
> w3 = Web3([WebsocketProvider('ws://127.0.0.1:8546'), IPCProvider('/tmp/foo.ipc')])
> print(w3.eth.blockNumber)
> EOF
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 4, in <module>
  File "/home/lash/src/tests/py/web3/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/web3/eth.py", line 149, in blockNumber
    return self.web3.manager.request_blocking(RPC.eth_blockNumber, [])
  File "/home/lash/src/tests/py/web3/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/web3/manager.py", line 149, in request_blocking
    response = self._make_request(method, params)
  File "/home/lash/src/tests/py/web3/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/web3/manager.py", line 124, in _make_request
    request_func = self.provider.request_func(
AttributeError: 'list' object has no attribute 'request_func'

Control:

$ cat <<EOF | python 
> from web3 import Web3, WebsocketProvider, IPCProvider
> 
> w3 = Web3(WebsocketProvider('ws://127.0.0.1:8546'))
> print(w3.eth.blockNumber)
> EOF
7439790

$ socat UNIX-LISTEN:/tmp/foo.ipc - &
[1] 624556
(venv) web3 $ cat <<EOF | python
> from web3 import Web3, WebsocketProvider, IPCProvider
> 
> w3 = Web3(IPCProvider('/tmp/foo.ipc'))
> print(w3.eth.blockNumber)
> EOF
{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "eth_blockNumber", "params": [], "id": 0}

[kclowes]

Sorry for the confusion. We removed the functionality to set multiple providers on one web3 instance. IIRC it was because there was no logic to be able to cycle through providers so it didn't really seem to make sense to allow multiple providers. Apparently the docs didn't get updated though, sorry about that. One workaround is to have two different web3 instances, each with a different provider though if you want. I'll leave this open to make the doc change.

Apologies for necro-bumping this issue, but there's still an inconsistency in the docs that sent me on a 2-hour long goose-chase until I eventually found this ticket.

https://web3py.readthedocs.io/en/stable/ens_overview.html

Step 2 under Setup says:
2. Specify an instance or list of Providers

"or list" gave me the impression I could specify multiple providers as a redundancy kinda solution in case one provider was down. I see now I will have to do that checking myself, but if that line could updated it would save some future confusion.

[pacrob]

Thanks for the note, @sk33z3r , and for introducing the term "necro-bumping" to my vocabulary. Fix incoming.