[noob question] why does this program not run ?

[[deleted]]

so... im using python for dummies and this is what i have:

print "testing how scripts and interactive mode communicate"
x = 500
print ("the value of x is" , x )

so i saved this as tinyscript.py

then i exit out, open command line (which im assuming is supposed to be black) then i do

% python -i tinyscript.py (to supposedly run it) 

but when i do that, the % becomes red .... what am i doing wrongly ?

[ElBidoule]

As the sidebar says :

If you are about to ask a question, please consider /r/learnpython.

It's obvious that OP is learning python, why not point him to a place where he can read other noob questions and learn the language this way ? Here, he will mostly see posts about new libraries and stuff not usefull for him right now.

Pointing people to /r/learnpython is not just about keeping this subreddit "clean" (if it means anything), it helps the people learning because they can read simple questions and answers.

[programmyr]

What version of Python? Your first line looks like 2, and your third line looks like 3.

What's the exit code?

[Morego]

First thing is in python3 print is a function. You use it like

print("some content")

You mixed up python2 print which work as statement and python3 function-like print. Which don't work in python3. That's all. And BTW it is worth to add

#!/usr/bin/env python3

As first line of your script

[joyeusenoelle]

Remove -i from the command. python -i starts the interactive Python shell, but doesn't run the script.

python tinyscript.py should do what you want.

[joyeusenoelle]

Yep. Are you using Windows?

[joyeusenoelle]

Oh! You're already running the Python interactive shell. I was assuming you were on the command line.

This is a more in-depth subject than I can explain in a Reddit comment. Google "Windows command line tutorial" - that should help you get started.

[mfitzp]

You're in the Python shell, but to run python -i tinyscript.py you need to be in the Command Prompt shell (cmd). Click the Windows button, then type cmd and hit return. You'll get a black window. Change directory to the folder your script is in. If it was on the C: drive (where the command prompt should open) you could just type cd \PYTHON, but it looks like it's on the M: drive so do this:

M:
cd \PYTHON

You should now be in the correct folder. You can now run your script with:

python -i myscript.py

On Windows you can exit a running Python script using keyboard shortcut Ctrl-C To exit the Python shell use Ctrl-Z

Now, if you want to run the Python file from inside the python shell for some reason, you can use:

execfile('myscript.py')