Python: invalid syntax in function print()

Question

I am using Python 2.7. When I try to print a simple string to a file, I get the following error:

Syntax error: invalid tuple

Syntax error while detecting tuple

minimal example:

fly = open('workfile', 'w')
print('a', file=fly)

writing to the same file via fly.write('a') works just fine.

This is essentially the same question, but other way around: [Invalid syntax when using "print"?](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/937491/invalid-syntax-when-using-print) — Lennart Regebro, Apr 04 '13 at 13:35

Lennart Regebro · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-04T13:37:34.483

10

You are using the Python 3 syntax in Python 2.

In Python 2, it's like this:

print >> fly, 'a'

However, a better idea is to do this:

from __future__ import print_function

Which will enable the Python 3 syntax if you are using Python 2.6 or 2.7.

See also: http://docs.python.org/2/library/functions.html#print

edited Apr 04 '13 at 13:37

answered Apr 04 '13 at 13:31

Lennart Regebro

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Python 2 documentation gives the same syntax http://docs.python.org/2/library/functions.html#print edit: thanks ;) – lhcgeneva Apr 04 '13 at 13:33
2

@lhcgeneva: Read the note in the link you just linked to. – Lennart Regebro Apr 04 '13 at 13:35

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 04 '13 at 13:36

Check the documentation

Note This function is not normally available as a built-in since the name print is recognized as the print statement. To disable the statement and use the print() function, use this future statement at the top of your module: from future import print_function

Python: invalid syntax in function print()

2 Answers2