Syntax Error when trying to define multiple functions in python?

Question

I'm trying to learn python, so I'm just writing some simple programs. I wrote these two bits of code to define two of the functions I want to use in the program, and they both do what they want but when I try to paste them into IDLE it says there is a syntax error at the second def. Any idea what this is?

here's the code:

def print_seq1(number):

    number = input("Pick a number: ")

    print " "
    while number != 1:
        if number%2==0:
            print number
            number = number/2
        else:
            print number
            number = number*3 + 1
    print number
    print " "
    choice = 0  

def print_seq2(number):

        number = input("Pick a number: ")
        print " "
        while number != 1:
            if number%2==0:
                print number,
                number = number/2
            else:
                print number,
                number = number*3 + 1
        print number
        print " "
        choice = 0

Ii should be clarified that probably the OP means idle python shell, where I could reproduce the error, but not the idle python editor where no syntax error is produced — joaquin
– joaquin, Commented Dec 3, 2011 at 8:34

user395760 · Accepted Answer · 2011-08-04 18:21:25Z

1

Interactive interpreters (a.k.a. REPL, just "interpreter", and many other terms) usually expect only a single top-level statement (a function definition, a class definition, a global assignment, a loop, ...) at a time. You give it two and it's confused. Try putting in the first def, a blank line to confirm and actually run your input, then the second def.

answered Aug 4, 2011 at 18:21

user395760

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Comments

anijhaw · Accepted Answer · 2011-08-04 18:21:53Z

0

When you paste, you mess up the formatting of the code, either re-indent correctly after pasting or paste functions seperately.

answered Aug 4, 2011 at 18:21

anijhaw

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1 Comment

user395760 Over a year ago

Wrong indentation is strictly speaking a syntax error too, but since it is explicitly labeled differently in error messages, I tend not to assume indentation errors when people speak of syntax errors.

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