PyCharm / OS X El Capitan / Python 3.5.2 - matplotlib not working in script
Question: Python noob here, apologies if this is has an obvious answer I should know.
I'm using Python 3.5.2 via PyCharm in OSX El Capitan and I'm trying to run the
following simple script to practise with matplotlib:

    
    
    import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
    year = [1950,1970,1990,2010]
    pop = [2.159,3.692,5.263,6.972]
    plt.plot(year,pop)
    plt.show()
    

If I execute this line by line in PyCharm's Python console, it works fine. If
I execute it as an entire script, I get this error:

    
    
    /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.5/bin/python3.5/Users/Cuckoo/Dropbox/Python/test.py
    Traceback (most recent call last):
      File "/Users/Cuckoo/Dropbox/Python/test.py", line 1, in <module>
        import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
      File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.5/lib/python3.5/site-packages/matplotlib/__init__.py", line 115, in <module>
        import tempfile
      File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.5/lib/python3.5/tempfile.py", line 45, in <module>
        from random import Random as _Random
    ImportError: cannot import name 'Random'
    
    Process finished with exit code 1
    

Can anyone please explain what has gone wrong and better still, how I can fix
it?


Answer: This can be caused by having another Python script in your project named
`random.py` that is overriding the original library named Random.

Try to rename or remove the `random.py` file and your script should work from
within PyCharm and the command line.

