SyntaxError
is a type of error that occurs in Python when the interpreter encounters an invalid syntax in the code. This can happen when there is a typo, a missing or extra character, or incorrect indentation. The error message will usually indicate the line number where the error occurred and provide a brief description of the problem. Here is an example of a SyntaxError
:
if x = 5: print("x is 5")
Output:
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Cell In[2], line 1 if x = 5: ^ SyntaxError: invalid syntax
This error occurred because the assignment operator =
was used instead of the comparison operator ==
in the if
statement.
Some of the common scenarios in which this occurs are –
- Missing or incorrect syntax: This is the most common cause of
SyntaxError
. It occurs when there is a mistake in the syntax of the code, such as a missing parenthesis or a misplaced colon. - Incorrect indentation: Python relies on indentation to define blocks of code. If the indentation is incorrect, a
SyntaxError
will be raised. - Invalid characters: If the code contains invalid characters, such as non-ASCII characters or special characters that are not allowed in Python, a
SyntaxError
will be raised. - Mismatched quotes: If the quotes used to define a string are not matched, a
SyntaxError
will be raised. - Incorrect use of keywords: Python has a set of reserved keywords that cannot be used as variable names. If these keywords are used incorrectly, a
SyntaxError
will be raised. - Incorrect use of operators: If operators are used incorrectly, such as using the assignment operator instead of the equality operator, a
SyntaxError
will be raised.
The following tutorials cover some of the common SyntaxErrors in Python and how to resolve them with the help of some examples.
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- How to Fix – SyntaxError can’t assign to literal
- How to Fix – SyntaxError can’t assign to operator
- How to Fix – SyntaxError: can’t assign to function
- How to Fix – SyntaxError: Missing parentheses in call to ‘print’
- How to Fix – SyntaxError: return outside function
- How to Fix – SyntaxError: EOL while scanning string literal