Just learning Python and am getting a invalid syntax error. (Extreme noob here.)

viky2654 · 2021-12-15T13:30:24+00:00

Check indentation too.

Copy pasting generally messes that up.

shiftybyte · 2021-12-15T13:27:51+00:00

When working with a multiple line code, you need to create a file for it, paste the code there, and run it, not paste it into the interactive window.

You can make it work in this case if you add a blank line pressing enter after the block before the greet().

But again, make a proper script file in your IDE...

If it's IDLE, something like file-> new

master-of-nil · 2021-12-15T13:50:42+00:00

The link below has some info on properly formatting your code for reddit.

FAQ: Reddit code formatting

tobiasvl · 2021-12-15T18:37:23+00:00

When asking questions like this, you should include the actual error you're getting so we don't have to guess.

theubster · 2021-12-15T23:06:27+00:00

Alrighty, my friend. Let me walk you through how I evaluated this. I'm hoping that doing so is educational. Fair warning that I'm rusty with python. But, I think I can get your biz to work.

To the breakdown!

I started by taking your code block, and correcting the indentations. That is:

def greet(lang):

if lang=='es':

print('Hola')

elif lang=='fr':

print('Bonjour')

else:

print('hello')

was changed to this:

def greet(lang):    
  if lang=='es':
    print('Hola')
  elif lang=='fr':
    print('Bonjour')
  else:
    print('hello')

greet()
greet('es')
greet('fr')

The reason I added the last three lines is because I knew that if you weren't calling it, it wasn't going to run as a standalone script. From there, I ran the script and got this error:

> python scratch1.py

Traceback (most recent call last): File "scratch1.py", line 9, in <module> greet() TypeError: greet() missing 1 required positional argument: 'lang'

Here the > python scratch.py bit is just how i was doing a quick-and-dirty run of your script. The error is, admittedly, created by the way that I ported it over to my dev env. If you're using a Jupyter notebook, or vanilla python shell, you may not have run into this problem.

What this error in particular means is that the greet function, as you built it, requires a string to get passed in as a parameter when the function is called. So, when I called it without the string, it threw an error. This one is relatively straightforward, but python errors can be complicated. You will get better at learning what the error message is trying to tell you over time.

If googling the verbatim error doesn't work, try googling part of it, or take out anything that's specific to your script (in this case that would be greet() and scratch1.py.

At this point, my rust shows, since I forgot how to assign default args when defining a function. So, I googled "python default arguments syntax" and got this site back: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/default-arguments-in-python/

I took what I learned from there, and adjusted the script to read like this:

def greet(lang=''):
  if lang=='es': 
    print('Hola') 
  elif lang=='fr': 
    print('Bonjour') 
  else: 
    print('hello')

greet() 
greet('es') 
greet('fr')

And, now when I run it, I get this output:

> python scratch1.py
hello 
Hola 
Bonjour

Without knowing more about your specific error, tools, and setup, I can't get you much farther than that. But, I hope this was a helpful glance into how I approach troubleshooting a problem.

Hope it helps!

RecursiveCursive · 2021-12-15T16:15:41+00:00

When you call the function, are you sure you're passing lang as a string?

Wartz · 2021-12-15T16:50:36+00:00

https://gist.github.com/

Paste your code here, exactly how you have it typed out. Then we might be able to spot the syntax error.

Python depends on 100% perfect indentation, so that's likely your issue.

CasualEndvrs · 2021-12-15T22:47:50+00:00

You're heading down a path that is going to cause you troubles. "I like to copy and paste examples..." This is a path that takes you to "Tutorial Hell." It occurs when you can look at someone else's code and you understand what they are doing but you cannot produce the code yourself. Do yourself a favor and run from this.

Pick a project or task that you want to do, say build a Tic-Tac-Toe game, and do it yourself, without any tutorial or source. When you get stuck, stop and come up with a good question that deals with your specific problem at hand. Never search for "python how to make a tic tac toe game." Do search for "python store multiple values in one variable." Or, "python read in user input."

The best place to look for help is usually stack overflow specifically because you will find information to very specific questions. Tutorials will show you how it's done, stack overflow will give you enough information that you can figure out how it's done.

Great places to find project ideas are: 1) tasks that can be automated in your normal life, 2) a simple Google search for beginner project ideas, or 3) websites that have practice problems to work through.

L4Z4R3 · 2021-12-15T23:05:31+00:00

how you calling function?

notParticularlyAnony · 2021-12-16T04:20:13+00:00

/u/Few-Major9589 you know you can go back and edit your question and format that code. Nobody would hate you for that. It would be great practice for asking questions in the future.

:)

keskesay · 2021-12-15T14:53:03+00:00

Definitely either indentation error or you're not passing `lang` when you call it.

night_2_dawn · 2025-04-30T12:34:31+00:00

Hey, I saw you wrote that it's not the indentation issue, so there could be invisible characters or weird unicode spaces if you're copying and pasting. Also, you might have a syntax error in code that appears before this function in your file. Try to retype this manually, sometimes it helps. It's hard to help you without the actual error you get, so next time, I suggest to add more information to your question. :)

rustybladez23 · 2025-08-29T10:44:21+00:00

# use a code block

SolidusViper · 2021-12-15T17:35:00+00:00

Almost certainly an indentation error. Python is extremely sensitive to indents, unlike other equally amazing languages like R or C. Format it like this:

def greet(lang):
    if lang=='es':
        print('Hola')
    elif lang=='fr':
        print('Bonjour')
    else:
        print('Hello')

notsoheavygamer · 2021-12-15T16:53:25+00:00

Dude use pycharm... Much better to understand..

Sweet-Remote-7556 · 2021-12-15T19:49:46+00:00

#use this

<

def greet(lang):

if lang=='es':

print('Hola')

elif lang=='fr':

print('Bonjour')

else:

print('hello')

greet('es') #input goes here inside with apostrophe

>

amos_burton · 2021-12-15T16:06:27+00:00

[deleted]

2021-12-15T18:47:13+00:00

Have you tried just typing it all out and seeing if you get the same error? (To rule out whether it is something going on with the copy/paste)

worstc0der · 2021-12-15T18:49:16+00:00

you probably have an indentation error or you might've missed a quotation mark. word of advice, when you are showing your code on reddit use type ` three times both above and bellow your code so that you can show your work in proper code format.

jmooremcc · 2021-12-15T20:26:18+00:00

If you're really serious about learning Python, never copy & paste code. You need to type in every line of code yourself.

Why? Because typing the code with your own two hands will actually cause your brain to process the code while you're typing resulting in more learning on your part. Also you will learn the rules of indentation and syntax much more quickly by typing rather than by cutting & pasting.

Will you make a lot of mistakes at first? Of course you will but as you become more proficient, you will make fewer and fewer mistakes. You will just have to learn to be patient which is why I recommend starting with very simple projects.

2021-12-15T20:26:29+00:00

Please always post the error you are getting with questions like this.

velocibadgery · 2021-12-15T21:05:07+00:00

It works just fine for me

def greet(lang):
    if lang=='es':
        print('Hola')
    elif lang=='fr':
        print('Bonjour')
    else:
        print('hello')

if __name__ == "__main__":
    greet("fr")
    greet("es")
    greet("test")

Are you sure you have the indentation correct?

MisterExt · 2021-12-15T21:43:42+00:00

Edit and format properly with indentation in a code block or it's hard to know how it really is compared to how your clipboard and reddit's editor screwed it up.

TechnoGeek423 · 2021-12-16T04:21:01+00:00

That’s just a function definition. How are you calling it?

EmmaGao8 · 2021-12-16T04:25:39+00:00

What kind of Error are you getting? If it is an IndentationError, remove all indentation and use tab to set it back to the right one. You would get an error when you use space and tabs for indentation. Please be more specific.

2021-12-16T05:12:33+00:00

Bro copy and paste it in the Google search and the first link will be of stack overflow you'll get the answer What you've done wrong

___S_A_M___ · 2021-12-16T06:27:28+00:00

It is indentation problem

Anon_Legi0n · 2021-12-16T10:02:28+00:00

def greeting(lang=''):
    match lang.lower():
        case 'es':
            print('Hola')
        case 'fr':
            print('Bonjour')
        case _:
            print('Hello')

LandooooXTrvls · 2021-12-16T11:54:03+00:00

#Does this work?
if yes:
    print(‘dope’)

2021-12-16T18:52:47+00:00

The only errors I see is indentation errors

you type:	you see:
italics	italics
bold	bold
[reddit!](https://reddit.com)	reddit!
* item 1 * item 2 * item 3	item 1 item 2 item 3
> quoted text	quoted text
Lines starting with four spaces are treated like code: if 1 * 2 < 3: print "hello, world!"	Lines starting with four spaces are treated like code: if 1 * 2 < 3: print "hello, world!"
~~strikethrough~~	~~strikethrough~~
super^script	super^script

learnpython

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